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Autobiographical Dictation, 13 December 1906 ❉ Textual Commentary

Source documents.

MS (incomplete)      Manuscript, leaves numbered [2]–12 (page 1 is missing): ‘He did . . . while yet.’ (312.32–315.4).
NAR 9pf      Galley proofs of NAR 9, typeset from the MS and further revised (the same extent as NAR 9), ViU.
NAR 9      North American Review 184 (4 January 1907), 1–5: ‘December . . . while yet.’ (312 title–315.4).

The MS is written on sheets of buff-colored wove paper, measuring 5¾ by 8⅞ inches. Clemens sent it directly to the North American Review for typesetting, without having Hobby type it. It is missing the first page; the unique source of that portion of the text is the NAR 9 type setting. Into his manuscript Clemens quotes from Elihu Root’s speech at the Pennsylvania Society’s dinner on 12 December 1906, as reported in the New York Times (“Root, Crying for Power, Meets a Judge’s Reply,” 13 December 1906, 1–2). He copied the quotations accurately, except for minor variants in capitalization and the like. We follow the MS as revised by Clemens.

This material was originally intended to appear in NAR, not as a part of the “Chapters from My Autobiography,” but as a free-standing article; this is evident from NAR 9pf, the first part of which is the present text, on two sheets, with the article-title and running-head ‘The Coming Americal sic Monarchy’. The proof is unusually rife with typographical errors and is “signed” (in type) with the compositor’s name (“Dornedden”).

NAR 9 was originally intended to comprise the “ADs” of 1, 2, and 3 December 1906; it was decided at a late stage in production to drop the 3 December material, and to use the text of this article as a makeweight. Clemens revised NAR 9pf, re-titling and re-dating it, and correcting an unusually large number of typographical errors.

December 13, 1906textual note

As regards the coming American monarchy.textual note It was before Mr. Roottextual note had been heard from that the chairman of the banquetexplanatory note said:

“In this time of unrest it is of great satisfaction that such a man as you, Mr. Root, is chief adviser of the Presidentexplanatory note.”textual note

Mr. Root then got up and in the most quiet and orderly manner touched off the successor to the San Francisco earthquake. As a result, the several State governments were well shaken up and considerably weakened. Mr. Root was prophesying. He was prophesying, and it seems to me that no shrewder and surer forecasting has been done in this country for a good many years.

He did not say, in so many words, that we are proceeding, in a steady march, toward eventual and unavoidable replacement of the republic by monarchyexplanatory note; but I suppose he was aware that that is the case. He notes the several steps, the customary steps, which in all the ages have led to the consolidation of loose and scattered governmental forces into formidable centralizations of authority; but he stops there, and doesn’ttextual note add up the sum. He is not unaware that heretofore the sum has been ultimate monarchy, and that the same figures can fairly be depended upon to furnishtextual note the same sum whenever and [begin page 313] wherever they can be produced, so long as human nature shall remain as it is; but it was not needful that he do the adding, since any one can do it; neither would it have been gracious in him to do it.

In observing the changed conditions which in the course of time have made certain and sure the eventualtextual note seizuretextual note by the Washington Governmenttextual note of a number of State duties andtextual note prerogatives which have been betrayed and neglected by the several States, he does not attribute those changes and the vast results which are to flow from them to any thought-out policy of any party or oftextual note any body of dreamers or schemers, but properly and rightly attributes them to that stupendous power— Circumstance textual note—which moves by lawstextual note of its own, regardless of parties and policies, and whose decrees are final, and must be obeyed by all—and will be. The railway is a Circumstance, the steamship is a Circumstance, the telegraph is a Circumstance. They were mere happenings; and to the whole world, the wise and the foolish alike, they weretextual note entirely trivial, wholly inconsequential; indeed silly, comical, grotesque. Notextual note man, and no party, and no thought-out policy said, “Behold,textual note we will build railways and steamships and telegraphs, and presently you will see the condition and way of life of every man and woman and child in the nation totally changed; unimaginable changes of law and custom will follow, in spite of anything that anybody can do to prevent it.”

The changed conditions have come, and Circumstance knows what is following, and will follow. So does Mr. Root. His language is not unclear, it is crystal:

“Our whole life has swung away from the old State centres and is crystallizingtextual note about nationaltextual note centres.”

“. . . . the old barriers which kept the States as separate communities are completely lost from sight.”

“. . . . that [State] power of regulation and control is gradually passing into the hands of the national government.”

“Sometimes by an assertion of the inter-State commerce power, sometimes by an assertion of the taxing power, the national government is taking up the performance of duties which under the changed conditions the separate States are no longer capable of adequately performing.”

“We are urging forward in a development of business and social life which tends more and more to the obliteration of State lines and the decrease of State power as compared with national power.”

“It is useless for the advocates of State rights to inveigh against . . . the extension of national authority in the fields of necessary control where the States themselves fail in the performance of their duty.”

He is not announcing a policy; he is not forecasting what a party of planners will bring about; he is merely telling what the people will require and compel. And he could have added—which would be perfectly true—that the people will not be moved to it by speculation and cogitation and planning, but by Circumstance—that power which arbitrarily compels all theirtextual note actions, and over which theytextual note have not the slightest control.

The end is not yetexplanatory note.”

[begin page 314]

It is a true word. We are on the march, but at present we are only just getting started.

If the States continue to fail to dotextual note their duty as required by the people—

“. . . . constructions of the Constitution textual note will be found to vest the power where it will be exercised—in the national government.”textual note

I do not know whether that has a sinister meaning or not, and so I will not enlarge upon it lest I should chance totextual note be in the wrong. It soundstextual note like ship-moneyexplanatory note come again, but it may not be so intended.textual note


Human nature being what it is, I suppose we must expect to drift into monarchy by and by. It is a saddening thought, but we cannot change our nature: we are all alike, we human beings; and in our blood and bone, and ineradicable, we carry the seeds out of which monarchies and aristocracies are grown: worship of gaudstextual note, titles, distinctions, power. We have to worship these things and their possessors, we are all born so, and we cannot help it. We have to be despised by somebody whom we regard as above us, or we are not happy; we have to have somebody to worship and envy, or we cannot be content. In America we manifest this in all the ancient and customary ways. In public we scoff at titles and hereditary privilege, but privately we hanker after them, and when we get a chance we buy them for cash and a daughter. Sometimes we get a good man and worth the price, but we are ready to take him anywaytextual note, whether he be ripe or rotten, whether he be clean and decent, or merely a basket of noble and sacred and long-descended offaltextual note. And when we get him the whole nation publicly chaffs and scoffs—and privatelytextual note envies; and also is proud of the honor which has been conferred upon us. We run over our listtextual note of titled purchases every now and then, in the newspaperstextual note, and discuss them and caress them, and are thankful and happy.

Like all the other nations, we worship money and the possessors of it—they being our aristocracy, and we have to have one.textual note We like to read about rich people in the papers; the papers know it, and they do their best to keep this appetite liberally fed. They even leave out a foot-balltextual note bull-fighttextual note now and then to get roomtextual note for all the particulars of how—according to the display-headingtextual note—“Rich Woman Felltextual note Down Cellar—Nottextual note Hurt.” The falling down the cellar is of no interest to us when the woman is not rich, but no rich woman can fall down cellar and we not yearn to know all about it and wishtextual note it was us.

In a monarchy the people willingly and rejoicingly revere and take pride in their nobilities, and are not humiliated by the reflection that this humble and hearty homage gets no return but contempt. Contempt does not shame them, they are used to it, and they recognizetextual note that it is their proper due. We are all made like that. In Europe we easily and quickly learn to take that attitude toward the sovereigns and the aristocracies; moreover, it has been observed that when we get the attitude we go on and exaggerate it, presently becoming more servile than the natives, and vainer of it. The next step is to rail and scoff at republics and democracies. All of which is natural, for we have not ceased to be human beings by becoming Americans, and the human race was always intended to be governed by kingship, not by popular vote.

I suppose wetextual note must expect that unavoidabletextual note and irresistible Circumstances will gradually [begin page 315] take away the powers of the States and concentrate them in the central government, and that the republic will then repeat the history of all time and become a monarchy; but I believetextual note that if we obstruct these encroachments and steadily resist them the monarchy can be postponed for a good while yet.textual note

Textual Notes December 13, 1906
  December 13, 1906 ●  THE COMING AMERICA<dbl>L</dbl>N MONARCHY | by mark twain. | Dictated Dec.ember 13, 1906 SLC corrected and then deleted the title; he added Dictated Dec. followed by a circled blank space with the marginal note: ‘Make the dictation-date the day after Root’s speech. I don’t know the date myself. Mark’; an NAR editor, probably Munro, inserted ‘ember 13, 1906’ (NAR 9pf-SLC + Munro?)  [Dictated December 13, 1906.] (NAR 9) 
  As regards the coming American monarchy. ●  As regards the coming American monarchy.  (NAR 9pf-SLC)  As regards the coming American monarchy. (NAR 9) 
  Mr. Root ●  Mr. Root (NAR 9pf)  the Secretary of State (NAR 9) 
  President.” ●  President.’ single quotation mark mended to double  (NAR 9pf-SLC)  President.” (NAR 9) 
  doesn’t ●  doesn’t (MS, NAR 9)  doesnt (NAR 9pf-SLC) 
  upon to furnish ●  to add up upon to furnish  (MS)  upon to furnish (NAR 9pf, NAR 9) 
  eventual ●  eventual  (MS)  eventual (NAR 9pf, NAR 9) 
  seizure ●  siezure (MS)  seizure (NAR 9pf, NAR 9) 
  Government ●  government (MS, NAR 9pf, NAR 9) 
  duties and ●  duties and  (MS)  duties and (NAR 9pf, NAR 9) 
  of ●  of  (MS)   (NAR 9pf, NAR 9) 
  Circumstance  ●  c C ircumstance  (MS)  Circumstances  (NAR 9pf-SLC)  Circumstance  (NAR 9) 
  laws ●  laws laws corrected miswriting  (MS)  laws (NAR 9pf, NAR 9) 
  they were ●  they were  (MS)  they were (NAR 9pf, NAR9) 
  No ●  No (MS, NAR 9)  No (NAR 9pf-SLC) 
  “Behold, ●  “Lo, “Behold,  (MS)  “Behold, (NAR 9pf, NAR9) 
  crystallizing ●  crystal- | izing (MS)  crystallizing (NAR 9pf, NAR 9) 
  national ●  State national  (MS)  national (NAR 9pf, NAR9) 
  their ●  their our their  (MS)  their (NAR 9pf, NAR 9) 
  they ●  they we they  (MS)  they (NAR 9pf, NAR 9) 
  do ●  do do corrected miswriting  (MS)  do (NAR 9pf, NAR 9) 
  Constitution  ●  c C onstitution  (MS)  Constitution  (NAR 9pf, NAR 9) 
  government.” ●  government.” [¶] I like it. It’s ship-money over again: if the coast can’t furnish enough of it for the king’s needs, go out & stretch the lan  (MS)  government.” (NAR 9pf, NAR 9) 
  should chance to ●  should chance to  (MS)  should chance to (NAR 9pf, NAR 9) 
  sounds ●  sounds (MS, NAR 9)  c sounds (NAR 9pf-SLC) 
  intended. ●  intended. centered: II (MS)  intended. centered: II ‘blank line’ written in the margin  (NAR 9pf-SLC)  intended. (NAR 9) 
  gauds ●  gauds (MS, NAR 9)  gan uds (NAR 9pf-SLC) 
  anyway ●  anyway (MS, NAR 9)  any way marked to join up  (NAR 9 pf-SLC) 
  offal ●  offal (MS, NAR 9)  offal (NAR 9pf-SLC) 
  privately ●  privately (MS)  privately (NAR 9pf, NAR 9) 
  list ●  titled list (MS)  list (NAR 9pf, NAR 9) 
  newspapers ●  newspapers (MS, NAR 9)  newspapers (NAR 9pf-SLC) 
  it—they being our aristocracy . . . have one. ●  it. —they being our aristocracy . . . have one.  (MS)  it—they being our aristi ocracy . . . have one. (NAR 9pf-SLC)  it—they being our aristocracy . . . have one. (NAR 9) 
  foot-ball ●  foot-ball (MS)  football (NAR 9pf, NAR 9) 
  bull-fight ●  bull-fight (MS, NAR 9)  bull-fight (NAR 9pf-SLC) 
  room ●  room to give room  (MS)  room (NAR 9pf, NAR 9) 
  display-heading ●  scare display-heading (MS)  display heading (NAR 9pf, NAR 9) 
  Fell ●  Fell (MS, NAR 9)  F!ell marked to close up  (NAR 9pf-SLC) 
  Not ●  Not (MS, NAR 9)  n Not (NAR 9pf-SLC) 
  wish ●  we not wish (MS)  wish (NAR 9pf, NAR 9) 
  recognize ●  recognise (MS)  recognize (NAR 9pf, NAR 9) 
  we ●  th we (MS)  we (NAR 9pf, NAR 9) 
  unavoidable ●  C unavoidable (MS)  unavoidable (NAR 9pf, NAR 9) 
  believe ●  believe (MS)  believe (NAR 9pf, NAR 9) 
  yet. ●  yet. In which case I doubt if we shall have any American dukes before the third quarter of this century. | Mark Twain | paraph  (MS)  yet. (NAR 9pf, NAR 9) 
Explanatory Notes December 13, 1906
 

As regards the coming American monarchy . . . chairman of the banquet] The occasion for Clemens’s remarks was a banquet in honor of Secretary of State Elihu Root (1845–1937), held at the Waldorf-Astoria on 12 December by the Pennsylvania Society (see the note at 312.25–26). Clemens returned to New York from a trip to Washington on the afternoon of the banquet, but there is no evidence that he actually attended it (see AD, 18 Dec 1906; Lyon 1906, entries for 10–12 Dec). The source of the present text is a manuscript, into which Clemens copied a series of quotations excerpted from Root’s speech as reported in the New York Times the following morning. The chairman was James Hampden Robb (1846–1911), a retired banker and former state assemblyman and senator (New York Times: “Root, Crying for Power, Meets a Judge’s Reply,” 13 Dec 1906, 1–2; “J. Hampden Robb, Ex-Senator, Dead,” 22 Jan 1911, 11).

 

that such a man as you, Mr. Root, is chief adviser of the President] After a distinguished legal career of over thirty years in New York City, Elihu Root served in 1899–1904 as secretary of war under William McKinley, and since 1905 had been secretary of state under Theodore Roosevelt. He later served as a U.S. senator from New York (1909–15), and was a prominent figure in international law and diplomacy, for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1912.

 

He did not say . . . unavoidable replacement of the republic by monarchy] Root made an appeal for the centralization of power in the federal government, arguing that the contradictory laws of the individual states were often inconsistent with national interests. The applause for Root’s speech was “comparatively slight,” while the rebuttal delivered by John Hay Brown, a justice on the supreme court of Pennsylvania, was enthusiastically received; he argued that it was the role of the federal judiciary to “save the country from the consequences of legislative wandering beyond constitutional limits” (“Root, Crying for Power, Meets a Judge’s Reply,” New York Times, 13 Dec 1906, 1–2).

 

The end is not yet] This quote from Matthew 24:6 (or Mark 13:7) was not reported as part of Root’s speech, but was supplied by Clemens.

 

ship-money] The English Crown had the right, in wartime, to collect ships (or, in place of ships, money) from seaport towns. King Charles I’s innovation in collecting this “ship-money” nationwide and in peacetime made it effectively a perpetual tax, levied without the consent of Parliament.