rom Mount Marcy； was driven to the house of Ansley Wilcox。 Most of the Cabinet had preceded him to Buffalo； and Secretary Root； the ranking member present Secretary Hay having remained in Washington asked the Vice…President to be sworn in at once。 Roosevelt replied：
'I shall take the oath of office in obedience to your request； sir； and in doing so； it shall be my aim to continue absolutely unbroken the policies of President McKinley for the peace； prosperity； and honor of our beloved country。'
The oath having been administered； the new President said：
'In order to help me keep the promise I have taken； I would ask the Cabinet to retain their positions at least for some months to come。 I shall rely upon you； gentlemen； upon your loyalty and fidelity； to help me。'*
* Washburn； 40。
On September 19； John Hay wrote to his intimate friend； Henry Adams：
'I have just received your letter from Stockholm and shuddered at the awful clairvoyance of your last phrase about Teddy's luck。
Well； he is here in the saddle again。 That is； he is in Canton to attend President McKinley's funeral and will have his first Cabinet meeting in the White House tomorrow。 He came down from Buffalo Monday nightand in the station； without waiting an instant； told me I must stay with him that I could not decline nor even consider。 I saw； of course； it was best for him to start off that way； and so I said I would stay； forever； of course； for it would be worse to say I would stay a while than it would be to go out at once。 I can still go at any moment he gets tired of me or when I collapse。'*
* W。 R。 Thayer： John Hay；II； 268。
Writing to Lady Jeune at this time Hay said：
I think you know Mr。 Roosevelt； our new President。 He is an old and intimate friend of mine： a young fellow of infinite dash and originality。
In this manner； 〃Teddy's luck〃 brought him into the White House； as the twenty…sixth President of the United States。 Early in the summer； his old college friend and steadfast admirer； Charles Washburn； remarked： 〃I would not like to be in McKinley's shoes。 He has a man of destiny behind him。〃 Destiny is the one artificer who can use all tools and who finds a short cut to his goal through ways mysterious and most devious。 As I have before remarked； nothing commonplace could happen to Theodore Roosevelt。 He emerged triumphant from the receiving…vault of the Vice…Presidency； where his enemies supposed they had laid him away for good。 In ancient days； his midnight dash from Mount Marcy； and his flight by train across New York State to Buffalo； would have become a myth symbolizing the response of a hero to an Olympian summons。 If we ponder it well； was it indeed less than this？
In 1899； Mr。 James Bryce； the most penetrating of foreign observers of American life had said； in words that now seem prophetic： 〃Theodore Roosevelt is the hope of American politics。〃
CHAPTER X。 THE WORLD WHICH ROOSEVELT CONFRONTED
To understand the work of a statesman we must know something of the world in which he lived。 That is his material； out of which he tries to embody his ideals as the sculptor carves his out of marble。 We are constantly under the illusions of time。 Some critics say； for instance； that Washington fitted so perfectly the environment of the American Colonies during the last half of the eighteenth century； that he was the direct product of that environment； I prefer to think； however； that he possessed certain individual traits which； and not the time； made him George Washington； and would have enabled him to have mastered a different period if he had been born in it。 In like manner； having known Theodore Roosevelt； I do not believe that he would have been dumb or passive or colorless or slothful or futile under any other conceivable conditions。 Just as it was not New York City； nor Harvard； nor North Dakota； which made him ROOSEVELT； so the ROOSEVELT in him would have persisted under whatever sky。
The time offers the opportunities。 The gift in the man； innate and incalculable； determines how he will seize them and what he will do with them。 Now it is because I think that Roosevelt had a clear vision of the world in which he dwelt； and saw the path by which to lead and improve it； that his career has profound significance to me。 Picturesque he was； and picturesqueness made whatever he did interesting。 But far deeper qualities made him significant。 From ancient times； at least from the days of Greece and Rome； Democracy as a political ideal had been dreamed of； and had even been put into practice on a small scale here and there。 But its shortcomings and the frailty of human nature made it the despair of practical men and the laughing stock of philosophers and ironists。 Nevertheless； the conviction that no man has a right to enslave another would not die。 And in modern times the English sense of justice and the English belief that a man must have a right to be heard on matters concerning himself and his government； forced Democracy； as an actual system； to the front。 The demand for representation caused the American colonists to break away from England and to govern themselves independently。 Every one now sees that this demand was the just and logical carrying forward of English ideals。
At about the same time； in France； Rousseau； gathering into his own heart； from many sources； the suggestions and emotions of Democracy； uttered them with a voice so magical that it roused millions of other hearts and made the emotions seem intellectual proofs。 As the magician waves his wand and turns common pebbles into precious stones； so Rousseau turned the dead crater of Europe into a molten volcano。 The ideals of Fraternity and Equality were joined with that of Liberty and the three were accepted as indivisible elements of Democracy。 In the United States we set our Democratic principles going。 In Europe the Revolution shattered many of the hateful methods of Despotism； shattered； but did not destroy them。 The amazing genius of Napoleon intervened to deflect Europe from her march towards Democracy and to convert her into the servant of his personal ambition。
Over here； in spite of the hideous contradiction of slavery； which ate like a black ulcer into a part of our body politic； the Democratic ideal not only prevailed； but came to be taken for granted as a heaven…revealed truth； which only fools would question or dispute。 In Europe； the monarchs of the Old Regime made a desperate rally and put down Napoleon； thinking that by smashing him they would smash also the tremendous Democratic forces by which he had gained his supremacy。 They put back； so far as they could； the old feudal bases of privilege and of more or less disguised tyranny。 The Restoration could not slumber quietly； for the forces of the Revolution burst out from time to time。 They wished to realize the liberty of which they had had a glimpse in 1789 and which the Old Regime had snatched away from them。 The Spirit of Nationality now strengthened their efforts for independence and liberty and another Spirit came stalking after both。 This was the Social Revolution； which refusing to be satisfied by a merely political victory boldly preached Internationalism as a higher ideal than Nationalism。 Truly； Time still devours all his children； and the hysterical desires bred by half…truths prevent the coming and triumphant reign of Truth。 While these various and mutually clashing motives swept Europe along during the first half of the nineteenth century； a different current hurried the United States into the rapids。 Should they continue to exist as one Union binding together sections with different interests； or should the Union be dissolved and those sections attempt to lead a separate political existence？ Fortunately； for the preservation of the Union； the question of slavery was uppermost in one of the sections。 Slavery could not be dismissed as a merely economic question。 Many Americans declared that it was primarily a moral issue。 And this transformed what the Southern section would gladly have limited to economics into a war for a moral ideal。 With the destruction of slavery in the South the preservation of the Union came as a matter of course。
The Civil War itself had given a great stimulus to industry； to the need of providing military equipment and supplies； and of extending； as rapidly as possible； the railroads which were the chief means of transportation。 When the war ended in 1865； this expansion went on at an increasing rate。 The energy which had been devoted to military purposes was now directed to commerce and industry； to developing the vast unpeopled tracts from the Mississippi to the Pacific； and to exploiting the hitherto neglected or unknown natural resources of the country。 Every year science furnished new methods of converting nature's products into man's wealth。 Chemistry； the doubtful science； Midas…like； turned into gold every thing that it touched。 There were not native workers enough； and so a steady stream of foreign immigrants flocked over from abroad。 They came at first to better their own fortunes by sharing in the unlimited American harvests。 Later； our Captains of Industry； regardless of the quality of the new comers； and intent only on securing cheap labor to multiply their hoards； combed the lowest political and social levels of southern Europe and of western Asia for employees。 The immigrants ceased to look upon America as the Land of Promise； the land where they intended to settle； to make their homes； and to rear their children； it became for them only a huge factory where they earned a living and for which they felt no affection。 On the contrary； many of them looked forward to returning to their native country as soon as they had saved up a little competence here。 The politicians； equally negligent of the real welfare of the United States； gave to these masses of foreigners quick and unscrutinized naturalization as American citizens。
So it fell out that before the end of the nineteenth century a great gulf was opening between Labor and Capital。 Now a community can thrive only when all its classes feel that they have COMMON interests； but since American Labor was largely composed of foreigners； it acquired a double antagonism to Capital。 It h