The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-04-24
Roosevelt Is Admitted
as Member of French
Academy.
breaches SERMON
AT THE SORBONNE
Tells Brilliant Audience That
Average Citizen Is Nations
Hope-Not Idler or Critic
Who Counts, but Man Who
Can Fight-Many Chill
dren Blessing.

Paris. April 23.-To use Colones
Roosevelt's own words. to-day marked
the crowning of his career as man
of letters From noon until midnight
he was the guest OF intellectual Paris,
participating as member at a ses-
sion of the French Academy, deliver
ing lecture at the Sorbonne and re-
naming as the guest of the faculty
for dinner and the grand reception
given by the university in his honor.
Colonel Roosevelts reception at tha
French Institute and that at the Sor-
bonne were equally impressive.
After listening to the words of M.
Boutroux, the president of the Acad-
erey of Moral and Political Sciences.
who spoke eloquently of Americana
ideals and character. of which he said
| Theodore Roosevelt was the best ex-
| ponent. Mr.. Roosevelt replied in
! French, hts utterances arousing his
venerable colleagues to unwonted ap-
| plause.
I Enthusiasm Unbounded.
| AT the Sorbonne, no attempt was
made to restrain the demonstrations.
and the facade bristled with American
and French flags, and fully $4,000 per-
| sons packed the streets and acclaimed
| Colonel Roosevelt on his arrival.
| Within the building enthusiasm was
| unbounded, the vast crowd in the
| amphitheatre interrupting again and.
| again with storms of applause as the
speaker defined the duties of indt-
vidual citizenship in a republic, scorn-
ing the slugsards. cynics and idle rich,
and preaching the gospel of work.
character and the strenuous life. Sew
eral times he interjected observations
in French After he had defined his
attitude on the subject of human
rights and property rights he repeated
this in French. saying that 1t con-
stituted the cruX of what he had to
say. and he desired every one to un-
| derstand him. His words In this con-
| nection We're:
My position as regards the moneyed
| interests can be put In a few words. In
| every civilized society property rights
| must be carefully safeguarded. Ordi-
| narily, and in the great majority of
cases, human rights and property
| rights are fundamental, and In the
| long run Identical. But when 1t
| clearly appears that there Is real
| conflict between them. human rights
must have the upper hand. for prop
erty belongs to man and not man to
property
He made his auditors clearly realize
that he recognized republican institu-
.tions as still on trial, both in America.
and in France.
The distinguished personages oc-
cupying seats on the estrade, who In
cluded, besides the deans OF the va
rious faculties OF the universities.
Premier BRAND and his entire Cabinet
and other notables. were evidently
very much impressed. Joining heartily
In the applause, especially when Col-
onel Roosevelt spoke against race
suicide and the necessity of n nation
to perpetuate itself as one of its prin1
cipal duties.
Gets Bust of jefferson.
Following the lecture, Vice-Rector
Lizard, in behalf of the university. pre-
sented Mr.. Roosevelt with a bust OF
Jefferson and two vases made at
Sevres. But curious mistake had
been made in the bust. A bust of Lin
coin had been ordered from the gov-
ernmsnt factory at Sevres. but in some
unaccountable way one of Jefferson
was manufactured. NJ. Jusserand, the
French ambassador. has arranged to;
have the original order executed.
In replying to NJ. Boutroux. before
the Academy of Moral and Political
Sciences, Colonel Roosevelt anoke in
French.
II cannot express how much have
been touched by the honor you have
paid me-" he said. TT is the crowning
of the career of man OF letters
NJ Boutroux. he said, had defined his
moral conception of life better than he
could himself, and he continued.
II have always tried to translate into
action the moral principles which
must inspire the life of men and ma
tions. There can be no economic civil
ization without morality. Genius Ia
not essential, but only courage. hon
esty, sincerity and common sense. Men
of genius without these qualities are
curse to a nation. They do moro
harm than good"
Colonel Roosevelt told of how he had
received the news of his election to the
academy while hunting wild rhinoc-
crosses at the equator.
II was living among naked savages,
he said, "hunting for an animal which
was the survivor of the long-haired
rhlnoceros that existed here in France
when France was Inhabited by naked
savages.
He had received the first news in
letters which came simultaneously
from two members of the academy,
one in Mexico and the other in Brazil.
"Mr. President and dear colleagues"
he concluded, II thank you once moro
from the bottom OF my heart"
Colonel and Mrs. Roosevelt We're en-
tertained at dinner this evening by
Vice Rector Lizard
Lecture mt Sorbonne.
In his lecture to-day at the Sorhonher
Co,>nel Roosevelt spoke on individual
citizenship in the republics OF France
and tho United States, In part no
said:
.With you here and with us in my
own home, in the long run. success
or failure will be conditioned upon tho
way in which the average man. the
average woman, does his or her duty
first In the ordinary. every day affairs
OF life, and next In those great oc-s
casional crises which call for tha
heroic virtues. The average citizen
.,,,,,t No q GOOD Citizen if our rI,pubiicY