The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-10


had called out from the Presidents secre-
tary a statement fatty denying that the
President had authorized il. Unfortunate
" the very thing that had happened on
Mgr. O'Connells visit now happened
on mine, for a newspaper correspond
ent in Rome telegraphed to an Ameri-
can newspaper a report that | had seen the
Pope and gave an account of my audience,
connecting it with Archbishop ireland.
How this happened | do not know. II was
not in any manner through me. The re-
port was even said to have been telegraphed
| originally from Washington to Rome and
repeated from there to Washington. l
certainly had every intention to keep the
matter secret and every reason to desire
in the interest Of success for my errand
tina il should he secret.
This newspaper report of my visit was
brought TO the attention Of President Roose-
welt, and evidently greatly irritated him.
I received a letter from him dated Deem
Der p, 1903, which l give in FULL, as IL was
subsequently referred to by the President:
The President to Mr. storer.
WHITE House.
Personal MASHlNGTON, Zee. u, lNVJ.
My DEAR BELLAMY: The enclosed article
Is but one Of several of the same kind which
have appeared, and letters are beginning 10
come to both Hay and myself on the same
subject. need hardly point our that but
few things could he more emhs raising or
more misChievous than TO have had the OPP
portunity given for such articles to appear.
What has occurred shows clearly that 1t is
hopeless for YOU 10 expect that people Will
anpraofaVa tho difference hptUAen what Won.
as an American Catholic. in your private
capacity, say, and what you, as an American
Ambassador. say. take II for granted that
YOU supposed you were speaking merely in
your private capacity TO people who would
not misunderstand you and who would not
repeat what You said. Your faith has evil
IDENTIFY been misplaced. In view of what has
occurred must ask you, while you are
in the United States service, to take no
part either directly or indirectly in such
a matter as this, and hereafter TO
repeat to no man what ] have said to YOU
concerning the subject of the article. You
have doubtless yourself seen. by what has
occurred, that such action can have only
mischievous results.
have the heartiest admiration for Arch
bishop Ireland. | should he del ghted to
see him made Cardinal, Just as ! was delighted
to see La wrenCe made the Episcopal Bishop
of Massachusetts; just as | have been de-
light ed at various Methodist friends of mine
who have been made bishops. But as Presi-
dent il is none of my business to interfere
for OF against the advancemen of any man
in any church. and a. it il impossible to dif-
ferentiate what | say in my individual capacity
from what ! say as President At least in the
popular mind, and apparently also in the
Roman mind must request you not to
quote me in any way or shape hereafter
Have you written any one. excepting John
----IE 49, 49,. ~ q
Hurst was wrong? ! do not believe you have,
but the other day some one quoted You to
this effect. | need hardly say that under no
circumstances must you write TO an outsider
commenting upon removal by my direction
on Secretary Hays recommendation. and on
absolutely conclusive proof of misconduct
aud unhtness.
With love to Maria. believe me.
Faithfully yours.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
Hon. Bellamy Storer. United States Ambas-
sador, Vienna. Austria.
This letter from the President filed me
with astonishment. Its tone wGs one of
rebuke for speaking to the Pope on the
subject, and yet | had spoken by the Presi-
dents express request. Then, too, my letter
reporting the interview was wholly ignored
by the President, and he assumed the air
of one who had just learned from the news
papers for the first time, and with panied
surprise, anything about the affair. ITeplied
as follows:
MIR. StOrer TO the President.
AMERICAN EMBASSY.
VIENNA, 10 January. 1904.
DEAR THEODORE: Yours Of ~ December
has just reached me. | am "a sorry as YOU
can be that anything I did or said ia being
used 10 attack you with. As ! wrote you
exactly what | did and said, you may Judge
whether | overstepped what belonged to me.
As for the article you send its cont empt Of
common sense in making 1t appear that your
representative AZ Rome had done something
reprehensible ought 10 rouse common sense
into temper and reciprocal cont empt.
DO not shut your eyes IN the danger which
for fve years ! have been trying to head of
from the Republican party and its candidate s.
| hope | am not the only one who is tired Of
my Church possessing a hierarchy which is
$50 far as II knows politics. by n very large
majority. in principle, oppOsadt TO US politically.
Although, when once "Bryanism' took pos
session OF the Democratic part s., a very large
proportion of my Church voted Republican.
At another time this large fragment of in
fuenCe and votes is quite likely 10 return 10
It's old political fold. The Republicans. for
the first time. in 1884. began TO mako seri,us
lnrosds on the solidarity Of Catholic vots.
for the Democratic party. That was ON a
moral issue of the personal character OF "A
candidate, you know a very large proportion
of this gain went back TO Mr.. Cleveland IN
1892. In 1890 and 1900 We got perhaps NOR.
than half of the votes of the members of NV
Church. Are We going to keep them? Are
the Democrats going to give US again
a neral issue? Do you suppose thar
the influence Of such powerful minds as
Mesmer and MoPhall viii naturally tend