The sun., 1907-08-29
A PLEA ron MR. ROOSEVELT.
Hereditary lItnuenco May Account fer H's
VIndIcttVe Acts ~ an Executive.

TO THE EDITOR or THE SUN-Sir: In his
rreent speech at Provincetown President
Roosevelt said that his acts In the prosecu-
tlon OF trusts would not be guided by vin-
dictiveness." have no doubt that In this
particular instance Mr.. Roosevelt spoke
sincerely. He believes that all his acts are
free from vindictiyO and all other unworthy
motives. His egotism Is such that he thinks
he Is the embodiment Of all the virtues OF the
greatest and best men who ever lived. ana
that he Is not possessed OF any Of the frailties
that characterize ordi nary mortals.
But u II could be shown that the President
had been guided by vindctiveness in any
act Of his life. think he should be pardoned
therefor because OF heredity. One OF his
uncles by the name OF Buloch who was In
tho Confederate service declared when the
war ended In 1885 that he 80 hated the Gov
ernment Of the United States that he would
never again live under IT," He expatriated
himself, going TO London, where he died
after many years OF residence. His ex-
patriatlon was entirely voluntary and un-
necessary, as he was OF too little consequences
to be molested by the United States suthori-
ties after the war. His sole inspiration was
his -vindictiveness" toward all who had
differed with him
There was justification fdr Senator Robert
Toombs Of Georgia. ex-Vice-President John
C. Breckinridge OF Kentucky. Governor
Isham G.. Harris OF Tennessee. and other
leaders Of the Confederaoy when they fed
to Europe on the surrender OF Lee. because
they had reason to believe that they would
be arrested and imprisoned n they remained
In the States. II Is to the credit OF all those
secession leaders that after they had lived
In Europe about one year and the angry pas
sions Of the conflict had subsidized they felt
that they could safely return TO their native
land. One OF them. Senator Harris who a.
nf In
State out Of the Union. and whom Albert
Sidney johnson described as -ths South's
most efficient war Governor" said to mo
once: The Government OF the United States
is 20 far superior TO that OF any other country
that would rather live under IL. even when
you id Republicans control it,"
In his speeches on his tour Of the Southern
States few years ago the President, ad-
dressing himself TO the men who had fought
under Forrest and other leaders. boasted
that his uncle tanother Bulloch) had fought
under Semmes on the Alabama, and that +" he
fired the last two shots from that vessel as
she went down" Now. everybody who had
read the history OF our civil war knew that
after the sinking Alabama had run up the
white flag of surrender and Commodore
Winslow Of the Kearsarge had ordered his
seamen to cease firing and sent boats to the
relief OF the enemy's seamen, two treacherous
vindictive shots we're fired at the American
warship; but until President Roosevelt dis
closed his identity the world was ignorant
OF the name OF the "vindictive- barbarian
who fired those last two shots" in violation
OF the usages of civilized warfare. Com
modore Winslow was so indignant that he
ordered another broadside TO be fred. It is
due to the truth Of history to say that nobody
antagonistic to the Confederate cause re-
garded such a manifestation of "vindictive-
ness" as more reprehensible than did the
brave and honorable men who supported
that cause.
When we consider the strength Of heredi-
tary influence. should we not throw the mantle
OF charity over every act OF apparent vim
dictiveness that MIR. Roosevelt displays?
He Is not responsible nor ju5tly censurable
for his heredity JOHN b. BRowNLow.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn, August 20