Jacob A. Riis (1849–1914). Theodore Roosevelt, the Citizen. 1904.
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| did n’t need the chair. But when he came to take leave of Roosevelt, this is what he wrote: “I shall carry with me unabated loyalty to your administration, confidence in the sound conservatism and patriotic unselfishness of your policy,… and I shall always be happy to have been a part of the administration directed by your sincere and rugged adherence to right and devotion to the trust of our country.” Blame me for partiality, if you will, but against Secretary Root the charge does not justly lie. He just spoke the truth. |
| Verily, I think that were the country to be called upon to-morrow to vote for peace or for war, his voice would be for peace to the last hour in which it could be maintained with honor. Slower than Lincoln would he be to draw the sword. But once drawn for justice and right, I should not like to be in its way, nor should I be lazy about making up my mind which way to skip. I remember once when I got excited—over some outrage perpetrated upon American missions or students in Turkey, I think. It was in the old days in Mulberry Street, and I wanted to know if our ships |