New-York tribune., 1919-02-10
National Tribute Paid to Memory of Colonel Roos

was lmpulslve and lmpetuous, that he
acted without thinking. He would
have been the last to claim infallibil-
ity. His head did not turn when fame
came to him and choruses of admira
tion sounded in his ears, for he was
neither vain nor credulous. He knew
that he made mistakes, and never hes
ltated to admit them to be mistakes
and to correct them or put them be-
hind him when satisfied that they
were such.
Never Wasted Time Explaining
But he never wasted time in mourn
ing, explaining, or vainly regretting
them. 1t is also true that the middle
way did not attract him. He was apt
to go far, both in praise and censure,
although nobody could analyze quail
tiles and balance them justly in judg-
ing men better than he. He felt
strongly, and as he had no conceal
ments of any kind, he expressed him
self in like manner. But vehemence
is not violence nor is earnestness an
ger, which q very wise man defined
as q brief madness.
"It was all according to his nature,
just as his eager cordiality in meeting
men and women, his keen interest in
other peoples cares or joys, was not
assumed, as some persons thought who
I ulu HOL hilOW IlHl ~ Wdo al UIO-
foundly natural, it was all real, and in
that way and in no other was he able
to meet and greet his fellow men. He
spoke out with the most unrestrained
frankness at all times and in all COM
panies.
mot n day passed in the Presidency
when he was not guilty of what the
trained diplomatist would call indiscre-
tions. Bnt the frankness had its own re-
II Il
whose confidence was so respected or
with whom the barriers Of honor which
surround private conversation were
more scrupulously observed At the
same time, when the public interest
required, no man could be more wisely
reticent.
Vie was apt, it is true, to act sud
denly and decisively, but it was COM
plete mistake to suppose that he there
fore acted without thought or merely
on momentary impulse. When he
had made up his mind he was resolute
and unchanging, but he made I'D his
mind only after much reflection, and
there never was President in the
White House who consulted not only
friends but political opponents and
men of all kinds and conditions more
than Theodore Roosevelt.
Theodore Roosevelt's power, how
ever, and the main source of all his
achievement was not in the offices
which he held, for those Offices were to
him only opportunities, but in the
extraordinary hold which he estab-
lished and retained over great bodies
of men He had the largest personal
following ever attained by any man in
our history.
Temperament Won Him Followers
HrTbic - oyJi !
was not given to him solely because the
people knew him to be honest and
brave, because they were certain that
physical fear was an emotion unknown
to him, and that his moral courage
equalled the physical. 1t was not
merely because they thoroughly be-
lieved him to be sincere. All this
knowledge and belief, Of course, went
to making his popular leadership Sc
cure but there was much more in it
than that, something that went deeper
basic elements which were not upon
the surface. They were due to quail
ties of temperament interviewer with
his very being, inseparable from him
and yet subtle rather than obvious in
their effects.
"Al men admire courage, and that
he possessed in the highest degree
But he had also something larger and
rarer than courage, in the ordinary ac-
ceptatlon of the word. When an assas.
sin shot him at Milwaukee he was
severely wounded how severely he
could not tell, but it might we'll have
been mortal. He went on to the great
meeting awaiting him and there, bleed
ing, suffering, ignorant Of his fate, but
still unconQuered made his speech anC
went from the stage to the hospital
What bore him up was the dauntless
; spirit which could rise victorious ovel
pain and darkness and the unknown
and meet the duty of the hour as if al
were we'll. A spirit like this awakens
klndles affection and appeals to ever,
generous impulse.
Had lrrepressible Sense of Humor
: VERY different, but equally compel
ling, was onother quality. There is
nothing in human beings at once SC
sane and so sympathetic es a sense OF
Lumor. This great gift the good fairies
conferred upon Theodore Roosevelt al
i his birth in unstinted measure. Nc
man ever had more abundant sense
O humor-j Joyous, irrepressible humo1
and it never deserted him. Even al
the most serious and even perious mo-
ments. If there was a CLEAN of humol
, anywhere he saw it and rejoiced anc
helped himself with it over the rough
rlaces. He loved fun,' loved to joke anc
, chaff, and, what is more uncommon
greatly enjoyed being chaffed himself
His ready smile and contagious laugh
made countless friends and saved him
, from many an enmity. Even more gen
orally effective than his humor was the
universal knowledge that Roosevelt hec
no secrets from the American people.
+ "Yet another quality perhaps the
most engaging of all--was his homcly
generous humanity, which enabled hin
to speak directly to the primitive in
4 stincts of man.
He dwelt with the tribes Of tho
marsh and moor
r He safe at the board of kings;
He tasted the toll of the burdenet
slave
\ And the Joy that triumph brings
I But whether to jungle or palace hal
!, Or white-walled tent he came
e He was brother to king and soldiel
& and slave,
His welcome was the same
/ "And then he had yet one more at
i traction, less serious than the others
d but none the less very important ant
:, very captivating. He never by an!
: chance bored the American people
c They might laugh at him or laugl
with him, they might like what h'
said or dislike it, they might agree
with him or disagree with him, bu
/ they were never wearied of him ant
f,. i