Evening star., 1902-04-30
ROOSEVELT'S IDEALS
THE CRITICISMS MADE BY BISHOP
KELLEY AT SAVANNAH.
Expressions Used by the President in
His Works and in His
Speeches.

of the United States was severely criti-
cised, was called to the attention of Presi-
dent Roosevelt by the correspondent Of the
Sun today.
The President does not feel that he could
with propriety reply to the attack upon his
sincerity and honesty of sentiment. He be-
lieves that an examination of his writings
and his addresses will convince any one of
the falsity of the accusation of insincerity
and double-dealing of expressing one sent1-
ment in the south and another in the north.
The expression quoted from one of his
works by Bishop Kelley with reference to
jefferson Davis is probably accurate,
though it could not be found in the hasty
examination in the Presidents library to-
day. Mr.. Roosevelt is not an admirer of
Jefferson Davis an historical character,
and credits other southern leaders with
less ambition of sort that he considers
selfish. In speaking of Mr.. Davis he has
not thought that he was speaking of the
whole southern people AS an historian
he has spoken in terms of boundless ad-
mtratiou of General Robert E. Lee. ranking
him first. above all American military men.
His expressions as to General Lee have
caused some, with little discrimination, to
charge him with being in sympathy with
the cause of the confederacy, but an
historian his purpose has been, not to give
expression to his political sentiment but to
write the truth as it appears to his mind.
Half Northern, Half Southern.
He is half northerner and half southerner.
His political sentiments are those associ-
ated principally with the north, but he
credits the southern people with sincerity
and patriotism, and while not in sympathy
with the separationists. whether Of the
south or of the north, whether of the period
when Mr.. Davis was leader or of the period
forty or fifty years earlier when Cabot and
O,,ip pf E,pla nd SanaratiOp-
lists. yet he does not deny to the people who
sacrificed everything for the southern con-
federacy the ntment of patriotism. Their
patriotism was directed toward what they
believed to be right Some Of his own peo-
pie were the side of the confederacy, and
he attributes to them motives of lofty pa
triotism and sense of duty as they saw it.
He does not hold to their opinions as to the
right or wrong of the cause; if he had en-
tertaned views in accordance with theirs
he would not now be a republican President
of the United States and there would have
been no occasion for him to visit the south
anPspcak as he did at Charleston.
Yet he feels that without adopting south
ern ideas he can admire the southern peo-
pie and praise their courage, self-sacrifce
and self-abnegation, and can recognize In
them patriotism worthy Of people of their
character. If. in his opinion, Mr. Davis
was not an admirable personality he does
not feel that this opinion reflects upon the
southern people or upon the southern char
acter.
As to His Sentiments.
President Roosevelt feels that he does
not need defense against the charge that
his expressions of sentiment vary with the
character of his audience, and he thinks
such a charge must be inspired by a willful
purpose to misconstrue and misrepre sent
his sentiments and purposes.
The sentiments expressed by him at
Charleston, in speaking to the southern
people. were voiced by him in an address
at the veterans reunion at Burlington. Vt,
in September 1901. In the Vermont address
he said
In the first place. you have left US the
right of brotherhood with the gallant men
who wore the gray in the ranks against
which you were pitted. At the opening of
this new century, all of us, the children of
a reunited country. have right to glory
IN the countless DEEDS OF yalor done alike
by the men of the north and the men of the
south. We can retain our evergrowing
sense of the all-importance not merely to
our people. but to mankind of the Union
victory, while giving the freest and hearth
est recognition to the sincerity and self
devotion of those Americans, our fellow
countrymen, who then fought against the
stars in their courses. Now there is none
lett, north or south, who does not take joy
and pride in the Union; and when three
years ago once more had to face for
eign enemy, the heart of every true Ameri-
can thrilled with pride to see veterans who
more appear under Uncle Sans colors side
by side with their former foes, and leading
to victory under the famous old flag the
sons both of those who had worn the blue
and of those who had worn the gray
4 he President does not think 1t was dou-
ble-faced to express in Charleston in 1902
these sentiments which he had expressed In
Vermont the year before.
American Ideals"
In his book American Ideals Mr. Roose-
welt said on the subject of the civil war:
But besides this, besides the ma aterial re- |
suits of the civil war. we are all, north and
south, incalculably richer for it's memories |
We the richer each grim campaign for |
each hard-fought battle. We are the richer |
for vaior displayed alike by those who
fought so valiantly for the right and by
those who no less valiantly, fought for |
what they deemed the right"
This book vas published in 1897.
In speaking as an historian of the sep |
arationists." Mr.. Roosevelt has condemned |
the New England separationists of 1912 as |
he has the southern ''separationists'' of a |
later period
In his Winning the West" he says on |
this subject:
strong in almost every section of the Union |
in some regions 1t has been much |
stronger than in others. Calhoun and Pick
ering. jefferson and Gouyerneur Morris |
Wendell Phillips and William Tanney, |
Aaron Burr and jefferson Davis-these and |
many other leaders of thought and action /
east and west, north and south, at differ |
ent periods of the nations growth, and at |
different stages of their own careers, have |
for various reasons, and with widely vary |
ing purity of motive, headed or Joined in |
separatist movements. Many of these men |
We're actuated by high-minded, though mar
row. patriotism; and those who in the cuI- |
minating capacity of the separatist agita- |
ton appealed to the sword proved the sin |
cerity of their convictions by their resoiute |
courage and self-sacrifice Nevertheless, |
they were warning against the right and |
stroye nightly to bring about the down. |
fall and undoing of the nation"
1t is not CUSTOMARY for the Presida,t tn |