with their fellows."

The speaker had seemingly himself been stung by criticism; or he was
reacting against Matthew Arnold, the celebrated "Harvard indifference,"
and the cynical talk of the clubs.

We do not expect our Presidents to be literary men and are
correspondingly gratified when any of them shows signs of almost human
intelligence in spheres outside of politics. Of them all, none touched
life at so many points, or was so versatile, picturesque, and generally
interesting a figure as the one who has just passed away. Washington was
not a man of books. A country gentleman, a Virginia planter and
slave-owner, member of a landed aristocracy, he had the limited
education of his class and period. Rumor said that he did not write his
own messages. And there is a story that John Quincy Adams, regarding a
portrait of the father of his country, exclaimed, "To think that that
old wooden head will go down in history as a great man!" But this was
the comment of a Boston Brahmin, and all the Adamses had bitter tongues.
Washington was, of course, a very great man, though not by virtue of any
intellectual brilliancy, but of his strong character, his immense
practical sagacity and common sense, his leadership of men.

As to Lincoln, we know through what cold obstruction he struggled up
into the light, educating himself to be one of the soundest statesmen
and most effective public speakers of his day--or any day. There was an
inborn fineness or sensitiveness in Lincoln, a touch of the artist (he
even wrote verses) which contrasts with the phlegm of his illustrious
contemporary, General Grant. The latter had a vein of coarseness, of
commonness rather, in his nature; evidenced by his choice of associates
and his entire indifference to "the things of the mind." He was almost
illiterate and only just a gentleman. Yet by reason of his dignified
modesty and simplicity, he contrived to write one of the best of
autobiographies.

Roosevelt had many advantages over his eminent predecessors. Of old
Knickerbocker stock, with a Harvard education, and the habit of good
society, he had means enough to indulge in his favorite pastimes. To
run a cattle ranch in Dakota, lead a hunting party in Africa and an
exploring expedition in Brazil, these were wide opportunities, but he
fully measured up to them. Mr. W. H. Hays, chairman of the Republican
National Committee, said of him, "He had more knowledge about more
things than any other man." Well