The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1909-03-05
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT

PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT.
After seven years as the chief exc
cutive of the nation, Theodore Roose-
welt retires from his high office, Civ
ing way to his successor and once
more becoming private citizen.
1t is difficult in the case of any man
who has been a leader of his fellows
to be given fair estimate by his own
generation. 1t is much more perpleX-
ing in the consideration of remark
able man of peculiar temperament to
obtain it and such a man is the retir
ing president. it must be left to his
tory to locate his exact place in the
estimation of mankind. 1t can safely
be predicted that he will be more
kindly treated by the verdict of those
who shall impassionately consider his
life in the years to come than he
would be by a cOntempraneous critic.
History enhances the deeds of great
men and hastens to forget minor de-
ficiencies.
Theodore Roosevelt retires to priv
ate life carrying with him the con-
fidence and the loyal admiration
of thousands of his countrymen.
1t is true that he glories in and
loves the lime light To spend one
whole day without attracting the at
tention of the public would be to him
whole day lost. He will undoubt-
eddy "go laundering down the ages"
as Harvard professor says, "as the
noisiest president we have ever had"
He likes to have hand in everything
that is going on and his officiousness
and opinionated manner toward many
minor matters, foreign to his office,
makes him at times annoying.
Nearly all the heads of the great
American colleges and universities
predict that Roosevelt will be given
an exalted place in history as one of
the nations great presidents. Even a
political opponent, like Senator Rayner
of Maryland, who has repeatedly
criticised the president for his seem
ing disregard for the constitution,
says he is a remarkable man and to
great extent will occupy an isolated
position in the history of American
politics. He possesses unQuestioned
intellect. capacity and genius, and
those who deny him these attributes
have not sufficiently studied either his
attainments or his omplishments.
Besides this, says Senator Rayner,
when you are in perfect accord with
his views upon public or private mat
tiers and are willing at all times to
whether he be right or wrong, he is
one of the most delightful and attrac-
tive characters that it has ever been
a pleasure or honor to come in con-
tact with.
David Starr Jordan, president of the
Leland Stanford university, says of
very high place in American his
tory; first, from his strenuous efforts
for the conservation of our domain
and it's forests, its animals and its
products. Second, from the high
moral standards he has inculcated and
carried into practice. His influence
on posterity will be large and clearly
marked Roosevelt is certainly one of
the great men of our time"
George Harris, d. D., president of
Amherst college: "The president is
great executive. There can be no
doubt of that. | look upon myself as
being enthusiastic concerning what he
has accomplished. His place in his
tory-well, it will be a high one, ! am
sure. How will posterity view him?
OF that | cannot say. | believe pos
terity will do him full justice at
least"
Thomas Nixon Carver, Phi, d. LII.
D., professor of political economy of
Harvard university: 81 should regard
President Roosevelt as the noisiest
president we have ever had. am
somewhat different from others in my
ideas regarding just what place in his
tory he will hold. In fact, don't
think that | would be able to answer
that question at all. / will say that
| think him to be one of the greatest
presidents, l do not however, think
him the greatest-no, he is not that.