Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to United States Congress
Subject(s): Anarchism--Public opinion, Anarchists, Executive power, Postal service--Law and legislation--Criminal provisions, United States Postal Service, United States. Department of Justice, United States. Dept. of Justice
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President Roosevelt encloses a letter from the Justice Department stating that existing statutes give the president the authority to prohibit the use of the mail for the commission of crimes or for advocacy of crimes. However, Congress should further legislate this matter. Roosevelt writes that anarchists are the enemy of “all mankind,” and as such, anarchy is “a deeper degree of criminality than any other,” and no papers published anywhere in the United States should be allowed to circulate if they advocate anarchy.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1908-04-08
Creator(s)
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919
Recipient
Language
English
Period
U.S. President – 2nd Term (March 1905-February 1909)
Repository
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Page Count
2
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 United States Congress. [April 8, 1908]. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o58463. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to United States Congress. [8 Apr. 1908]. Multi-image.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. February 27, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o58463.
APA:
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919., [1908, April 8]. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to United States Congress.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o58463.
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 27, 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.
