Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Uncle Remus (Joel Chandler Harris) discussing the promotion of military officers. Typed on White House letterhead and dated April 27, 1908.
All right; of course I will see Colonel Jones. I do not know whether we have
any vacancies for brigadier general coming before February next
or not; and, my dear Uncle Remus, I wish you could sit in this chair for a
little while just to see for yourself how puzzled a man gets, even with the
best intentions and after the most careful and painstaking scrutiny in the
effort to decide exactly which officer out of a great many good officers who
can not all be promoted, is the one who preeminently ought to be promoted. I
know I make errors, and often pass by worthy men, and
occasionally (altho I hope not often) promote men who are less worthy; but I
am doing my best!
I do not think there
was an evening at the White House that we have all of us enjoyed more than
the one