Macaulay, Thomas Babington Macaulay, Baron, 1800-1859

Letter from George Otto Trevelyan to Theodore Roosevelt

George Otto Trevelyan writes to President Roosevelt about Panama and the Philippines, drawing parallels with Macaulay’s histories and Ancient Rome. Trevelyan discusses the British diplomatic service and his latest work on the American Revolution. He also describes a recent visit from Charles Francis Adams and his wife, and he muses on what it is like to be old. Trevelyan writes of their shared love of English literature, mentioning Milton, Chaucer, and W. W. Jacobs.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-12-12

Creator(s)

Trevelyan, George Otto, 1838-1928

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to John Sharp Williams

President Roosevelt responds to Representative Williams’s claim that he does not understand the South. Although Roosevelt is “greatly puzzled” by some difficulties he has encountered in the South, he has tried to treat the Southern States fairly. Roosevelt believes there are no issues with what he has done in the South but how he has been misrepresented in the South. The president is fine if people disagree with his policies, but he does not like when the facts are misrepresented. He mentions statements made by Alabama Senator John Tyler Morgan and Williams himself that were incorrect. Roosevelt does not appreciate the application of base motives to the president of the United States, and believes if the people of the South have been misled, it is because Southern leaders have misled them. Roosevelt also does not appreciate white men in the South trying to get their vote to count more than those in the North, and believes African American men should be judged by the same tests as “ignorant, vicious and shiftless whites.” Roosevelt closes by saying that what the South “really needs” is for her leaders to tell the truth.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-12-05

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to George Otto Trevelyan

President Roosevelt tells Sir George Otto Trevelyan of his happiness regarding the recent 1904 presidential election, and remarks that he is glad people decided to support the positive message of the Republican Party, rather than the negativity of the Democratic Party. The president attributes his victory to the clear-cut message in his speeches and addresses as well as those canvassing for him. Roosevelt discusses the differences between the American president and other political leaders and believes the American president is more like the British prime minister than the French president. he additionally reflects on his intention not to run for a third term. Even without the convention of only two terms, the president believes it would be better for Secretary of War William H. Taft or Elihu Root to succeed him; they are similar in policy, but would have fresh thoughts and ways. Roosevelt concludes by discussing his recent reading. He praises a section from one of Abraham Lincoln’s speeches after his reelection and equates certain American political leaders to characters in Charles Dickens’s works.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-11-24

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to John St. Loe Strachey

Theodore Roosevelt comments on John St. Loe Strachey’s editorials on Roosevelt’s attempts as governor of New York, as president, and as a political figure to “strengthen the bonds of good will, regard, and sympathy” between the United States and England. He also talks on his former statements about the office of the presidency – how, if he had explicitly stated that he did not believe in a president’s holding a consecutive third term, then all his enemies would have believed he was announcing his bid for a second term before the first had finished. Likewise, Roosevelt believes that he could not honorably back out of his current presidential campaign due to a desire for moderate progress akin to George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, William Pitt, Thomas Babington Macaulay, and the Whigs of the reform bill.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1912-03-26

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Secretary of Theodore Roosevelt to C. E. Eyles

On behalf of Theodore Roosevelt, his secretary acknowledges C. E. Eyles’ letter. Roosevelt does not know the incident Eyles refers to and shares Thomas Babington Macauley’s view on Charles II, King of England.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-01-24

Creator(s)

Secretary of Theodore Roosevelt

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Henry L. Stimson

President Roosevelt would like to press criminal libel charges against Joseph Pulitzer, and asks Henry L. Stimson if such a thing is possible. Roosevelt believes such a thing may be possible in connection with Pulitzer’s assertions regarding the Panama Canal, and asks Stimson to look into what Pulitzer has said on the topic in the preceding three or four months.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-12-09

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to George Otto Trevelyan

President Roosevelt sends George Otto Trevelyan a copy of his message to Congress, and speaks of some of the accomplishments of his administration in improving the financial situation of the United States government. Roosevelt would be pleased to visit Trevelyan when he comes to England. He heartily approves of Trevelyan’s speech, and has shared it with Senator Henry Cabot Lodge and Anna Cabot Mills Lodge. Roosevelt discusses his preferences for translations of classical works, and finds himself in agreement with Trevelyan in many respects. He relates a story of a recent encounter he had with Simon Bolivar Buckner at the White House, and closes by mentioning a number of other men who were named after famous historical personages.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-12-01

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to John Morley

President Roosevelt was recently reading a volume of John Morley’s work Critical Miscellanies, and wished to write to him about a number of the issues he raises, and critiques several other historians and works of history. Roosevelt pivots to talking about the recent election in the United States as he identifies it as having taken place under circumstances similar to those identified by Baron Thomas Babington Macaulay–with a recent financial panic and a demagogue opposing William H. Taft–but because of the moral superiority of the Republican party, Taft became president-elect. Roosevelt believes that foolish optimism can get in the way of sane optimism, but also believes that there is cause to hope in the future. He would like to see Morley when he visits England in 1910.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-12-01

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Richard Watson Gilder

President Roosevelt tells Richard Watson Gilder that he is welcome to show his letter to William Garrott Brown. Roosevelt was “genuinely shocked” to see what Brown wrote. Roosevelt believes that a comment in George Otto Trevelyan’s The Life and Letters of Lord Macaulay applies to people who are trying to “write a national anthem to order.” Roosevelt feels that Julia Ward Howe’s “Battle Hymn of the Republic” would be a fine national anthem. In a handwritten postscript, Roosevelt thanks Gilder for the volume of poems, which arrived as he was signing this letter.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-19

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to George Otto Trevelyan

President Roosevelt encloses a copy of a letter that he believes George Otto Trevelyan will be interested in. President-elect Taft was attacked during the campaign for being a Unitarian, and also because it was believed he was too favorable to Catholics.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-09

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to George Otto Trevelyan

President Roosevelt reflects to his friend George Otto Trevelyan on the result of his election, his presidency, and his feelings on leaving office. He feels good about his accomplishments in office and is confident about leaving William H. Taft as his successor. Although he enjoyed, as always, the new edition of Trevelyan’s Life of Macaulay, he takes exception to Trevelyan including a quote from Archibald Philip Primrose Rosebery which called Macaulay’s marginalia “sublime.” Finally, Roosevelt discusses the reading habits of his sons, Ted and Kermit.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-06

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to George Otto Trevelyan

President Roosevelt finished George Otto Trevelyan’s recent volume on the American Revolution, and sincerely praises it as “one of the few histories which can deservedly be called great.” Although biased, Roosevelt places the American Revolution among the great historical events. Trevelyan treats it well, and Roosevelt compares him to other authors of military history. He especially appreciates the justice Trevelyan gives Charles Grey, 1st Earl Grey, as he believes in giving men credit regardless of their allegiance. Roosevelt rejoices in interesting books like Trevelyan’s, particularly when he has much to worry about. He will send a volume of his speeches.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-11-11

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to James Ford Rhodes

President Roosevelt tells James Ford Rhodes he has just finished reading his fifth volume, which has tied in well with Roosevelt’s other readings of Thomas Babington Macaulay’s History and Abraham Lincoln’s letters and speeches. Although the president agrees with Rhodes that the right is not all on one side and the wrong is not all on the other in quarrels, Roosevelt thinks the American Civil War is the exception, as he believes “the right was exclusively with the Union people.” Roosevelt talks about his plans to build up the Navy to avoid war, believing the Panama Canal will help. Finally, he discusses problems he has been having with the tariff and Southern states. He disagrees with Rhodes that the South is not trying to reinstate slavery, as there is peonage in three states right now. Roosevelt closes by mentioning how his opponents helped him during the election campaign.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-11-29

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Oliver Wendell Holmes

President Roosevelt returns the Montesquieu pamphlet to Justice Holmes, and muses about the passage of knowledge and discovery from one generation to the next.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-21

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to John St. Loe Strachey

President Roosevelt informs John St. Loe Strachey that he has also been reading Sydney Smith’s essays as well as Thomas Babington Macaulay’s Critical and Historical Essays. Roosevelt agrees with Strachey that parties are important in politics but party adherence cannot become servility. Roosevelt feels good about his reelection chances and disparages his Democratic rivals, Alton B. Parker and Henry Gassaway Davis by calling them Blifil and Black George, a hypocrite and a charity case, respectively, a reference from Henry Fielding’s The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling. Roosevelt is worried about the similarities with both James K. Polk and James Buchanan’s successful Democratic campaigns for president.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-13

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Philip Keyes Walcott

President Roosevelt writes to Philip Keyes Walcott about a quotation he used in his book The Rough Riders, for which he had forgotten the source. He later found out or remembered it was by Baron Thomas Babington Macaulay.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-06

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to John St. Loe Strachey

President Roosevelt will see E. D. Morel, but will not be able to do anything about the Congo when it is six weeks before a national election. Roosevelt has been rereading Thomas Babington Macaulay’s histories and is struck by the importance of moderation in bringing about progress. Roosevelt discusses his position on race relations and labor issues as being moderate compared to extremists on either side.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-09-16

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Nicholas Murray Butler

President Roosevelt wishes for Nicholas Murray Butler to visit and concurs that William J. Calhoun is worthy of esteem. Roosevelt comments at length on an article in Collier’s Weekly, one he assumes was written by Norman Hapgood, and desires Butler to “know the exact facts.” On careful reading, Roosevelt believes the article was written with malicious intent due to its numerous falsehoods regarding the construction projects at the Capitol and the White House, the hiring of the architects completing these jobs, appointments of others to government posts, and other matters. In his explanation, Roosevelt makes analogies to many political situations, past and present.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-06-03

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to John Morley

President Roosevelt suggests that December would be an ideal time for John Morley to visit but they can make October work if necessary. He was very interested in Morley’s biography of W. E. Gladstone and could not help comparing Gladstone’s time to recent events.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-01-17

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Arlo Bates

Assistant Secretary of the Navy Roosevelt enjoyed Arlo Bates’s recent volume of essays recommended to him by Senator Henry Cabot Lodge. He is pleased to say that he is doing just as Bates advises regarding reading material for his children. Roosevelt appreciates Bates’s discussions on various “decadent” authors. However, he always feels like “putting in a plea” for Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1897-09-29

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919