Elihu Root Quotes

A collection of quotes by Elihu Root.

Elihu Root (February 15, 1845 â€“ February 7, 1937) was an American lawyer, statesman, and diplomat. Born in Clinton, New York, he graduated from Hamilton College in 1864 before studying law at the New York University School of Law. Root began his career as a lawyer practicing in New York City. In 1899, he was appointed as the United States Secretary of War under President William McKinley, serving until 1904. During his tenure, Root played a crucial role in modernizing the U.S. Army and implementing reforms.

Root's diplomatic talents were recognized, leading to his appointment as Secretary of State in 1905 by President Theodore Roosevelt. As Secretary of State, he successfully negotiated the Treaty of Portsmouth, which ended the Russo-Japanese War and earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1912. Root was also instrumental in the establishment of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague.

Aside from his government service, Elihu Root was a skilled lawyer and legal scholar. He played a critical role in the development of international law and helped shape the concept of a modern legal system. Root's contributions to legal education led to the establishment of the American Law Institute in 1923.

Throughout his illustrious career, Elihu Root remained dedicated to public service and diplomacy, leaving an enduring impact on U.S. foreign policy and international relations. He passed away on February 7, 1937, in New York City at the age of 91.

Men do not fail they give up trying.

Men do not fail they give up trying.

The growth of modern constitutional government compels for i

The growth of modern constitutional government compels for its successful practice the exercise of reason and considerate judgment by the individual citizens who constitute the electorate.

Government

Nothing is more important in the preservation of peace than

Nothing is more important in the preservation of peace than to secure among the great mass of the people living under constitutional government a just conception of the rights which their nation has against others and of the duties their nation owes to others.

Peace

It is not uncommon in modern times to see governments strain

It is not uncommon in modern times to see governments straining every nerve to keep the peace, and the people whom they represent, with patriotic enthusiasm and resentment over real or fancied wrongs, urging them forward to war.

Peace

The point of departure of the process to which we wish to co

The point of departure of the process to which we wish to contribute is the fact that war is the natural reaction of human nature in the savage state, while peace is the result of acquired characteristics.

Peace

The limitation upon this mode of promoting peace lies in the

The limitation upon this mode of promoting peace lies in the fact that it consists in an appeal to the civilized side of man, while war is the product of forces proceeding from man's original savage nature.

Peace

There is so much of good in human nature that men grow to li

There is so much of good in human nature that men grow to like each other upon better acquaintance, and this points to another way in which we may strive to promote the peace of the world.

Peace

Secretary of War Stanton used to get out of patience with Li

Secretary of War Stanton used to get out of patience with Lincoln because he was all the time pardoning men who ought to be shot.

Patience

The mere assemblage of peace loving people to interchange co

The mere assemblage of peace loving people to interchange convincing reasons for their common faith, mere exhortation and argument to the public in favor of peace in general fall short of the mark.

Faith

It is to be observed that every case of war averted is a gai

It is to be observed that every case of war averted is a gain in general, for it helps to form a habit of peace, and community habits long continued become standards of conduct.

Peace

The methods of peace propaganda which aim at establishing pe

The methods of peace propaganda which aim at establishing peace doctrine by argument and by creating a feeling favorable to peace in general seem to fall short of reaching the springs of human action and of dealing with the causes of the conduct which they seek to modify.

Peace

To deal with the true causes of war one must begin by recogn

To deal with the true causes of war one must begin by recognizing as of prime relevancy to the solution of the problem the familiar fact that civilization is a partial, incomplete, and, to a great extent, superficial modification of barbarism.

War

Politics is the practical exercise of the art of self-govern

Politics is the practical exercise of the art of self-government, and somebody must attend to it if we are to have self-government; somebody must study it, and learn the art, and exercise patience and sympathy and skill to bring the multitude of opinions and wishes of self-governing people into such order that some prevailing opinion may be expressed and peaceably accepted. Otherwise, confusion will result either in dictatorship or anarchy. The principal ground of reproach against any American citizen should be that he is not a politician. Everyone ought to be, as Lincoln was.

We all know of course that we cannot abolish all the evils i

We all know of course that we cannot abolish all the evils in this world by statute or by the enforcement of statutes, nor can we prevent the inexorable law of nature which decrees that suffering shall follow vice, and all the evil passions and folly of mankind. Law cannot give to depravity the rewards of virtue, to indolence the rewards of industry, to indifference the rewards of ambition, or to ignorance the rewards of learning. The utmost that government can do is measurably to protect men, not against the wrong they do themselves but against wrong done by others and to promote the long, slow process of educating mind and character to a better knowledge and nobler standards of life and conduct. We know all this, but when we see how much misery there is in the world and instinctively cry out against it, and when we see some things that government may do to mitigate it, we are apt to forget how little after all it is possible for any government to do, and to hold the particular government of the time and place to a standard of responsibility which no government can possibly meet.

Men do not fail; they give up trying.

Men do not fail; they give up trying.

Failure