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CHAPTER SIX

THEODORE ROOSEVELT AND HIS TIME
LITERARY LABORS
TILT WITH  JEFFERSON DAVIS
CANDIDATE FOR MAYOR

during his first term in the Legislature Roosevelt published, in May, 1882, "The Naval War of 1812," the opening chapters of which he had written while a student in Harvard. He had finished it while engaged in his tussle with machine politics in the Legislature, demonstrating thus early in his career his ability to turn aside from public and political duties and concentrate his mind upon literary work. This was merely the first of many instances of the kind which occurred quite regularly in his subsequent career. The publication of the Naval History came at the moment when his efforts to secure the impeachment of a judge were nearing their climax and when the fight over his other reform measures was absorbing public attention. The book was everywhere well received and the complimentary reviews of it in the press appeared side by side with comments, favorable and unfavorable, upon his legislative achievements. The book is notable as containing a warning to the nation of the need of thorough preparedness for war as the surest guaranty of peace—a warning which he repeated at every opportunity during the succeeding thirty-five years, the wisdom of which was amply justified when the folly of persistent disregard of it was demonstrated with such disastrous consequence at the entry of the United States into the European War in 1917. In his preface, written in 1882, he said:
"The operations of this war on land teach nothing new; it is the old, old lesson that miserly economy in preparation may in the end involve a lavish outlay of men and money which, after all, comes too late to more than partially off set the evils produced by the original shortsighted parsimony. It was criminal folly for Jefferson and his follower, Madison, to neglect to give us a force either of Regulars or of well-trained Volunteers during the 21 years they had in which to prepare for the struggle that any one might see was inevitable."
"The necessity for an efficient Navy is so evident that only our almost incredible shortsightedness prevents our at once preparing one."
In a condensed history of the same war, which he wrote for an English Naval History in 1897, fifteen years later, he reiterated his earlier views, saying:
"There never was a better example of the ultimate evil caused by a timid effort to secure peace and the refusal to make preparations for war than that afforded by the American people under the Presidencies of Jefferson and Madison."
Another notable passage in this condensed history was the following in regard to pacifists, who many years later played so harmful and despicable a part in the European War:
"Both Britain and America have produced men of the 'peace-at-any-price' pattern, and in America, in one great crisis at least, these men cost the Nation more in blood and wealth than the political leaders most recklessly indifferent to war have ever cost it."
After the close of the Presidential campaign of 1884, Roosevelt returned to his ranch in Dakota, spending much of his time there for several years, making occasional visits to his home in New York. He took charge of two cattle ranches and varied his duties as ranchman with hunting trips and in writing magazine articles and books. In 1885 he published "The Hunting Trips of a Ranchman," two volumes; in 1886, the "Life of Thomas H. Benton"; in 1887, the "Life of Gouverneur Morris"; in 1888, "Ranch Life and Hunting Trail"; in 1890, "History of New York"; and in 1893,«' The Wilderness Hunter.'' All of these books were written in whole or in part during this period.
In his Life of Benton, written thirty years before the entry of the United States into the European War, there appears this additional reference to pacifists:
"A class of professional noncombatants is as hurtful to the healthy growth of a nation as a class of fire eaters, for a weakness or folly is nationally as bad as a vice, or worse. No man who is not willing to bear arms and to fight for his rights can give a good reason why he should be entitled to the privilege of living in a free country."
Two manuscript letters of rare interest appear in Roosevelt's correspondence of 1885. One is from Jefferson Davis, written apparently in his own hand, and the other is a copy, in Roosevelt's own hand, of his reply. They are:
beauvain, Miss.,
 September 29, 1885. 
Mr. Theodore Roosevelt,
New York, New York. sir:
You have recently chosen publicly to associate the name of Benedict Arnold with that of Jefferson Davis, as the only American with whom the traitor Arnold need not fear comparison.
You must be ignorant indeed of American history if you do not know that the career of those characters might be aptly chosen for contrast, but not for similitude; and if so ignorant, the instinct of a gentleman, had you possessed it, must have caused you to make inquiry before uttering an accusation so libelous and false.
I write you directly to repel the unproved outrage, but with too low an estimate of you to expect an honorable retraction of your slander.
Yours, etc.,
(Signed)    
Jefferson Davis.
new York, October 8, 1885.
"Mr. Theodore Roosevelt is in receipt of a letter purporting to come from Mr. Jefferson Davis, and denying that the character of Mr. Davis compares unfavorably with that of Benedict Arnold. Assuming the letter to be genuine Mr. Roosevelt has only to say that he would indeed be surprised to find that his views of the character of Mr. Davis did not differ radically from that apparently entertained in relation thereto by Mr. Davis himself. Mr. Roosevelt begs leave to add that he does not deem it necessary that there should be any further communication whatever between himself and Mr. Davis."
In the autumn of 1886 he was offered and accepted the Republican nomination for Mayor of New York City. He was also nominated for the office by a Committee of Business Men and an Independent Committee of Citizens. His nomination was based upon his record in the Legislature, and in his letter of acceptance and campaign speeches he pledged himself, if elected, to devote all his energies to securing honest and efficient city government without regard to partizan considerations of any sort. The contest was a three-cornered one, with Abram S. Hewitt as the nominee of Tammany and other Democratic organizations, and Henry George as the nominee of labor and socialist organizations. The Independents, or Mugwumps as they were called, unable to forgive Roosevelt for his advocacy of  Blaine, supported Mr. Hewitt, who was elected. He was a man of ability and probity, who had made an excellent record in Congress, and the Independents took the ground that even with his Tammany support he could be depended upon to be a better and more useful Mayor than Roosevelt would be able to be with the support of the Republican Machine. Time was to show within a few years that Roosevelt as a city official could be depended upon so thoroughly to give the city valuable service in spite of Republican Machine support that the same Independents would lament his departure from municipal administration.