Despotism

President Roosevelt—It—wears a number of signs: “imperialism,” “protection for monopoly,” “personal orders substituted for acts of Congress,” “militarism,” “extravagance,” “my Cortelyou—the fat fryer,” “standpatism,” and “promotion of personal favorites.” His “party” and “despotism” legs crush “international law” and “the Constitution of the United States.” He holds “the big stick” in one hand and a revolver in the other.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-08-03

William II, Emperor of Germany, is caught by Germania with his fingers in a jar of jam labeled “Buttinkeit Jam” that he has taken from a cupboard where other preserves are kept. On the shelves are jars of “Imperial Assumption Jelly, Meinself Und Gott Preserve, Divine Right Jam, [and] Absolutism Jelly.” Caption: Wilhelm–Ach, Mutter, I promise dot I von’t do id again! / Germania–Vell, rememper!! If you do, den I gifs you a goodt someding vot you von’t forget!

Comments and Context

The inspiration for L. M. Glackens’s cover cartoon in Puck was a crisis in the German Reichstag at the time.

The specific impetus was a letter written two years previously. It was a very undiplomatic letter to a London newspaper, criticizing alleged British indifference to friendly overtures by Kaiser Wilhelm II. In fact it was written by a bureaucrat favored by the kaiser, but bore the monarch’s name; the actual author was never revealed, and the note caused bitter and continuing resentment in England.

Handwritten essay proposing a middle path for the United States between reactionaries and revolutionaries that should “preserve both order and liberty.” Imperial Russia and Bolshevist Russia are used as examples for the dangers of reactionaries and revolutionaries. Published in Metropolitan Magazine, December 1918.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1918

W. T. Stead relays the history of Russian Emperor Nicholas II’s reign up to this point, and asserts that his unpopularity with his people and inability to act rests on the bureaucracy built up by his ministers. Stead believes that Nicholas will be “emancipated” from the limits of autocracy and bureaucracy by the upcoming election of the Duma. When the Tsar and Duma meet, Stead predicts that they will be able to work well together.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-10-12

President Roosevelt shares his thoughts on various topics with Cecil Spring Rice. Roosevelt is planning to swap foreign assignments between John B. Jackson and Richmond Pearson, mentioning that Pearson had trouble with missionaries in Persia. While Jackson has done well as Minister to Greece, Roosevelt does not approve of his strong pro-Russia feelings. Roosevelt thinks the Russian people are good, and feels badly that they oscillate between despotism and anarchy. Roosevelt is interested in what Spring Rice says about the movement of Islam in Persia toward more tolerance, and gives his opinion about progress in Islamic countries in relation to Buddhism and Shinto. The violent incidents in San Francisco towards Japanese immigrants concerns Roosevelt. Roosevelt thinks everyone should be in favor of peace and temperance, but he feels professional advocates of both talk a lot without ever getting anything done. At home, Roosevelt is trying to keep a balance between plutocrats and labor unions. Roosevelt hopes to see Spring Rice and his wife soon.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-07-01

President Roosevelt gives Cecil Spring Rice his assessment on the Russo-Japanese War. Roosevelt is not concerned with the emergence of Japan as a world power and does not think that Japan will become more aggressive. Roosevelt is concerned that Russia must be contained, but insists to Spring Rice that the U.S. has no intention of intervening in the war. In a postscript, Roosevelt discusses the differences between Japanese and American culture and diplomacy, and reflects on race and culture.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-06-13

President Roosevelt had a low opinion of Colombia and considered their government to be “cruel despotism.” He was happy to assist Colombia. The tyranny over Panama would end and the canal would not be blocked.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-01-04

Finley Peter Dunne thanks President Roosevelt for supporting his writing. Dunne mentions several events that were subjects of his articles and expresses a humorous frustration with the state of journalism and certain political figures.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-12-28

Cecil Spring Rice provides Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt with a detailed synopsis of the ongoing turmoil in Russia, including student demonstrations, labor strikes, and violent police reprisals. Spring Rice believes Roosevelt has seen accounts of the “inconceivable brutality” of the attacks on students and Jews, and that the “accounts are not exaggerated.” He believes the army is the only organized force left in Russia but wonders how long it will last. Spring Rice believes that no one either trusts or likes Sergei Vitte or his government and due to all the uncertainty “the forces of anarchy flourish.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-11-27