Theodore Roosevelt was the president of the United States from 1901 to 1909

Theodore Roosevelt was the president of the United States from 1901 to 1909. He was an extremely cultured and well-rounded individual who believed enormously in masculinity and adventure. A veteran of the Spanish-American war, he supported military conquest, imperialism, and was quite fond of the ideals set forth through Manifest Destiny. These ideals and aspirations of American dominance sat rather poorly with Ruben Dario, born in Nicaragua in 1867. In his poem, “To Roosevelt”, Dario asserts that the United States has no business in the interests of its southerly neighbors, who share no desire to be controlled under any type of imperialism. The poem acknowledges respect and admiration for Roosevelt, while expressing utter indignity at his ideals and intentions regarding Central and Latin America. Ruben Dario clearly and concisely cries out against Roosevelt’s imperialistic practices by putting responsibility on Roosevelt personally, demonstrating the equality and sovereignty of the South American people, and appealing to religion.
Dario begins his poem by describing Roosevelt as he is seen by the South American people. A man well respected, feared, well-resourced; a man full of pride, arrogant, selfish, and overly ambitious. This introduction boldly puts one of the most powerful men in the world in his place from the beginning. Dario, though mentioning multiple weaknesses in Roosevelt’s character, describes his strengths and acknowledges his triumphs at the onset of the piece. He compares him to the celebrated rulers of old, such as Alexander the Great; he describes him as a “proud model of your race” (87); exalts him as one who is “cultured and able” (88). Gaining Roosevelt’s attention through these comparisons places Dario in position to reason with him and, of course, voice his concerns. Once having established Roosevelt’s status, Dario besieges him by placing personal responsibility on his head. He writes, “You are the United States…The United States is grand and powerful. Whenever it trembles, a profound shudder runs down the enormous backbone of the Andes” (87-88). According to the author, it is impossible for the president to construct any means of escape from the tremendous duty his position holds to the rest of the world. “You are the United States” is a clear, harrowing condition set forth by Dario, which offers Roosevelt no retreat or excuses through which he could detach himself from any of the military conquests of the United States. These conquests are laid out by Dario in the beginning of the poem when he refers to Roosevelt as “future invader of our naïve America” (87), clearly handing America’s actions directly over to Roosevelt. Dario is obviously aware that Roosevelt is a man of great integrity who believes firmly in doing what is right and demonstrating responsibility and accountability for one’s actions; thusly, beginning his poetic address to the president with the binding terms of his office will offer him immense footing for the remainder of his appeals.
Central to Dario’s argument against imperializing South America is the notion that the South American people are one-hundred percent capable of and possess sovereignty over themselves. Oftentimes, imperialism was viewed as a virtuous rescue of inferior people groups or nations. It was believed western values needed to be imposed upon those unfamiliar with them to civilize and refine these individuals. The imperialism imposed upon people by the United States was no different. Dario brings to light multiple counter arguments against the belief that South Americans are in any way inferior or in need of western values to bring about change in their cultures. He describes the rich history of South American culture, reiterating that its roots stretch back far deeper than America’s. Dario writes of ancient poets, languages, and South American philosophy and astronomy. Having laid out sufficient evidence for the culture and refinement of his land, the author writes, “Our America …has lived, since the earliest moments of its life, in light, in fire, in fragrance, in love…” (88). Dario establishes the deep roots and strong characteristics of the Latin American nations, portraying them to be just as vibrant, sophisticated, and passionate about living as America is. Not only are America and Latin America similar in cultural aptitude, they share similarities in the overall spirit of each respective land. The writer then transitions to claim, not only that South America is not interested in imperialism, but that it will fight against it. He writes, “O men with Saxon eyes and barbarous souls, our America lives…and it is the daughter of the sun. Be careful” (88). This warning is critical as it completely changes the tone of the piece. Dario simply reasoned with Roosevelt preceding this point; however, he now warns Roosevelt to watch where he treads regarding the lower continent. The tone shifts from assertive to aggressive and puts on display South American countries’ capabilities to govern themselves through such confidence and logical appeals about the historical success of the region.
The final means of communication in Dario’s work is the incorporation of religious rhetoric in support of his agenda. The United States was widely viewed as a Christian nation at the turn of the century. Many attributed its power and growth to a divine purpose set forth by God to extend its borders far and wide across the continent and beyond. This was the belief that powered Manifest Destiny and, ultimately, imperialism in the United States. Dario uses this knowledge to his advantage and quietly claims God is on the side of the Latin American people, writing of South America, “an America that still prays to Christ and still speaks in Spanish” (87). While this is not a direct statement of which national force the power of God lies with, it breaks down notions that the United States is the only nation favored by God, as was the belief of many Americans at the time. Dario chisels slowly away at the security and hope people have placed in God’s upholding of their country. He targets Roosevelt in this manner, aware of his Christian heritage and belief in Manifest Destiny. However, Dario takes it further, explaining, “Roosevelt, you must become, by God’s own will, the deadly Rifleman and the dreadful Hunter before you can clutch us in your iron claws. And though you have everything, you are lacking one thing: God!” (88). These lines undermine all the power Roosevelt ever conceived he had. If one has every resource available to him, every warship, every soldier, every advantage, but does not have God, he is nothing. By claiming that Roosevelt does not have God’s will on his side, Dario makes the argument that South America cannot be touched by the United States. This sends perhaps the strongest message of independence to Roosevelt. The apologist for South America’s cause standing up to the mighty United States, daringly stating that the country does not have God on its side, is surely an individual whose words are meaningful and worthy of deliberation.
Dario expertly maneuvers his way through this work “To Roosevelt”. He crafts intricate arguments, rooted in logic and religion, supported by confidence, and introduced expertly, which pose difficulty to anyone seeking to denounce them. By making Roosevelt unarguably responsible, developing sound appeals to the United States ideals of culture, refinement, and capability, and undermining America’s dependence on God, Ruben Dario protests impending invasion by the United States in a most convincing manner. He respectfully and strongly stands up to one of the world’s most powerful nations and speaks on behalf of an enormous amount of people without enough influence to do so themselves.