Posted on 10/27/2006 2:40:44 AM PDT by MadIvan
Note: today is the anniversary of the birth of Theodore Roosevelt (born October 27, 1858). In a time when Eliot Spitzer is likely to become the next governor of New York, and Hillary Clinton is likely to be re-elected to be its Senator, it's worth remembering this great New Yorker of the past for the purposes of comparison. Here are some of his most famous quotes. - Ivan
There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism. When I refer to hyphenated Americans, I do not refer to naturalized Americans. Some of the very best Americans I have ever known were naturalized Americans, Americans born abroad. But a hyphenated American is not an American at all. This is just as true of the man who puts “native” before the hyphen as of the man who puts German or Irish or English or French before the hyphen. Americanism is a matter of the spirit and of the soul. Our allegiance must be purely to the United States. We must unsparingly condemn any man who holds any other allegiance. But if he is heartily and singly loyal to this Republic, then no matter where he was born, he is just as good an American as any one else. The one absolutely certain way of bringing this nation to ruin, of preventing all possibility of its continuing to be a nation at all, would be to permit it to become a tangle of squabbling nationalities, an intricate knot of German-Americans, Irish-Americans, English- Americans, French-Americans, Scandinavian- Americans, or Italian-Americans, each preserving its separate nationality, each at heart feeling more sympathy with Europeans of that nationality than with the other citizens of the American Republic. The men who do not become Americans and nothing else are hyphenated Americans; and there ought to be no room for them in this country. The man who calls himself an American citizen and who yet shows by his actions that he is primarily the citizen of a foreign land, plays a thoroughly mischievous part in the life of our body politic. He has no place here; and the sooner he returns to the land to which he feels his real heart-allegiance, the better it will be for every good American. Addressing the Knights of Columbus in New York City 12 October 1915
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.
I believe in nationalism as the absolute prerequisite to internationalism. I believe in patriotism as the absolute prerequisite to the larger Americanism. I believe in Americanism because unless our people are good Americans first, America can accomplish little or nothing worth accomplishing for the good of the world as a whole.
Life is not easy, and least of all is it easy for either the man or the nation that aspires to great deeds.
Envy is as evil a thing as arrogance. - Letter written in Oyster Bay, New York September 1, 1903
Obedience to the law is demanded as a right; not asked as a favor. - Third Annual Message to Congress December 7, 1903
Unless a man is master of his soul, all other kinds of mastery amount to little. - Ladies' Home Journal January 1917
The things that will destroy America are prosperity at any price, peace at any price, safety first instead of duty first, the love of soft living and the get rich quick theory of life.
The American people are slow to wrath, but when their wrath is once kindled it burns like a consuming flame. - First Address to Congress December 3, 1901
Let us speak courteously, deal fairly, and keep ourselves armed and ready. - San Francisco May 13, 1903
Character is far more important than intellect in making a man a good citizen or successful in his calling meaning by character not only such qualities as honesty and truthfulness, but courage, perseverance, and self-reliance.
Read more about TR at: The Presidency of Theodore Roosevelt
Regards, Ivan
Ping!
Bump....he was a great conservationist too.
http://blog.boiledfrog.us/index.php?/archives/20-Todays-Quote-Theodore-Roosevelt-on-Nationality.html
"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith, becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American... There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people." - Theodore Roosevelt, 1907
One of my favorite presidents. Thanks for the tribute.
Thanks MadIvan. One of the great presidents.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.