.X Class E 757 .S87 Book Copy 1 Author 3S:.^..'...^.^.!^.J^3..:...S.-..^.3.lP..^^^^^ Title . '^^eoVc>(\e I^Ciobr-s/FLT Imprint. 41133 am __:.:4:aAii^-^^=-'^--^"— '^ Class, Book. pRESENTtF) m iraODORE DOSEMT A (flmmemorative Sermon By flie Kfevjames S.Stone,DD. a4 Boti CM Bci THEODORE ROOSEVELT The tumult and the shouting dies — The captains and the kings depart- Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice, An humble and a contrite heart. Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet, Lest we forget, lest we forget ! ^ ^Saauijjii:^ -u—' ■■■'-■ * ■■■-- ^•—'-•^-^ 1 Theodore Roosevelt A Sermon Commemorative Preached in St. James's Church, Chicago On Sunday, January 12, 1919 By the Rev. James S. Stone, D.D. Rector Chicago DAUGHADAY Ic COMPANY 1919 . J*--y^mf9^fp7tiI>a^K^vextm,n Mr,.-9mMigwaM-:^BMa^'^ Copyright, 1919, by Jambs S. Stone ad Bon ©CI.A5 11G4 7 FEB 17 i^'^ 'i^ THEODORE ROOSEVELT II Samuel ill : 38. "Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel?" WE knew that he would die; and yet we never thought of death when we thought of him. He was the embodiment of life: the concentration of its energies: a force guiding, controlling destiny: a master among the masters of men; and when the news came that he was dead it struck us with sur- prise. For the moment it seemed that in tear- ing from earth's heart one of its choicest and mightiest souls Death had outdone itself. We were silent: stunned as it were. Theodore Roosevelt was dead! And he was taken away at this time : when we felt that his country, and verily the world itself, had most need of him. Little did we [I] ng^'att'i f"^"''"*'^ '"™*''^™'" m Boi THEODORE ROOSEVELT think that his work on earth was done. Lit indeed, can we judge of the present or discc indications of the future. The days to co lie before us, and we have to go through the but thick darkness covers them as black nij concealed the primeval chaos. But when we consider the matter more te perately and carefully we are led to ask, this man, or any other man who has proi himself worthy of life and has been a help his fellows, is really dead? Does death dest: personality as well as imperil influence? D that interruption in what we call life actua end life? Is Washington dead, or Lincc or any of the men who wrought so wondrou for the country they loved and served? Christian believes that they with their spl did and helpful gifts have perished. And when our thoughts turn to the man now commemorate, though we know not i what form or sphere or mode of existence has entered, and know not how his persona! affects this present life, yet we are satisf that he himself survives, and with him mt ory and affection, the essential attributes human nature. "I know there is someth [2] THEODORE ROOSEVELT grand," were the last words of a scholar and statesman some years since, as he lay dying. Into that "something grand" Theodore Roose- velt has entered, and we may be sure that there will be given him scope for the use of the powers which distinguished him here. He lives on ! But though mystery envelops personality, there is no such mystery about influence. Theodore Roosevelt had an influence on the men and affairs of this country which has shaped, and will shape still more, the course of this country's development. Ages after his work is forgotten, and his name has become dim in the past, the effects of that work will still remain in the nature and character, the very fibre, of our national life. And this fol- lows from the surpassing worth of his charac- teristics, and the force with which those char- acteristics were displayed and used in his day and generation. A man such as Theodore Roosevelt could not live and acquire prominence in any age and country without creating diversity of opinion concerning himself. Every man in the land either liked him or disliked him. No [3] THEODORE ROOSEVELT man who knew him could be indifferent c cerning him. And the likes and dislikes w undoubtedly very strong, sometimes ve mently so. They could not have been otl wise. Theodore Roosevelt rarely said a w or did a deed without arousing admiratior denunciation. You agreed with him, or disagreed with him; and you were bounc do one or the other. A strong, direct, incis outspoken, fearless character such as his bound to have that effect. For years to come there will be division opinion as to his politics and policies. I not say diversities of opinion, but divisi for he was too definite in his utterances actions to scatter opinions or create vari( of opinions. He cut straight and clean. P were with him altogether, or they were with him at all. Nor do I suppose that was otherwise than he expected. He k that all men could not think alike; and tho a strong nature and clear vision, such a; had, probably regretted and wondered at fact, yet his generosity was as great as his < victions, and saved him from intolerance injustice. [4l THEODORE ROOSEVELT I may not presume to suggest judgement in matters which are too great for me, but this fact stands out as clear as the sun in a cloudless sky: that in his public life, as well as in his private life, Theodore Roosevelt had neither sympathy nor patience for anything that was not clean, honest, open, and above-board. He denounced wrong-doing in all its forms. Nor did he fear or respect the man, no matter what his wealth or social or political position, who endeavoured to secure his purposes by out- witting his neighbours, by dubious interpreta- tions or guileful twists of facts, by the weak- nesses of the community, by the insidious and scarcely perceived corruptions of changing times, or by precedents even though their in- jurious tendencies had been concealed and fos- tered by traditions and usages. I do not say that other presidents had not been equally anxious to carry out like reforms; but many of the evils he combatted were not necessarily evils in the days of his predeces- sors. They looked all right, and were judged to be all right. But use and new conditions changed their nature. There have been times in the history of both the American and Eng- [5] THEODORE ROOSEVELT 11 ' lish peoples when a man was thought no less worthy to sit in legislature becaii obtained his seat by bribery, and rarely to bed sober. To-day such practices a verely reprobated, and would be suffici ruin the career of the cleverest man. Is doubts that there were things condone deed not so much as even noticed, in the days of the Republic which would now r tlie most vigorous denunciation. There was an institution yet established by ma had not, entwined even among its good ties, the tendency to corruption. Even ecc tical societies are not exempt from this u sal law. The Church herself has had to formed, purified, and renovated many over in its long history, and it cannot be tioned that m this country, as in all cou from time to time, financial and comn- corporations, no less than legislative anc cial establishments, need investigatioi readjustment. They would not be hun they did not. But the necessity of upl does not make upheaval attractive to the ties affected. The Church had to be refo and was reformed; but in the proci [6] THEODORE ROOSEVELT reformation she promptly burned and damned her reformers; and modern corporations sur- render to change, and though they cannot excommunicate and consign to torture the advocates of change, nevertheless they do not necessarily love the man who compels the change. I am not claiming for Theodore Roosevelt a righteousness unkno\\-n to other statesmen, but I am affirming that he seized his opportuni- ties, and wrought his changes fearless of con- sequences and opposition. And thereby, of course, he made enemies. He may have grieved over them, but he did not fear them. The bitterest enemy he ever made never thought for one moment that Theodore Roosevelt was afraid of him or of any other man on earth. No man in the United States was ever more widely and generally popular than he, and possibly the word "enemy" may be too strong, especially if the epithet be taken to include all that is meant by "enmity." I do not suppose that the most furious adversary of Theodore Roosevelt's plans or reforms ever went so far as to entertain malignant hatred for him per- sonally. His doctrine might be disagreeable [7] ,.rM»ii^»t^nj,yfa-.-«#iiwnM'»«P' Cla.i Bod THEODORE ROOSEVELl and inexpedient, but it was at least hone had at times to deal with other than ge foes, but even such men knew that he gled for principle and not for self; a the other hand, though, from the very ii osity and ruggedness of his nature, h have been what the world calls a "good 1 he was also a chivalrous and magnai one. No man was more ready than he t to arguments of worth superior and mo elusive than those on which he had i his opinions. His desire for informatii insatiable. And yet no one imagines t convictions were ever in a state of flux, were not reached until he was satisfied deepest depths of his heart and the recesses of his mind that they were Then they were as adamant. He cl them as tenaciously as limpet clings t( Apart from his almost unfailing memo skill to grasp, arrange and apply deta penetrating, courageous dialectic, and dustry that never fagged, he had an ii an intuition, for the right thing and t thing. This impulse differed not ii from that which other searchers aftei [8] THEODORE ROOSEVELT possess, but its intensity went far beyond that which most men have, even men who claim the genius for statesmanship. And one can say this without claiming infallibility for his decisions or distance for his visions. Moreover he had the saving and sovereign grace of humour; though not, let us admit, in the measure of an Abraham Lincoln, with whom in so many particulars he may be justly compared. Possibly the gift was too subtile to attract attention, but he had a sufficient per- ception of human incongruities and inconsis- tencies to save himself from taking too seri- ously and too solemnly the whims and fancies, the assumptions, prejudices, and determina- tions of people who differed from him. The anger of opponents, the twists and turns of adversity, the failure of hopes and efforts, might disappoint, but they did not depress. He could fight, and he could laugh. He could rush to the fray, and he could wait his chance. He could win without boasting; and he could lose without repining. Men might beat him in the race, but they could not keep him down. This mingling of downright common-sense and genial humour served him to the last; and [9] THEODORE ROOSEVELT Booi though, comparatively speaking, he tolc stories, yet he enjoyed anecdote, apprecia happy simile, vivified an archaic and pi esque word, and yielded to the emotions v affect most naturally the human heart, i journeyed through the country, even oi political tours, in the most exciting of paigns, speaking in the cities to multitud enthusiastic hearers and in the village groups of no less loyal adherents, he i forgot that first of all, and all the time, h( a man dealing with men. He sought to but he would win, not by drawing out th( that lurks in the crowd, but by animatin good — by stirring up and inflaming pa indeed, never for error but always for t never for the wrong but always for the i But all this is over now. He is no lonj2 this world's politics. To-day we may be that though men are still divided over his cies, and will be for some time to come his foes are one with his friends in c honour to the man himself. Both friends foes unite in ignoring party sympathies animosities, and think above all else o; magnificent Americanism. [lO] THEODORE ROOSEVELT For Theodore Roosevelt was the incarna- tion and interpretation of the ideals and as- pirations of this country. I do not say more so than other men, or more exactly than other men; but in so emphatic and definite a man- ner that the country regards him as illustrative of a type, and as a type, not so much unique or exceptional, as desirable and worthy of emula- tion. He had the skill to touch and vivify in a remarkable way those traits which you feel almost instinctively are necessary for good citizenship, and especially for leading citizen- ship. He was able to embody those traits in his own life. He not only professed them, but he lived them. And yet, great as he was, it may be taken for granted, he had not in the same proportion all the traits we admire and wish for. In some qualities, being a man, he may have been deficient; but he certainly had such as strike the imagination, and lie at the foundation of the social fabric. Not one of these ideals, aspirations, and traits, I repeat, was peculiar to him. Apart from his surprising energy, unwavering determination, dauntless courage, and physical and mental powers, the qualities which lifted Boo'j THEODORE ROOSEVEL him far above most men, he was ( among his fellows. You admire hin much because of his ideals and aspiral traits, as though they were peculiar to because they are the same ideals, as and traits that you yourself possess, or vinced you ought to possess. He bi what you are satisfied the perfect should bring out. He is the pattern \v feel that people of this country shoulc and not only should follow, but whi right-minded citizen tries to follow. Thus you think of his loyalty not America, but also to that indefina nevertheless clearly understood, spirit ity known as Americanism. It is no the country — its mountains and pr£ rivers and forests, its material resou natural beauties, — that makes us Ar but much more a spiritual attribute sition which we receive partly frc partly from our ancestors, and partly surroundings, and which enters into soul enters into the body, and makes a living thing. I do not know that define the term "soul"; nor is it neces [12] THEODORE ROOSEVELT we should seek to define the term "American- ism." We are perfectly aware of what both terms mean. And for generations to come, when the instructors of youth shall endeavour to describe the perfect, all-rounded, pure, and unselfish citizen of the Republic, the personi- fication of Americanism, — nay, let me go still farther and say, when they would depict an ideal man, — they will speak in glowing ad- miration and widening wonder of Theodore Roosevelt. — "He was a man, take him for all in all, I shall not look upon his like again." His strength was used for the support of the weak. His individuality was given unreserv- edly to the welfare and upbuilding of the com- munity. Personal aggrandisement and ad- vantage were never allowed to separate him from the brotherhood of man. He spared no pains, he hesitated at no sacrifice, he recog- nized no discouragement, where he could serve the public interests. To him the State came first of all : himself far behind. No man ever charged him with neglect of duty. He would have reproduced in this country the [13] » Ki 1 THEODORE ROOSEVELT condition which Macaulay fondly tells us existed in Rome: — "Then none was for a party; Then all were for the state ; Then the great man helped the poor, And the poor man loved the great." Theodore Roosevelt, however, was than a statesman. His gifts were varie( pursuits many. As a scholar and writ attained significant rank in the literary v His interest in scientific and economic tions was keen. He was a born leader of and won laurels in the army. His lo travel and adventure carried him inti depths of African forests and the wil South America; while as a sportsma stands with ancient heroes among the m hunters before the Lord. Whatever h he did with enthusiasm and thoroughness was a remarkable man in every way. with that strength of character, that thought and positive conviction, were bined a gentleness and unselfishness, a t solicitude for others, which made his and family life happy and beautiful as [i4l THEODORE ROOSEVELT disc itself. No breath of scandal was ever wafted into the sanctuary of his life; no ser- pent's trail ever lay across his threshold. Mil- ton portrayed no sweeter, purer home in Eden. There dwelt the loveliest fairies ever vouch- safed mortals: peace, confidence, affection. — Sorrow came; the boy died in France; and tears flowed deep. But the tender, stalwart, great-hearted father would have the loved one sleep the long sleep where he fell, and thanked God that another of his race had struggled and bled for the cause of freedom and right! "Great men are the guide-posts and land- marks in the State," says Edmund Burke. They become more, when they are able to win hearts as well as to control minds,— when the attractive traits of human nature appear. Then they not only point the way, but they also lead through the unknown wilds. And in order to lead, they must have the power to inspire confidence and to draw out the devo- tion of the people they would lead. To gain this confidence and devotion, more is wanted than the ability which would make a name merely monumental. Unless they can awaken imagination and enliven the homelier and [IS] FM Qas 11 THEODORE ROOSEVELT more common virtues of good fellowship stand simply by the wayside, useful h: cally, but otherwise dead memorials, with this gift, this living sympathy ■^ makes the world akin, men draw near to and love them. Theodore Roosevelt h In the hearts of the multitudes who lis and followed him reverence and afif united in blissful harmony. They wer isfied that he was one with them, in domestic life no less than in their po life. Thus, without encroaching on hi sonal dignity, or violating that reserve ' became him as a leader and a man, and out thought of disrespect or advantage out of purest admiration, the people of i ica spoke of him as "Teddy." They fel they owned him. He was theirs in a that few public men have ever been, would not have happened had they nc cerned in him more than mere genius could not only advise and counsel then he could also understand their hope fears, their troubles and anxieties, thei rows and their joys. If he despised ar nounced the harshness and cruelty of v> [i6] THEODORE ROOSEVELT doing, he stood for the toiler who had suffered, and knew him as a brother. So that men saw in him, not the grandeur of a giant, astonish- ing and repelling, but the majesty of a man, winsome, brotherly, unfailing, and humble. He hated race-suicide, and urged the purity of marriage and the extension of family. His veneration was warm and clear for the dignity of womanhood, the sacredness of child-life, the mystery of old age. No knight of by- gone days set lance in rest more valiantly than he in defence of honour. Nor would fancy wander from truth in picturing him as never happier than when he looked into the glad eyes of friend who loved him for himself alone. It did not need close contact for even the stranger to realize something of this. But they of his inner circle, into which the world might not enter, doubtless could say to us, "You know him slightly. We, wlio knew him well, Saw something in his soul you could not see." That Theodore Roosevelt was a Christian goes without saying: a Christian, and not in name only, but in deed and in truth. Baptized into Christ, he worshipped regularly before [17] )' Book' THEODORE ROOSEVELT the altar of Christ. Notwithstanding hii life, his intellectual activities, his social c he found time for his public devotions, was not above religion. Like Foch and and Pershing, and many another might; on whose skill and courage the salvati the peoples has depended, he humble heart and bent his knee. God still spc him, and he knew that his strength lay i lowship with God. But for God he hi made himself what he is to-day: a standa men to look to, — not only a citizen c world, but also a practical, earnest, d follower of Jesus Christ. You may form idea of the character of his religious 1: recalling his favourite hymn, "How f foundation." The lines in that hymn, whic read at his funeral, have no uncertain s They suggest no feeble, sentimental aspii no languishing wish which a weak wor might indulge in under a temporary em but they express a vigorous, strengtheni surance in the never-failing power of Go in His unwavering adherence to His pro We do not doubt that this strong spiri man who had swayed the minds and he< [i8] THEODORE ROOSEVELT multitudes, who had stood alone as a ruler of a mighty nation and as a wanderer in silent wildernesses, majestic and masterful wherever he was, yet, in the simplicity of his soul and the earnestness of his faith, had found his way to God, and now abides in the rest of heaven. "Put out the light, please." — His last words: not knowing that for himself earth's lights would never more be needed. A few minutes in the dark; and then the dawn of endless day! On the most beautiful of all beautiful days, the Feast of the Epiphany, he went to the land where the light is eternal, and this past week his body was laid in the quiet, country church- yard, with simple rites and by solitary priest, followed to the grave by his sons and daugh- ters and neighbours. There was neither the pomp of ceremony nor the peal of organ or roll of drum. The Church refrained from splendour; the State kept silence. No guard of honour; no vested prelates; no tolling bell. A man, a father, a friend was buried. That was all! All save this: the love of the folk he had lived with — the love of a nation that he had loved ! That was as the warm sunshine [19] Qas: iliiiU 013 981 e30 2