Speak Softly, Carry a Big Stick

Theodore Roosevelt is a historical figure that has always intrigued me. Among the American presidents, he has always been one of the more interesting ones. Roosevelt remains one of the most intriguing and charismatic figures in all of American history. His history as a rough rider, nature writer and then, as often defined at the time, "accidental president".

Even with this curiosity, my knowledge on Roosevelt was limited. Everyone knows of his fondness for the West African proverb: Speak softly but carry a big stick. and I knew of the Panama Canal treaty and brokering peace between Russia and Japan but was not familiar with a lot of the circumstances behind different events. I also knew that he was America's youngest president (Kennedy was youngest elected president) leaving office at the age of 50.

Theodore Rex is the second part of Edmund Morris's biography of Teddy Roosevelt. I purchased it in a train station bookstore and began to read on the train. This was my opportunity to learn more about a remarkable president.

Theodore Rex is actually the second part in a planned trilogy on Teddy Roosevelt. I have not read the first part called The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt but I can say that it deals with his life leading up to his presidency. Since he had a remarkable career even before becoming president, I would like to read this book sometime down the line. The third part, to my knowledge, is not yet complete.

This book reads like a literary work but sticks to the facts for the most part. The book has a good flow as it moves from chapter to chapter. I did not read Edmund Morris' biography of Ronald Reagan but I have read criticisms because he wrote through a fictional third person narrative for parts of that book. In Theodore Rex he sticks to the real world. To me, the result is a fabulous account of this presidency.

The prologue deals with the assassination of William McKinley. It describes the events of the three day period from the assassination to Theodore Roosevelt's swearing in as president of the United States. It gives some of the early maneuvering used to maintain some of the cabinet members from McKinley's administration including John Hay who holds the unique distinction of serving under three assassinated presidents: Abraham Lincoln, James Garfield and William McKinley.

The book is broken down into the First and Second Administrations. Then each term is broken down into segments that showcase the different legislature and crises faced by Roosevelt. The inner workings of a presidential administration are featured prominently. Morris gives details of how Roosevelt arranged meetings with different cabinet members and other political and business leaders in America.

This book is good in that it shows how Roosevelt operated to keep some of McKinley's staffers on board to help ease American fears. He entered office after the third presidential assassination in 36 years and there was much dispute and strife facing America at this time. He realized he had to strike a balance between the needs of labor and of business. He also had to contend with much racial tension in America--first with black and white disputes in the South and later with the "yellow peril" felt out in the West.

Roosevelt was the first president to entertain a black man in the White House when he invited Booker T Washington for dinner and conversation. This obviously stirred up anger in the South. One paper called it the "most damnable outrage." Many southern newspapers wrote of Roosevelt as a jack-@ss or worse. But I like that Morris does not try to sugarcoat the matter. Roosevelt harbored many prejudices of his own. He was the son of an unreconstructed Georgian mother. But his belief was that individual achievement should always be rewarded and in the case of Washington, merit was warranted.

Morris moves through the book in a very linear fashion so many of the problems and crises overlap. The dispute of the Panama Canal Treaty is a fascinating account that took several years to conclude. I wasn't aware that there was an alternate plan for a canal in Nicaragua should Panama fall through. Morris goes to great lengths to detail the negotiations first with the Columbian government and then later with the new Panamanian government formed after their revolution.

Morris does a great job of capturing the zeal for living and the high strung energy that Roosevelt brought to the White House. But he was also a master manipulator and shrewd negotiator. He knew how to maneuver reporters to work the press to his advantage. He was also deft at playing different politicians or leaders against one another to serve his purpose. He knew how to maneuver foreign ambassadors and leaders. He outfoxed Kaiser Wilhelm twice and did it in a manner to allow Wilhelm to save face. The dealings with the Japanese and Russians also required crafty statesmanship.

The book is very detailed in Roosevelt's family life as well. It gives generous accounts of summer life at Sagamore Hill as well as Roosevelt's hunting expeditions. Teddy Roosevelt loved tennis, hiking and swimming but was also an avid reader and lover of literature. Morris makes every effort to capture the complexity and ambiguity of the man.

The success or quality of Roosevelt's presidency is largely debatable depending on one's own political views. Those that don't like government regulations might be distressed by Roosevelt's efforts to regulate interstate commerce and break the large combinations. He took the Sherman Act to another level during his term. But he also was not pro-labor either. He felt the need for balance and knew that the country was close to revolution. Anarchist and socialist movements were potent at the time. He endeavored for a "square deal" for all.

Many of his international actions could easily be debated as well. One could argue the hypocrisy of supporting Panama's secession after the Civil War. He was often criticized for imperialism for the efforts in Cuba and the Phillipines. Others will stress that he did what was needed. America was close to war with Germany in 1903 over Venezuela's immense debt. Roosevelt cited the Monroe Doctrine to keep European nations out of the Western hemisphere. The situation was dealt with through diplomatic means although strife with Germany would continue. Lest we forget Teddy did win a Nobel Peace Prize during his presidency.

Morris gives us a portrait of an amazingly complex man. I find myself mixed at times. I don't like some of the things he did as president but I find myself with an even greater admiration for the man. He leaped into life and made the most of it. He was also a man who seemed to seek fairness in his dealings. His integrity was also revealed at his refusal to run for a third term. He would have easily been re-elected again. He readily admitted a desire to do so but felt that it was morally correct to follow the precedence of two terms set by George Washington. This book gives a pretty thorough history of one of America's greatest and most ambitious presidents.