Texas

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to A. H. Whitfield

President Roosevelt tells Mississippi Chief Justice Whitfield that he would be pleased to show the letter to president-elect William H. Taft, and comments on Whitfield’s courage, broadmindedness, and understanding of the Constitution as a living document. If a vacancy had occurred in the federal courts in Mississippi during Roosevelt’s presidency, he would have been pleased to appoint Whitfield. Speaking about Judge Andrew P. McCormick, Roosevelt believes that if he retired, he would have to be replaced with another Texan, given the amount of work done in Texas.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-12-26

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Waller Thomas Burns

President Roosevelt has received Judge Brown’s letter on behalf of collector Robert Winston Dowe. While he does not doubt that the motives for bringing charges against Dowe might be corrupt, if the charges prove true then they must be acted upon. Roosevelt has asked for a “full and fair investigation” of the case by the Treasury Department.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-27

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Theodore Roosevelt

President Roosevelt writes his son, Ted, about a variety of matters. He discusses the trouble that Emperor William II of Germany is in with both conservatives and socialists. Last year, he gave a damaging interview to American journalist William Bayard Hale, which Roosevelt intervened to prevent the New York Times from publishing. A portion was published in Century and suppressed by the Germans. Roosevelt reflects on the current state of the liberal and democratic movement, and believes that the situation is not as dire as in the French Revolution, or in 1840s America. He also explains his lukewarm support of women’s suffrage. Finally, Roosevelt offers his son advice on working with the people around him when it is natural, but not pursuing relationships that are merely social in nature.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-20

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Richard Watson Gilder

President Roosevelt writes Richard Watson Gilder a lengthy refutation of an article in the Evening Post in which William Garrott Brown misconstrues his actions in the Republican Party. Namely, Brown accuses Roosevelt of neglecting Republicans in the South and of doing a poor job of making nominations to local offices and positions. Roosevelt asserts that where the Republican party is not strong in the South, he has had to appoint Democrats who were quality men, rather than incapable men who are Republicans. Where he believes the party has a chance to compete with Democrats, he does all he can to support it. Roosevelt also writes that he did not use his influence on officers to get William H. Taft the nomination, but rather Taft was nominated because Roosevelt’s policies were popular, and Taft is the man who will continue those policies. Roosevelt believes that Brown is either ignorant or willfully ignorant of a number of facts.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-16

Telegram from Theodore Roosevelt to John Nicholas Simpson

President Roosevelt thanks John Nicholas Simpson for the telegram and asks about his own election. Roosevelt followed Simpson’s campaign in Texas closely.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-04

Telegram from Theodore Roosevelt to Henry Martyn Hoyt

President Roosevelt directs Acting Attorney General Hoyt to appoint four deputy marshals as requested by Marshal Eugene Nolte to maintain control along the United States border with Mexico.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-08-05

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William H. H. Llewellyn

President Roosevelt urges William H. H. Llewellyn to “make as great a show as possible” of apprehending Mexican citizens on the United States side of the border who have violated the neutrality laws between Mexico and the United States in order to reassure the Mexican government.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-07-24

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles J. Bonaparte

President Roosevelt encourages Attorney General Bonaparte to select the man of his choice to assist James Scarlet in prosecuting the powder trust case, and suggests Reuben D. Silliman might be a good man for the job. Roosevelt is glad Bonaparte has been in touch with Secretary of State Elihu Root regarding matters concerning the border between Mexico and Texas. Roosevelt encloses copies of the orders he sent to three departments regarding the enforcement of the Pure Food and Drug Act.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-07-28

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to George von Lengerke Meyer

President Roosevelt urges Postmaster General Meyer not to allow members of his department to name as advisers anyone whom they consult about possible appointees to office. Meyer and others may of course seek advice from whomever they choose, but they should not give the impression that these advisers have a right, in any official capacity, to “distribute offices” in their area.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-07-18

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to George Haven Putnam

President Roosevelt recently saw a letter of George Haven Putnam’s in the New York Times, which made reference to Roosevelt still being under contract to finish The Winning of the West. Roosevelt thought that the work was already finished, and while he might be able to continue it, as he would like to write about the Republic of Texas, he is not sure he can. It was his understanding that the project was completed with the fourth volume, and he did not think he was obliged to write additional volumes.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-07-10

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles J. Bonaparte

President Roosevelt tells Attorney General Bonaparte that Secretary of State Elihu Root is anxious to appoint a special counsel to assist the Texas District Attorney in the prosecution of people who have violated neutrality laws against Mexico. Root thinks it should be someone from Texas, and Roosevelt asks Bonaparte if Alford Warriner Cooley or one of Bonaparte’s people knows anyone who might be a good choice. Roosevelt suggests several people to check with, and asks Bonaparte to keep in touch with the State Department.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-07-13

Telegram from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles J. Bonaparte

President Roosevelt asks Attorney General Bonaparte to communicate with the Department of State and the War Department in order to coordinate action regarding the infringement of neutrality laws on the border of Texas and Mexico. He directs Bonaparte to contact the district attorneys and marshals of Texas in order to capture the guilty parties.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-06-29

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to W. Sloan Simpson

President Roosevelt tells W. Sloan Simpson that there is no chance of Howze being appointed brigadier general. The Senate Committee has notified Roosevelt that they will not confirm people below the rank of colonel as brigadier generals. Furthermore, Roosevelt believes he has already done more for Howze than for any other officer in the service. He hopes the push for Howze to be made a brigadier general is not coming from Howze himself, as Roosevelt does not like that sort of self-serving action.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-06-30

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Cecil Andrew Lyon

President Roosevelt tells Colonel Cecil Andrew Lyon that he has received the proposed plan for the Texas State Convention, and urges that he not favor Roosevelt’s renomination. He advises Lyon that the delegates should be instructed to support Taft, and that any other course would be misunderstood.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-04-02

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to W. Sloan Simpson

President Roosevelt introduces his friend Eliot Farley to W. Sloan Simpson and advises Simpson that Farley may wish to visit a ranch while in Texas.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-11-07

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to John I. Moore

President Roosevelt acknowledges the invitation of the governors of Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin, to make a trip on the Mississippi River with the Inland Waterways Commission. He reflects on the importance of the nation’s rivers as “highways” for products to supply any inadequacy of means of transportation over land. He intends to travel with the Commission down the Mississippi for three or four days in October. A note at the bottom of the letter indicates that it was sent to each of the governors who signed the invitation.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-05-16

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Mark Sullivan

President Roosevelt describes to Mark Sullivan the considerations that have gone into his selections for federal judgeships. Roosevelt reviews his appointments in detail, noting that some were made at the request of the local organization and some against their wishes. The goal in each case was to appoint someone “of the high character, the good sense, the trained legal ability, and the necessary broad-mindedness of spirit…essential to a good judge.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-05-13

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Cecil Andrew Lyon

A man who Cecil Andrew Lyon had warned President Roosevelt about called on him. When Roosevelt discovered who he was, he told the man that Lyon had his support and that votes showed that the entire Texas Republican committee also supported him. Roosevelt will take up the other matter Lyon brought up with Secretary of the Treasury Cortelyou.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-03-04

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Leslie M. Shaw

President Roosevelt congratulates Secretary of the Treasury Shaw for his success in Texas.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-09-28

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Leslie M. Shaw

President Roosevelt hears positive remarks about Secretary of the Treasury Shaw’s visit to North Carolina. He strongly agrees with Shaw’s view about “planting the seed in the South” and helping “our Rocky Mountain friends.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-09-17