The Savannah morning news., 1901-09-23
SPIRIT OF ROOSEVELT
BY NO MEANS INHERITED SOLELY
FROM HIS FATHER.
THIS STORY WILL SHOW.
THAT MARTHA BULLOCK ROOSE-
WELT HAD A WILL of HER OWN.

CiOse OF the C1vil War-She was
an "Unreconstructed RebeI'-A
story She Related of How She
Flew the Stars and Bars in New
York Is Recalled by Ladies Who
1t Shows Where Roosevelt Got
Something of the Quality That Has
Made Him President.
From the fathers side may have
come some of the blood that gave
President Roosevelt his indomitable
spirit, but certain it is that the ma
ternal branch was rich in that quality
that marked the Bullochs of Georgia
for their resolution, pertinacity and
strength of will. No better exponent
of those traits could be found than
Martha Bulloch Roosevelt, the mother
of the President.
Not long after the Civil War Mrs.
Roosevelt was on a visit to Savannah
where she had many friends. She was
Georgia woman, of distinguished an
cestry, the Bulloch family being one
of the best in the state and it's repre-
ton in the highest positions. 1t was
but natural, therefore, that she should
have been well received upon her visit
to this city, and that there should
have been rare pleasure to her, and I'M
reconstructed rebel in her inter-
course with her own people, those who
had fought and bled upon the field of
ha Ia
waiting and watching.
Reunion with her Southern friends,
after the years of the war that she
had spent at her home in New York
was pleasure to Mrs. Roosevelt and
it was with the keenest relish that she
recounted stories of the times and of
the trials that she suffered in the city
of her adoption through her unswerv-
ing loyalty to the cause of the South
cause in which one brother, Irvine l.
Bulloch, fought as an officer aboard
the cruiser Alabama, and which an
other brother represented at Eng
lands capital city. One of these stories
clearly revealed the character of the
woman and leaves little difficulty in
determining whence the President gets
some of those qualities that have tend
ed to his preferment.
=.
Roosevelt's honor by Mrs Henrietta S.
Cohen, that she told the story. Of
late years, because of Theodore Roose-
velts rapid advanceent, it has been re-
called by his mothers old friends. who
feel pride in having known the mother
of the President, and gladly ascribe
to her some of the traits that are seen
in the son.
1t was just when the spirit of peace,
70 In -
alight was lowering over the land
New York was af1ame with passionate
patriotism and anythink smacking of
the Confederacy was not tolerated
Feeling ran high, and woe was it for
any who braved the popular tide and
showed leaning toward the cause of
the South.
Theodore Roosevelt, the older. de-
cided at about that time to give some
great social function. The Roosevelt
mansion was accordingly bravely
decked in bunting and with American
flags. From every window, save one,
flew the Stars and Stripes. That one
was of Mrs. Roosevelt's boudoir Her
husband had not designed to omit it
from the decorative scheme, but she
would have none of it. Instead, she
hit upon a plan that would clearly re-
veal her sentiments.
Stopping not to consider the peril in
which it might place her, and her hus-
band but determined to show that all
in that house were not of the cause of
the North she drew from among her
most cherished treasures the Stars
and Bars, the emblem of the South
Going to the window, she firmly fixed
its staff and allowed its folds to f1ut-
ter from the breeze.
On the instant, almost the hostile
ensign was noted. A passer-by in the
street below deserted it,. In hot in
dignation, he pointed it out to another
AS mobs will, so one began to grow,
and soon the street was checked with
angry people. who shook threatening
fists at the Confederate flag and in
weighed most bitterly.
Alarmed by the gathering that was
swelled every moment and that direct
ed it's wrath against his home,
Theodore Roosevelt sought the cause
that had stirred the people to anger. He
was not long in finding it. Fierce ac-
claim directed his gaze, which rested
upon the fluttering emblem of the
South. The Roosevelt nature has new
er quailed before a crowd. Theodore,
the elder, saw that imminent danger
could probably be averted only through
his persuading his wife to remove the
Objectionable flag With a word to the
crowd, ne left, entering the house and
finding his wife. He told her what she
already knew-that the anger of the
mob had been excited by her indiscreet
display of her colors, and that it would
be well for her to take in the flag.
II shall not do So" declared the
mother of the President. 1.-The flag is
mine; the boudoir is mine l love the
flag, for it represents my native land.
No ruffian hand shall invade the pri-
vacy of my boudoir to drag down that
flag, nor shall ruffian shouts force me
to remove it from the window of a
room that is wholly mine Explain to
them that I am a Southern woman:
that I love the South. Do anything YOU
like except touch that flag. 1t shall
not come down"
And 1t did not. Theodore Roosevelt
went again to face the crowd. He
made a speech, dwelling with fnesse
upon his wifes love for her own land
and moulding the mob to his will and
to an indulgence of Mrs. Roosevelt in
her desire to fly the flag of her below
ed South.
The crowd dispersed but the story
remains to show maternal quality
that has made a President.