large/9551/letterstohischildren_1510_librivox_64kb_mp3/letterstohischildren_23_roosevelt_64kb_2
large/9551/letterstohischildren_1510_librivox_64kb_mp3/letterstohischildren_23_roosevelt_64kb
English
9551
When I was down at Santiago it was melancholy for me to see how fossilized and lacking in ambition, and generally useless, were most of the men of my age and over, who had served their lives in the Army. WHEN I WAS DOWN AT SANTIAGO IT WAS MELANCHOLY FOR ME TO SEE HOW FOSSILIZED AND LACKING IN AMBITION AND GENERALLY USELESS WERE MOST OF THE MEN OF MY AGE AND OVER WHO HAD SERVED THEIR LIVES IN THE ARMY
 failure. Now, if such is your thought, I shall quote to you what Captain Mahan said of his son when asked why he did not send him to West Point or Annapolis. "I have too much confidence in him to make me feel that it is desirable for him to enter either branch of the service." I have great confidence in you. I believe you have the ability and, above all, the energy, the perseverance, and the common sense, to win out in civil life. That you will have some hard times and some discouraging times I have no question; but this is merely another way of saying that you will share the common lot. Though you will have to work in different ways from those in which I worked, you will not have to work any harder, nor to face periods of more discouragement. I trust in your ability, and especially your character, and I am confident you will win. In the Army and the Navy the chance for a man to show great ability and rise above his fellows does not occur on the average more than once in a generation. OUT ANY GREAT RISK OF FAILURE NOW IF SUCH IS YOUR THOUGHT I SHALL QUOTE TO YOU WHAT CAPTAIN MAYHAND SAID OF HIS SON WHEN ASKED WHY HE DID NOT SEND HIM TO WEST POINT OR ANNAPOLIS I HAVE TOO MUCH CONFIDENCE IN HIM TO MAKE ME FEEL THAT IT IS DESIRABLE FOR HIM TO ENTER EITHER BRANCH OF THE SERVICE I HAVE GREAT CONFIDENCE IN YOU I BELIEVE YOU HAVE THE ABILITY AND ABOVE ALL THE ENERGY AND PERSEVERANCE AND THE COMMON SENSE TO WIN OUT IN CIVIL LIFE THAT YOU WILL HAVE SOME HARD TIMES AND SOME DISCOURAGING TIMES I HAVE NO QUESTION BUT THIS IS MERELY ANOTHER WAY OF SAYING THAT YOU WILL SHARE THE COMMON LOT THOUGH YOU WILL HAVE TO WORK IN DIFFERENT WAYS FROM THOSE IN WHICH I WORKED YOU WILL NOT HAVE TO WORK ANY HARDER NOR TO FACE PERIODS OF MORE DISCOURAGEMENT I TRUST IN YOUR ABILITY AND ESPECIALLY YOUR CHARACTER AND I AM CONFIDENT YOU WILL WIN IN THE ARMY AND THE NAVY THE CHANCE FOR A MAN TO SHOW GREAT ABILITY AND RISE ABOVE HIS FELLOWS DOES NOT OCCUR ON THE AVERAGE MORE THAN ONCE IN A GENERATION
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