The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-09-01


curse and not blessing. Speech
before Republican Club. New York
City, February IS. 1899.
No man who has studied the his
tory of his country with any care
can read the flippant and absurd
filings at nearly all the great Presi-
dents who were Democrats and not
feel that the author is voicing petty
partisanship rather than an historical
estimate. The verdict of history is
Jackson and Lincoln are the greatest
Presidents. The verdict will not be
disturbed because Mr. Roosevelt's
partisanship has caused him ruth
lessly TO write Mr.. jefferson down "as
the most incapable executive VINO
ever filed the Presidents chair" and
as ignorant" AS to Madison, term
ed by Roosevelt as incapable" ana
Monroe as with mo special ability,
the record is written by Madison III
State papers that will live When
Roosevelt's peppery documents are
will make the name of Monroe I'M
mortal. The twenty-four years Oh
jefferson, Madison and Monroe en-
brace the era of good feeling, the
most glorious years in the history OIL
the Republic 1t will be observed
that no Democratic President, accoru-
ing to Roosevelt. has been worthy 10
fill the Great office of President. NO
one escapes his harsh criticism ana
condemnation. And yet he pretehuS
to have been untiring as a historian
and not a partisan The truth is that
while appealing to the independent
voters as better than his party MI.
Roosevelt has always been not only
a strict party man in voting ana III
acting but he has carried ms pre-
iudiced partisanship into his hlstofl-
cal and literary work, showing thaI
his partisan bias is Of the warp and
woot of the man.
The estimate that Mr.. Roosevelt
makes of Polk is one that has been
accepted more largely than the
truth justifies Roosevelt says: "EX-
cepting Tyler, Polk is the very small
est of the line of small Presidents
who came in between Jackson and
Lincoln" over against the opinion
of Mr.. Roosevelt / wish to place that
of the late Hon. VIM. l.. Wilson, chair
man of the Ways and Means Commit
tee. and one of the greatest scholars
Il l,a h nh h
lie life. Some years ago / had the
honor to entertain Mr.. Wilson at my
home in Raleigh and invited a COM
pany of friends. in Raleigh to meet
him at breakfast. During the meal
gentleman brought up the relative
merits of the various presidents, and
young lawyer, falling into Mr..
RooseveltS error, spoke of Polk as "a
small man." l had not so read the
history of Mr.. Polk, though | thought
it possible that the fact of his North
Carolina birth might have preJudiced
me in his favor, just as the fact that
he defeated the much loved Clay is
responsible for the erroneous idea
that he is a small man. When my
friend had called Polk a small man,
| turned to Mr. Wilson. and said: Il
have not so regarded Mr.. Polk, but
have given him a high place among
Americas great men. How does he
rank with the other Presidents?'
The company turned to Mr.. Wilson,
and he said that he had as a boy,
heard Mr. Polk called a small man
and when he began the study of his
country's history he had imbued the
opinion that Mr.. Polk was
not small man. but a
man of large mould or great states
manship. But, he went on TO say,
that when he had studied his public
career and read his able State papers,
worthy, he said, of Jefferson, Adams
or Madison, he had come to the con-
clusion that Polk deserved to be
ranked with the authors OF some of the
greatest State papers in American
history. and that he deserved to rank
with the ablest men who had been
elevated to the Presidency. lie then
went on to review the public career
of Mr. Polk from his entrance into
politics in Kentucky until It's close
He told Of the great papers that tolo
of his fame N the State Department
| of his distinguished services as speak
er of the House, where he showed
himself to be the most astute party
leader of his time; and gave a de-
tailed story of the great events tha'
marked his career as President. INC
| one who listened to that comprehen-
| sive, appreciative and luminous eX-
| position of Folks public service coulC
| ever doubt his place in history. MI
| Wilson'S estimate was that OF the
| careful student of history-the scholar
in politics. Roosevelts estimate Is
| that of the partisan who accepts the
! stories of those whose worship OF
| Clay made them do injustice 10 the
ADLER and wiser though less eloquent
and less brilliant. and successful r1Va
| of the great Kentuckian. j. ID.
| Osancc