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St. Clair McKelway cautions against American officials engaging in any negotiations with the Catholic Church. He does not believe that the Vatican should be recognized as a governmental or diplomatic entity.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1902-03-29
Resolution from the St. Catherine of Sienna branch of the Holy Name Society decrying the treatment of friars in the Philippines.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1902-07-13
Speech in Buenos Aires; pencil notation: “Golden Rule, Roosevelt Speech.”
Sagamore Hill National Historic Site
1913-11-13
Secretary of War Taft disagrees with Bishop Rooker regarding the threat posed by Gregorio Aglipay y Labayan and the Iglesia Filipina Independiente to the Philippine government.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-06-22
President Roosevelt is debating changes in European ambassadorships and has heard that the Viennese are opposed to having a Catholic ambassador. Roosevelt asks if this information can be verified.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1902-08-15
President Roosevelt is concerned that the Lutheran Germans would resent a Catholic being sent as Ambassador to Berlin. He would like to find out if Charlemagne Tower will accept Berlin and if Robert Sanderson McCormick will go to St. Petersburg. Roosevelt is also interested in trying to purchase the Isthmus of Panama instead of leasing it from Colombia.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1902-08-21
Bellamy Storer has been advocating for Archbishop Ireland to be made a cardinal. However, people will not differentiate between what Storer says as an American Catholic and what he says as an American Ambassador. As such, while Storer is in the United States service he can take no part in these religious matters. President Roosevelt admires Archbishop Ireland but, as President, he can not interfere with the advancement of any man in any church.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-12-27
Secretary of State John Hay is indignant that Bellamy Storer wrote to Senator Marcus Alonzo Hanna, regarding what Storer perceives as an injustice in Carlton Bailey Hurst’s dismissal. Storer’s letter amounts to an attack on the Roosevelt administration, as well as the Secretary of State and President under which Storer serves. Hurst’s removal was justified, but even if it was not, Storer should not have written to Hanna. President Roosevelt also reminds Storer that while serving as an American ambassador he should not discuss or interfere with the affairs of the Catholic Church.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-12-30
Frank Harper acknowledges receipt of Arthur Dehon Hill’s letter as Theodore Roosevelt is on a campaign trip. Harper is favorable to Hill’s idea of bringing in a prominent Catholic speaker from outside the state. He suggests contacting Controller Prendergast or Mr. Cochran.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1912-10-08
Theodore Roosevelt’s secretary encloses a letter from Charles J. McDonald suggesting the founding of a Progressive newspaper in Worcester, Massachusetts. McDonald is willing to invest in the paper and hopes to lessen the tension between Roosevelt and American Catholics over the Vatican incident.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1912-08-24
Theodore Roosevelt suggests several letters that Richard Washburn Child could quote. Roosevelt encloses a letter from October 1908 that might interest Child, and states that C. P. Connolly has another letter of interest. Roosevelt suggests John Sullivan as candidate for Governor of Massachusetts and Charles Sumner Bird or Fesdick for Senator, presumably for the Progressive Party.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1912-07-30
Theodore Roosevelt informs Ernest Harvier that he tried to nominate a Catholic Irish American against Cohalan. He feels strongly about religious discrimination and any attempts to bring religion into politics.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-11-14
Theodore Roosevelt responds to a letter to The New York Times in which Robert M. Stevenson, president of Westminster College, quotes a passage from Pearson’s Magazine alleging that as President, Roosevelt made a bargain with the Mormon Church in exchange for electoral votes. The votes were allegedly given in exchange for an end to Republican agitation for an amendment allowing Congress to legislate regarding polygamy, the retention of Senator Reed Smoot, and patronage positions in accordance to the wish of the Mormon hierarchy. Roosevelt vehemently denies these allegations.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-02-04
President Roosevelt responds to the issue of whether a candidate’s religious affiliation should influence a political election. He has received many letters on this topic, and chooses to respond broadly to James C. Martin’s. Roosevelt believes that a candidate’s religion is a personal matter that constituents do not have a right to know, and that it goes against American principles for people to vote based on religious affiliation. This is a condensed version of a longer letter.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-11-06
Theodore Roosevelt is a “genuine lover of peace” and does not believe war is necessary to “maintain the virile qualities.” However, he believes the professional pacifists have lost these qualities and are the “very worst enemies of real peace.” Lewis Einstein currently holds an interesting position at the American embassy in Istanbul and it must be a “sad spectacle” to view the failures of the Turkish revolution. Roosevelt had hoped that Turkey could transform and lead the Muslim community into the modern world. It appears they could not.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1915-05-29
Theodore Roosevelt believes that Bible reading could be advantageous in many schools but it should not be compulsory. He also cautions that a movement for nonsectarian schools could be portrayed as being opposed to certain creeds which could damage the public school system.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1915-03-18
Theodore Roosevelt thanks Reverend S. V. Leech for his letter and shares Leech’s opinion about the present occupant of the White House.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1915-02-06
Theodore Roosevelt is disappointed that Thomas E. Watson has such “violent feeling” towards Catholics, which he does not believe is compatible with the “real and full belief in our American institutions.” He would consider himself an unworthy citizen if he failed to treat each citizen with “absolute disregard of his creed.” Roosevelt defends religious freedom and will “fight the battle of decency” without regard for a person’s religion or opposition to him.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1915-01-19
Theodore Roosevelt was pleased by Father Curran’s letter and greatly appreciates his friendship. If he had been president, Roosevelt would have sent Father Vattmann to investigate the Mexico situation and acted upon his report. He was interested to hear from Archbishop Blenk that the general opinion was changing in support of his actions during the “Vatican incident.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1915-01-04
Theodore Roosevelt thanks J. J. O’Connor for the letter and appreciates his friendly words regarding Roosevelt’s article on the Mexican situation. However, Roosevelt takes issue with O’Connor’s statement that Roosevelt made a political blunder by not visiting Pope Pius X. After his African safari, Roosevelt visited Rome, Italy, and intended to pay his respects to the Pope. Cardinal Merry del Val, the Cardinal Secretary of State, made a stipulation for meeting with the Pope that Roosevelt could not visit the Methodist church and school at Rome. Roosevelt could not agree to these terms and was not received. He believes his decision was proper.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1914-12-18