多年来，我的朋友都坚持要我把我的永久形式的生活，他们有兴趣的事件。这一直是我有幸参与创造历史的会议，并或多或少知道的人在世界事务中密切突出，许多国家的一部分。每个人有这样的回忆坐落其中一次搅拌时倒出来的内存洪水。通常，听众希望这些转录供自己使用。
    我在耶鲁大学同学在1856年阶级，约翰查普林，文学家和编辑完成，救出自己的零星的记载和报纸fiIes材料八册。我的秘书已选定并编制两册出版至今。这些都是主要的发言，地址，并在公开场合露面的贡献。几位作家没有我的知识，选择了从这些特殊问题，并提出大量的书籍。
    安德鲁D ·怀特，参议员灰白色，和参议员福雷克，与我联系多年，已出版的完整和有价值的自传。我没有尝试过这么详细或完整。从来没有写日记，我很依赖于一个美好的回忆。我已放弃了这可能没有很好的故事很久才公布后，我加入了多数。
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    For many years my friends have insisted upon my putting in permanent form the incidents in my life which have interested them. It has been my good fortune to take part in history-making meetings and to know more or less intimately people prominent in world affairs in many countries. Every one so situated has a flood of recollections which pour out when occasion stirs the memory. Often the listeners wish these transcribed for their own use.
    My classmate at Yale in the class of 1856, John D. Champlin, a man of letters and an accomplished editor, rescued from my own scattered records and newspaper fiIes material for eight volumes. My secretary has selected and compiled for publication two volumes since. These are principally speeches, addresses, and contributions which have appeared in public. Several writers, without my knowledge, have selected special matter from these volumes and made books.
    Andrew D. White, Senator Hoar, and Senator Foraker, with whom I was associated for years, have published full and valuable autobiographies. I do not attempt anything so elaborate or complete. Never having kept a diary, I am dependent upon a good memory. I have discarded the stories which could not well be published until long after I have joined the majority.