Fear God ; and take your own part !
 In the 3rd volume of Winning of the West written over 20 years before this book TR documents that Daniel Boone lived by this creed. This is the definition TR gives of the Fear God Creed:  "Fear God, in the true sense of the word, means love God, respect God, honor God; and all of this can only be done by loving our neighbor, treating him justly and mercifully, and in all ways endeavoring to protect him from injustice and cruelty; thus obeying, as far as our human frailty will permit, the great and immutable law of righteousness".
 
Living by this creed required a common sense approach to life's choices based on not violating these fundamental principles. This book describes how basically every one of TR's common sense principles (that are still benefiting society today) that he used to formulate public policy  during his administration was, mocked at, and cast aside for an exact opposite public policy approach that caused devastating effects. One gets the idea that it was done in some cases in a manner of spite by the Wilson Administration  attempting to degrade TR. Insecure individuals sometimes try to tear others down to build themselves up. TR endured the insults that took place through 7 years of the Wilson Administration without flinching. Since this book was written in 1916 you will not see the congressional election of 1918 where TR's wisdom was finally heard after 6 long years of preaching and leading by example as a private citizen. This election was a severe rebuke of the Wilson administration. But the stolen election of 1912  & the torture of ignorance that TR endured for the next 8 years because he could not remain silent to a stolen election took the ultimate toll possible upon TR by having two of his four sons severely wounded in World War One and a third son Quentin, his youngest son, killed in a Arial dog fight over Germany. (In those days there were no Para shoots.) TR would die in his sleep with in 6 months of Quentin’s death. He stated shortly before he died that the joy had gone from his life.
 
I am reminded of the trial of Socrates and the Passion of Christ when reading this book. What you have is common sense being offered by the accused with the accuser seemingly not hearing what is said. The accuser points at the accused and says they are guilty of the exact thing they themselves are guilty of. When TR talks about what the Wilson Administration did to insult him with the Panama Canal treaty near the end of this book it becomes very clear the Wilson Administration was attempting to place guilt upon TR. TR's common sense logical explanation falls on deaf ears of those with a personal agenda as did our other heroes words. For those who have the wisdom to look honestly at the pages of history with out bias, the fog of ignorance that once covered right actions will be lifted. It is a wicket injustice to anyone that is an American Patriot not to remember the creed TR lived by because the way he lived his life is still having a positive effect on our lives today. If the examples he set are held up as a standard for political action today his leadership will bear even greater fruit in the future.