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THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF THEODORE ROOSEVELT
By Theodore Roosevelt
forFreeEBooks,visit:http://esnips.com/web/ebooks4u
PREPARER'SNOTEThisEtextwaspreparedfroma1920edition,publishedbyCharlesScribner'sSons.Thebookwasfirstpublishedin1913.CONTENTSForwardBoyhoodandYouthTheVigorofLifePracticalPoliticsInCowboyLandAppliedIdealismTheNewYorkPoliceTheWarofAmericatheUnreadyTheNewYorkGovernorshipOutdoorsandIndoorsThePresidency;MakinganOldPartyProgressiveTheNaturalResourcesoftheNationTheBigStickandtheSquareDealSocialandIndustrialJusticeTheMonroeDoctrineandthePanamaCanalThePeaceofRighteousnessFOREWORDNaturally,therearechaptersofmyautobiographywhichcannotnowbewritten.Itseemstomethat,forthenationasfortheindividual,whatismostimportantistoinsistonthevitalneedofcombiningcertainsetsofqualities,whichseparatelyarecommonenough,and,alas,uselessenough.Practicalefficiencyiscommon,andloftyidealismnotuncommon;itisthecombinationwhichisnecessary,andthecombinationisrare.Loveofpeaceiscommonamongweak,short-sighted,timid,andlazy
 
persons;andontheotherhandcourageisfoundamongmanymenofeviltemperandbadcharacter.Neitherqualityshallbyitselfavail.Justiceamongthenationsofmankind,andtheupliftingofhumanity,canbebroughtaboutonlybythosestronganddaringmenwhowithwisdomlovepeace,butwholoverighteousnessmorethanpeace.Facingtheimmensecomplexityofmodernsocialandindustrialconditions,thereisneedtousefreelyandunhesitatinglythecollectivepowerofallofus;andyetnoexerciseofcollectivepowerwilleveravailiftheaverageindividualdoesnotkeephisorhersenseofpersonalduty,initiative,andresponsibility.Thereisneedtodevelopallthevirtuesthathavethestatefortheirsphereofaction;butthesevirtuesareasdustinawindystreetunlessbackofthemliethestrongandtendervirtuesof afamilylifebasedontheloveoftheonemanfortheonewomanandontheirjoyousandfearlessacceptanceoftheircommonobligationtothechildrenthataretheirs.Theremustbethekeenestsenseofduty,andwithitmustgothejoyofliving;theremustbeshameatthethoughtoshirkingthehardworkoftheworld,andatthesametimedelightinthemany-sidedbeautyoflife.Withsoulofflameandtemperofsteelwemustactasourcoolestjudgmentbidsus.Wemustexercisethelargestcharitytowardsthewrong-doerthatiscompatiblewithrelentlesswaagainstthewrong-doing.Wemustbejusttoothers,generoustoothers,andyetwemustrealizethatitisashamefulandawickedthingnottowithstandoppressionwithhighheartandreadyhand.Withgentlenessandtendernesstheremustgodauntlessbraveryandgrimacceptanceoflaboandhardshipandperil.Allforeach,andeachforall,isagoodmotto;butonlyonconditionthateachworkswithmightandmaintosomaintainhimselfasnottobeaburdentoothers.Weofthegreatmoderndemocraciesmuststriveunceasinglytomakeouseveralcountrieslandsinwhichapoormanwhoworkshardcanlivecomfortablyandhonestly,andinwhicharichmancannotlivedishonestlynorinslothfulavoidanceofduty;andyetwemustjudgerichmanandpoormanalikebyastandardwhichrestsonconductandnotoncaste,andwemustfrownwiththesamesternseverityonthemeanandviciousenvywhichhatesandwouldplunderamanbecauseheiswellofandonthebrutalandselfisharrogancewhichlooksdownonandexploitsthemanwithwhomlifehasgonehard.THEODOREROOSEVELT.SAGAMOREHILL,October1,1913.THEODOREROOSEVELT
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CHAPTERIBOYHOODANDYOUTHMygrandfatheronmyfather'ssidewasofalmostpurelyDutchblood.WhenhewasyounghestillspokesomeDutch,andDutchwaslastusedintheservicesoftheDutchReformedChurchinNewYorkwhilehewasasmallboy.About1644hisancestorKlaesMartensenvanRooseveltcametoNewAmsterdamasa"settler"--theeuphemisticnameforanimmigrantwhocameoverinthesteerageofasailingshipintheseventeenthcenturyinsteadofthesteerageofasteamerinthenineteenthcentury.FromthattimeforthenextsevengenerationsfromfathertosoneveryoneouswasbornonManhattanIsland.Myfather'spaternalancestorswereofHollandstock;exceptthattherewasonenamedWaldron,awheelwright,whowasoneofthePilgrimswhoremainedinHollandwhentheotherscameovertofoundMassachusetts,andwhothenaccompaniedtheDutchadventurerstoNewAmsterdam.Myfather'smotherwasaPennsylvanian.HerforebearshadcometoPennsylvaniawithWilliamPenn,someinthesameshipwithhim;theywereoftheusualtypeoftheimmigrationofthatparticularplaceandtime.TheyincludedWelshandEnglishQuakers,anIrishman,--withaCelticname,andapparentlynotaQuaker,--andpeace-lovingGermans,whowereamongthefoundersofGermantown,havingbeendrivenfromtheiRhinelandhomeswhenthearmiesofLouistheFourteenthravagedthePalatinate;and,inaddition,representativesofaby-no-meansaltogetherpeacefulpeople,theScotchIrish,whocametoPennsylvaniaalittlelater,earlyintheeighteenthcentury.Mygrandmotherwasawomanofsingularsweetnessandstrength,thekeystoneofthearchinherrelationswithherhusbandandsons.AlthoughshewasnotherselDutch,itwasshewhotaughtmetheonlyDutchIeverknew,ababysongofwhichthefirstlineran,"Trippetroppatronjes."Ialwaysrememberedthis,andwhenIwasinEastAfricaitprovedabondofunionbetweenmeandtheBoersettlers,notafewofwhomknewit,althoughatfirsttheyalwayshaddifficultyinunderstandingmypronunciation--atwhichIdonotwonder.ItwasinterestingtomeetthesemenwhoseancestorshadgonetotheCapeaboutthetimethatminewenttoAmericatwocenturiesandahalfpreviously,andtofindthatthedescendantsofthetwostreamsofemigrantsstillcroonedtotheirchildrensomeatleastofthesamenurserysongs.Ofmygreat-grandfatherRooseveltandhisfamilylifeacenturyandover agoIknowlittlebeyondwhatisimpliedinsomeofhisbooksthathavecomedowntome--theLettersofJunius,abiographyofJohnPaulJones,ChiefJusticeMarshall's"LifeofWashington."Theyseemtoindicatethathislibrarywaslessinterestingthanthatofmywife's
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