Letter from Henry Cabot Lodge to Theodore Roosevelt

Subject(s): Alaskan Boundary Tribunal, Aldrich, Thomas Bailey, 1836-1907, Algeciras Conference, Asquith, H. H. (Herbert Henry), 1852-1928, Authorship, Balfour, Alice Blanche, 1850-1936, Balfour, Arthur James, 1848-1930, Birrell, Augustine, 1850-1933, Bond, Robert, 1857-1927, Books and reading, Boxer Rebellion (China : 1899-1901), China--Beijing, China--Manchuria, Choate, Joseph Hodges, 1832-1917, Cicero, Marcus Tullius, Constitution (United States), Conversation, Davis, Cushman Kellogg, 1838-1900, Diplomatic and consular service, American, Eastern question (Far East), Editing, Egypt--Suez Canal, England, English language--Grammar, Etiquette, Fisheries, Friendship, Frye, William P. (William Pierce), 1831-1911, Germany, Hale, Eugene, 1836-1918, Harcourt, William Vernon, Sir, 1827-1904, Hardy, Thomas, 1840-1928, Hay, John, 1838-1905, Holmes, Oliver Wendell, 1809-1894, Howells, William Dean, 1837-1920, Howes, Osborne, 1846-1907, Lansdowne, Henry Charles Keith Petty-FitzMaurice, Marquess of, 1845-1927, Lee of Fareham, Viscount (Arthur Hamilton Lee), 1868-1947, Letters, Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth, 1807-1882, Lowell, A. Lawrence (Abbott Lawrence), 1856-1943, Lowell, James Russell, 1819-1891, Massachusetts--Gloucester, Massachusetts--Nahant, McKinley, William, 1843-1901, Monroe doctrine, Moody, William H. (William Henry), 1853-1917, Morley, John, 1838-1923, Morocco, Motley, John Lothrop, 1814-1877, New England, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nicolay, John G. (John George), 1832-1901, Panama, Pauncefote, Julian, 1828-1902, Phillips, Wendell, 1811-1884, Root, Elihu, 1845-1937, Rosebery, Archibald Philip Primrose, Earl of, 1847-1929, Russia, Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905), Sévigné, Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, marquise de, 1626-1696, Spring Rice, Cecil, Sir, 1859-1918, Stevenson, Robert Louis, 1850-1894, Sumner, William Graham, 1840-1910, Telegraph, Wireless, United States. Congress. Senate, United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Foreign Relations, United States. Department of State, United States. Dept. of State, Waldersee, Alfred, Graf von, 1832-1904, Walpole, Horace, 1717-1797, White, Henry, 1850-1927, Whitney, Henry Melville, 1839-1923

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Senator Lodge discusses a number of topics regarding the late Secretary of State John Hay. Lodge bemoans the editing of a publication of Hay’s letters, claiming that Hay was “one of the best if not the best letter writer of his time,” but the publication does not do him justice. He reminisces on the many men of letters he has known in his life, and believes that Hay was the most “brilliant, humorous, sympathetic, [and] witty” among them. Lodge holds more criticism for Hay in his role as a secretary of state, discussing how Hay bungled multiple treaties, took credit for accomplishments that were not his own, and formed poor relations with the Senate. 

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1909-02-14

Creator(s)

Lodge, Henry Cabot, 1850-1924

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

15

Production Method

Typed

Record Type

Multi-image

Resource Type

Letter

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 Henry Cabot Lodge to Theodore Roosevelt. [February 14, 1909]. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o60263. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.

MLA:

Lodge, Henry Cabot, 1850-1924. Letter from Henry Cabot Lodge to Theodore Roosevelt. [14 Feb. 1909]. Multi-image.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. March 5, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o60263.

APA:

Lodge, Henry Cabot, 1850-1924., [1909, February 14]. Letter from Henry Cabot Lodge to Theodore Roosevelt.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o60263.

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. March 5, 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.

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Creation Date

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