Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Robert Harry Munro Ferguson
Subject(s): Carnegie Hall (New York, N.Y.), Democratic Party (U.S.), Derby, Ethel Roosevelt, Hudson Bay, La Follette, Robert M. (Robert Marion), 1855-1925, Letters, Political parties--Evaluation, Political parties--Platforms, Presidents--Nomination, Problem solving, Republican Party (U.S. : 1854- ), Roosevelt, Edith Kermit Carow, 1861-1948, Roosevelt, Kermit, 1889-1943, Speeches, addresses, etc., Taft, William H. (William Howard), 1857-1930, Travels, Voyages and travels
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Theodore Roosevelt thanks Robert Harry Munro Ferguson for his letter to Kermit Roosevelt and wonders why Ferguson did not write up his trip to the Hudson Bay, as he is one of the few people who can “see clearly and beautifully and then write about what they have seen.” Roosevelt does not feel like he could shirk leadership at the present time, as too many people want him as a leader as well as some “decent” leadership. Although he does not believe he will be nominated as the Republican candidate for president, Roosevelt does not trust the Democratic party to solve the problems at hand. He also mentions the split within the Republican party: the “stupid and sometimes sinister reactionaries under the flabby leadership of President Taft” and the “foolish and violent extremists under the purely self-interested and demagogic leadership of Robert M. La Follette.” Finally, Roosevelt encloses a copy of the speech he made at Carnegie Hall and notes the safe return of Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt and Ethel Roosevelt from Panama and Costa Rica.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1912-03-26
Creator(s)
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919
Recipient
Ferguson, Robert Harry Munro, 1868-1922
Language
English
Period
Progressive Party Candidate (1911-1912)
Repository
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Page Count
3
Production Method
Record Type
Multi-image
Resource Type
Rights
These images are presented through a cooperative effort between the Library of Congress and Dickinson State University. No known restrictions on publication.
Citation
Cite this Record
Chicago:
Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Robert Harry Munro Ferguson. [March 26, 1912]. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o225751. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Robert Harry Munro Ferguson. [26 Mar. 1912]. Multi-image. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. November 26, 2025. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o225751.
APA:
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919.: , [1912, March 26]. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Robert Harry Munro Ferguson. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o225751.
Cite this Collection
Chicago:
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. November 26, 2025. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division.
APA:
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division.
