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ounders created the Republic。 He fought fairly； but warily； never letting slip a point that would tell against his opponents； who； it must be said； did not always attack him honorably。
At first； they regarded the President as a headstrong young man he was the youngest who had ever sat in the Presidential chair who wished to have his own way in order to show the country that he was its leader。 They did not see that ideals which dated back to his childhood were really shaping his acts。 He had seen law in the making out West； he had seen law； and especially corporation law； in the making when he was in the New York Assembly and Governor of New York； he knew the devices by which the Interests caused laws to be made and passed for their special benefit； or evaded inconvenient laws。 But he suffered no disillusion as to the ideal of Law； the embodiment and organ of Justice。 Legal quibbles； behind which designing and wicked men dodged； nauseated him； and he made no pretense of wishing to uphold them。
The champions of the Interests found out before long that the young President was neither headstrong nor a mere creature of impulse； but that he followed a thoroughly rational system of principles； and so they had to abandon the notion that the next gust of impulse might blow him over to their side。 They must take him as he was； and make the best of it。 Now； I must repeat； that； for these gentlemen； the very idea that anybody could propose to run the American Government； or to organize American Society； on any other standard than theirs； seemed to them preposterous。 The Bourbon nobles in France and in Italy were not more amazed。 when the Revolutionists proposed to sweep them away than were the American Plutocrats of the Rooseveltian era when he promoted laws to regulate them。 The Bourbon thinks the earth will perish unless Bourbonism governs it； the American Plutocrat thought that America existed simply to enrich him。 He clung to his rights and privileges with the tenacity of a drowning man clinging to a plank； and he deceived himself into thinking that； in desperately trying to save himself and his order； he was saving Society。
Most tragic of all； to one who regards history as the revelation of the unfolding of the moral nature of mankind； was the fact that these men had not the slightest idea that they were living in a moral world； or that a new influx of moral inspiration had begun to permeate Society in its politics； its business； and its daily conduct。 The great ship Privilege； on which they had voyaged with pomp and satisfaction； was going down and they knew it not。
CHAPTER XIII。 THE TWO ROOSEVELTS
I do not wish to paint Roosevelt in one light only； and that the most favorable。 Had no other been shed upon him； his Administration would have been too bland for human belief； and life for him would have palled。 For his inexhaustible energy hungered for action。 As soon as his judgment convinced him that a thing ought to be done he set about doing it。 Recently； I asked one of the most perspicacious members of his Cabinet； 〃What do you consider Theodore's dominant trait〃 He thought for a while； and then replied； 〃Combativeness。〃 No doubt the public also； at least while Roosevelt was in office； thought of him first as a fighter。 The idea that he was truculent or pugnacious； that he went about with a chip on his shoulder； that he loved fighting for the sake of fighting； was； however； a mistake。 During the eight years he was President he kept the United States out of war； not only that； he settled long…standing causes of irritation； such as the dispute over the Alaskan Boundary； which might； under provocation； have led to war。 Even more than this； without striking a blow； he repelled the persistent attempts of the German Emperor to gain a foothold on this continent； he repelled those snakelike attacks and forced the Imperial Bully； not merely to retreat ignominiously but to arbitrate。 And in foreign affairs； Roosevelt shone as a peacemaker。 He succeeded in persuading the Russian Czar to come to terms with the Mikado of Japan。 And soon after； when the German Emperor threatened to make war on France； a letter from Roosevelt to him caused William to reconsider his brutal plan； and to submit the Moroccan dispute to a conference of the Powers at Algeciras。
Instead of the braggart and brawler that his enemies mispainted him； I saw in Roosevelt； rather； a strong man who had taken early to heart Hamlet's maxim and had steadfastly practiced it：
〃Rightly to be great Is not to stir without great argument；
But greatly to find quarrel in a straw When honour's at the stake。〃
He himself summed up this part of his philosophy in a phrase which has become a proverb： 〃Speak softly； but carry a big stick。〃 More than once in his later years he quoted this to me； adding； that it was precisely because this or that Power knew that he carried a big stick； that he was enabled to speak softly with effect。
No man of our time better deserved the Nobel Peace Prize than did he。 The fallacy that Roosevelt； like the proverbial Irishman at Donnybrook Fair； had rather fight than eat； spread through the country； and indeed throughout the world； and had its influence in determining whether men voted for him or not。 His enemies used it as proof that he was not a safe President； but they took means much more malignant than this to discredit and destroy him。 When the Big Interests discovered that they could not silence him； they circulated stories of all kinds that would have rendered even the archangel Gabriel suspect to some worthy dupes。
They threw doubts； for instance； on his sanity； and one heard that the 〃Wall Street magnates〃 employed the best alienists in the country to analyze everything the President did and said； in the hope of accumulating evidence to show that he was too unbalanced to be President。 Not content with stealing away his reputation for mental competence； they shot into the dark the gravest charges against his honor。 A single story； still believed； as I know； by persons of eminence in their professions； will illustrate this。 When one of the great contests between the President and the Interests was on； he remembered that one of their representatives in New York had damaging； confidential letters from him。 Hearing that these might be produced； Roosevelt telephoned one of his trusty agents to break open the desk of the Captain of Industry where they were kept； and to bring them to the White House； before ten o'clock the following morning。 This was done。 To believe that the President of the United States would engage in a vulgar robbery of the jimmy and black…mask sort indicates a degree of credulity which even the alienists could hardly have expected to encounter outside of their asylums。 It suggests also； that Baron Munchausen； like the Wandering Jew Ahasuerus； has never died。 Does any one suppose that the person whose desk was rifled would have kept quiet？ Or that； if the Interests had had even reasonably sure evidence of the President's guilt； they would not have published it？ To set spies and detectives upon him with orders to trail him night and day was； according to rumor； an obvious expedient for his enemies to employ。