CHAPTER XXI ROOSEVELT SUCCEEDS MCKINLEY It was shortly after 3 o'clock, when Mr. Roosevelt returned to the Wilcox house. Soon three carriages came down the avenue from the house wherein the dead President lay. In the first carriage were Secretary Root, Attorney-General Knox, Postmaster General Smith and John R. Hazel, judge of the United States Court for the western district of New York. In the second were Secretary of the Navy Long, Secretary of the Interior Hitchcock, Secretary of Agriculture Wilson and Colonel Bingham, superintendent of the White House buildings and grounds. In the third came Secretary Cortelyou, John G. Milburn and George P. Keating, clerk of the United States District Court. The members of the cabinet and those accompanying them quickly entered the house and joined the President in the parlor to the right of the hall. This is a room tastily furnished with rare works of art and tapestries. The outlook was over a wide stretch of greensward shaded by enormous elms. A few words were privately exchanged and the cabinet ranged itself to the right of the entrance so as to face the President. Standing beside the President were Judge Hazel, who was to administer the oath of office and Clerk Keating. The persons who had been invited as spectators stood in the background, and the newspaper men who were permitted to witness the ceremony crowded into the hall and viewed it through the open doors. The scene was very impressive. The Vice-President was very grave, and there was not a smiling face in the room. The members of the cabinet appeared as men utterly broken. Some of the ladies were in tears. The grief that had come upon the nation seemed for the moment to be brought home in the most pointed way to the party gathered in the Wilcox parlors. Impressive silence fell upon the group. Presently, advancing a step beyond the line formed by his associates in the. cabinet, Secretary Root began to speak to the President in a low voice. His face was very grave and his tone trembled with emotion, although all outward signs indicated that he was very calm. Facing him, Mr. Roosevelt, his mouth firmly set, listened with deep attention. "President Roosevelt," said Mr. Root, "I have been requested by all the members of the cabinet of the late President who are here in the city of Buffalo, all except two, to request that for reasons of weight affecting the administration of the government you should proceed without delay to take the constitutional oath of office." Another silence fell upon the group. It lasted but a moment, and then Mr. Roosevelt spoke. MCKINLEY'S POLICY CONTINUED.-"Mr. Secretary,' he said, "I shall take the oath at once, agreeable to the request of members of the cabinet; and in this hour of deep and terrible national bereavement I wish to state that it shall be my aim to continue absolutely unbroken the policy of President McKinley for the peace and prosperity and honor of our beloved country." Again a deep silence fell upon the party. This time it was broken by the voice of Judge Hazel, who said: "Theodore Roosevelt, hold up your right hand." The President complied, and Judge Hazel read the oath, the President repeating it after him, phrase by phrase. It was very brief, reading as follows: THE OATH.-"I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of the President of United States, and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." RETAINS CAbinet. Presently everybody except those who had official connection with the incoming of the new President had left the house. Mr. Roosevelt met the members of the cabinet in the parlor. With them was Secretary Cortelyou. The President asked them all to refrain from tendering their resignations, and for the present at least to continue in office. He said he had not in mind a single thought that would lead him to deviate from the policy that had been successfully carried out by the late President. ROOSEVELT'S PROCLAMATION.-Theodore Roosevelt's first official act after assuming the office of President was to issue the following proclamation: "A terrible bereavement has befallen our people. The President of the United States has been struck down; a crime has been committed not only against the chief magistrate, but against every law-abiding and liberty-loving citizen. "President McKinley crowned a life of largest love for his fellow men, of most earnest endeavor for their welfare, by a death of Christian fortitude, and both the way in which he lived his life and the way in which, in the supreme hour of trial, he met his death will remain forever a precious heritage of our people. "It is meet that we as a nation express our abiding love and reverence for his life, our deep sorrow for his untimely death. "Now, therefore, I, Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States of America, do appoint Thursday next, Sept. 19, the day on which the body of the dead President will be laid in its last earthly resting place, as a day of mourning and prayer throughout the United States. I earnestly recommend all the people to assemble on that day in their respective places of divine worship, there to bow down in submission to the will of Almighty God, and to pay out of full hearts their homage of love and reverence to the great and good President whose death has smitten the nation with bitter grief. "In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. "Done at the City of Buffalo, the 14th day of September, A. D. One Thousand Nine Hundred and One, and of the Independence of the United States the One Hundred and Twenty-sixth. (SEAL) "THEODORE ROOSEVELT. "By the President: John Hay, Secretary of State.' Note: Some of the leading points in Roosevelt's speech delivered at Minneapolis on Sept. 2, 1901, are given at the end of Chapter XVII, page 162. See also Chap. XXXII (Sketch of his life). |