The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-12-11
ROOSEVELT SENT
MESSAGE TO ROME
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ~


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plain and champion my administration. If
l could at any time fill this want, L
should most ardently wish to do So
In other words, for a cabinet place the
man should. if possible, be not only emil
nelly fit for the administration of his de-
partment but also, If possible, a party
leader of weight, and, Furthermore, It is
rarely that one can fill a cabinet position
with reference only to tself-all surround
ing conditions must be taken into ac-
count. Now as to foreign affairs, my in
quiries speedily develop the fact that
Catholic just at present would not be a
man whom it would be wise to send to
Germany.
For wholly different rea sons ii would be
unwise to send him to Italy. | had not
thought of or known either of these facts
when ] advocated Bellamy's going to
Italy. AS soon as | made inquiry as to
the effect both here and abroad of APP
pointments to Germany and Italy, | found
what the facts were. In no other court
would the question of Catholicism cause
, any serious trouble, but l have not the
slightest idea whether any man intends
at present to leave his position.
"Of Porter in France, l hear nothing
but the strongest praise He seems to
have done peculiarly we'll 1t would be
an injustice of a fragrant kind to turn him
out at the present time. 1t is, of course,
always possible that | may make shift.
and if in doing so Frence should become
vacant | should offer it to Bellamy at
once, unless it happened that | was able
to offer him a cabinet position, but as
things are just at this time, | do not see
the likelihood of such a condition arising
I have written with the minutest detail
/ W nj IN nd OF bnx
the things now stand. Faithfully yours,
THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
'"fhe President says the assertion that
used him to make such a statement as
he says he was authorized to make to the
Pope is untrue. | gave him no such au-
thorizaton.'
HE omits to note that he himself told
Archbishop Ireland that he had done so.
and the letter of the latter to me, which
had quoted | have ready to submit with
other letters of what the President told
Archbishop Ireland relative to his mes
sage through me to the Pope.
"He says. and it is supported by Mr..
Loeb. that he never received my letter
reporting in detail my visit to the vat-
can.
THAT letter was written and mailed at
Meran within the Austrian frontier at my
first moment of stop long enough to write
after leaving Rome. The date is the 4th
or 9Th of December, 1903, and the letter is
the one referred to by me in my own let
ter to the President of January TO- 1904.
where I say as / wrote you exactly what
I did and said. you may judge whether l
oyerstepped.' 1t is pity the letter in
question cannot be found
1.-THE President charges me with 'disin-
genuousness in the matter of my resig-
nation in January, 1904, the one which was
refused by him, and says that my resig-
nation was based on another reason en-
tirely other than my going to the vati-
can to convey his message and treatment
of the matter afterward He had in the
strongest terms alredv forbidden me to
refer to that matter. and already forbid
den me to quote him again in reference to
it. 1t was. therefore. quite proper and
natural not to speak of It. but simply to
leave it to him to accept my resignation
on any grounds he chose, or on no ground
at all If he saw fit.
1.-THE Hurst incident in which In prin-
ciple 7 was right / felt had been wrong
in detail. and was not afraid to say so
II afforded me perfect opportunity to
tender my resignation without again
troubling the Presidents susceptibilities
regarding his messages to Rome. If the
word vatican" was not mentioned in my
letter of resignation. the facts were in eX-
istence within the knowledge of the Pres
ident all the same.
1T was five months only before the re-
nominating convention. and ! was desr-
Gus of avoiding any possible embarrass
ment to Mr. Roosevelt in any way. This
now becomes particular perfidy" on my
part In the view and language of the
President of the United States. As ! have
already said my original letter is really
an answer to everything else that is con-