Letter from John William Burgess to Theodore Roosevelt
Subject(s): Butler, Nicholas Murray, 1862-1947, Columbia University, Educational exchanges, Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Berlin, Germany--Berlin, Germany--Kassel, Germany--Prussia, Hinzpeter, Georg, 1827-1907, Presidents--U.S. states, Press and politics, Speeches, addresses, etc., State rights, States' rights (American politics), Treaties, William II, German Emperor, 1859-1941
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John William Burgess, a prominent American political scientist, reports to President Roosevelt on the success of the Roosevelt Professorship, and the exchange program, at Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universita¨t Berlin. Burgess describes the impact of his inaugural address as Roosevelt Professor, that it was pre-approved by both the Prussian Ministry of Education and by Emperor Wilhelm II’s former tutor Georg Hinzpeter, and well-received by the Germans and by the Emperor himself. He says those who objected were Americans and Englishmen who oppose friendship between the United States and Germany. He says this press completely misrepresented what was said through the “journalistic hysteria” that was published in American papers. Burgess reports that the Roosevelt Professorship is now “on a foundation which cannot be shaken.” Burgess also expresses his view the issue of states’ rights and federal treaties, namely that the Constitution gives the president treaty-making powers which the citizens of the states are bound by just as they are to laws of Congress.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1906-12-18
Creator(s)
Burgess, John William, 1844-1931
Recipient
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919
Language
English
Period
U.S. President – 2nd Term (March 1905-February 1909)
Repository
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Page Count
8
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 John William Burgess to Theodore Roosevelt. [December 18, 1906]. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o55047. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Burgess, John William, 1844-1931. Letter from John William Burgess to Theodore Roosevelt. [18 Dec. 1906]. Multi-image.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. February 20, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o55047.
APA:
Burgess, John William, 1844-1931., [1906, December 18]. Letter from John William Burgess to Theodore Roosevelt.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o55047.
Cite this Collection
Chicago:
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 Digital Library. Dickinson State University. February 20, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division.
APA:
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division.
