the path of empire-第11部分

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merica　and　the　railroads　of　Mexico；　would　not　be　slow　to　avail　itself　of　openings　of　assured　and　profitable　enterprise　even　in　mid…ocean。〃　As　the　feeling　grew　in　the　United　States　that　these　islands　really　belonged　to　the　American　continent；　Blaine　even　invited　Hawaii　to　send　representatives　to　the　Pan…American　Congress　of　1889。　When　he　again　became　Secretary　of　State；　he　was　prepared　to　give　indirect　support　at　least　to　American　interests；　for　the　new　queen；　Liliuokalani；　was　supposed　to　be　under　British　influence。　On　the　arrival　of　a　British　gunboat　in　Honolulu；　J。　L。　Stevens；　the　American　Minister；　went　so　far　as　to　write　on　February　8；　1892：　〃At　this　time　there　seems　to　be　no　immediate　prospect　of　its　being　safe　to　have　the　harbor　of　Honolulu　left　without　an　American　vessel　of　war。〃

Revolution　was；　indeed；　impending　in　Hawaii。　On　January　14；　1893；　the　Queen　abolished　the　later　constitution　under　which　the　Americans　had　exercised　great　power；　and　in　its　place　she　proclaimed　the　restoration　of　the　old　constitution　which　established　an　absolutism　modified　by　native　home　rule。　At　two　o'clock　on　the　afternoon　of　the　16th　of　January；　the　resident　Americans　organized　a　committee　of　safety；　at　half…past　four　United　States　marines　landed　at　the　call　of　Stevens。　The　Queen　was　thereupon　deposed；　a　provisional　government　was　organized；　and　at　its　request　Stevens　assumed　for　the　United　States　the　〃protection〃　of　the　islands。　Without　delay；　John　W。　Foster；　who　had　just　succeeded　Blaine　as　Secretary　of　State；　drew　up　a　treaty　of　annexation；　which　he　immediately　submitted　to　the　Senate。

On　March　4；　1893；　Cleveland　became　President　for　the　second　time。　He　at　once　withdrew　the　treaty　and　appointed　James　H。　Blount　special　commissioner　to　investigate　the　facts　of　the　revolt。　While　the　report　of　Commissioner　Blount　did　not；　indeed；　convict　Stevens　of　conspiring　to　bring　about　the　uprising；　it　left　the　impression　that　the　revolt　would　not　have　taken　place　and　certainly　could　not　have　succeeded　except　for　the　presence　of　the　United　States　marines　and　the　support　of　the　United　States　Minister。　Cleveland　recalled　Stevens　and　the　marines；　and　requested　the　provisional　government　to　restore　the　Queen。　This　Sanford　Ballard　Dole；　the　President　of　the　new　republic；　refused　to　do；　on　the　contention　that　President　Cleveland　had　no　right　to　interfere　in　the　domestic　affairs　of　Hawaii。　On　the　legality　or　propriety　of　Stevens's　conduct；　opinion　in　Congress　was　divided；　but　with　regard　to　Dole's　contention；　both　the　Senate　and　the　House　were　agreed　that　the　islands　should　maintain　their　own　domestic　government　without　interference　from　the　United　States。　Thus　left　to　themselves；　the　Americans　in　Hawaii　bided　their　time　until　public　opinion　in　the　United　States　should　prove　more　favorable　to　annexation。



CHAPTER　VI。　Venezuela

Probably　no　President　ever　received　so　much　personal　abuse　in　his　own　day　as　did　Grover　Cleveland。　In　time；　however；　his　sterling　integrity　and　fundamental　courage；　his　firm　grasp　of　the　higher　administrative　duties　of　his　office；　won　the　approval　of　his　countrymen；　and　a　repentant　public　sentiment　has　possibly　gone　too　far　in　the　other　direction　of　acclaiming　his　statesmanship。　Unlike　Blaine；　Cleveland　thought　soundly　and　consistently；　but　he　was　more　obstinate；　his　vision　was　often　narrower；　and　he　was　notably　lacking　both　in　constructive　power　and　in　tact；　particularly　in　foreign　relations。　In　his　first　Administration；　through　his　Secretary　of　State；　Thomas　F。　Bayard；　Cleveland　had　negotiated　fairly　amicably　with　Great　Britain；　and　when　he　failed　to　secure　the　Senate's　assent　to　a　treaty　on　the　irritating　question　of　the　northeastern　fisheries；　he　arranged　a　modus　vivendi　which　served　for　many　years。　In　American　affairs　he　opposed　not　only　the　annexation　of　Hawaii　but　also　the　development　of　the　spirit　of　Pan…Americanism。　He　was；　however；　no　more　disposed　than　was　Blaine　to　permit　infractions　of　that　negative　side　of　the　Monroe　Doctrine　which　forbade　European　interference　in　America。　His　second　Administration　brought　to　the　forefront　of　world　diplomacy　an　issue　involving　this　traditional　principle。

The　only　European　possession　in　South　America　at　this　time　was　Guiana；　fronting　on　the　Atlantic　north　of　Brazil　and　divided　among　France；　Holland；　and　Great　Britain。　Beyond　British　Guiana；　the　westernmost　division；　lay　Venezuela。　Between　the　two　stretched　a　vast　tract　of　unoccupied　tropical　jungle。　Somewhere　there　must　have　been　a　boundary；　but　where；　no　man　could　tell。　The　extreme　claim　of　Great　Britain　would　have　given　her　command　of　the　mouth　of　the　Orinoco；　while　that　of　Venezuela　would　practically　have　eliminated　British　Guiana。　Efforts　to　settle　this　long…standing　dispute　were　unavailing。　Venezuela　had　from　time　to　time　suggested　arbitration　but　wished　to　throw　the　whole　area　into　court。　Great　Britain　insisted　upon　reserving　a　minimum　territory　and　would　submit　to　judicial　decision　only　the　land　west　of　what　was　known　as　the　Schomburgk　line　of　1840。　As　early　as　1876　Venezuela　appealed　to　the　United　States；　〃the　most　powerful　and　oldest　of　the　Republics　of　the　new　continent；〃　for　its　〃powerful　moral　support　in　disputes　with　European　nations。〃　Several　times　the　United　States　proffered　its　good　offices　to　Great　Britain；　but　to　no　effect。　The　satisfactory　settlement　of　the　question　grew　more　difficult　as　time　went　on；　particularly　after　the　discovery　of　gold　in　the　disputed　region　had　given　a　new　impulse　to　occupation。

President　Cleveland　took　a　serious　view　of　this　controversy　because　it　seemed　to　involve　more　than　a　boundary　dispute。　To　his　mind　it　called　into　question　the　portion　of　Monroe's　message　which；　in　1823；　stated　that　〃the　American　continents。。。are　henceforth　not　to　be　considered　as　subjects　for　future　colonization　by　any　European　powers。〃　According　to　this　dictum；　boundaries　existed　between　all　nations　and　colonies　of　America；　the　problem　was　merely　to　find　these　boundaries。　If　a　European　power　refused　to　submit　such　a　question　to　judicial　decision；　the　inference　must　be　made　that　it　was　seeking　to　extend　its　boundaries。　In　December；　1894；　Cleveland　expressed　to　Congress　his　hope　that　an　arbitration　would　be　arranged　and　instructed　his　Secretary　of　State　to　present　vigorously　to　Great　Britain　the　view　of　the　United　States。

Richard　Olney　of　Boston；　a　lawyer　of　exceptional　ability　and　of　the　highest　professional　standing；　was　then　Secretary　of　State。　His　Venezuela　dispatch；　however；　was　one　of　the　most　undiplomatic　documents　ever　issued　by　the　Department　of　State。　He　did　not　confine　himself　to　a　statement　of　his　case；　wherein　any　amount　of　vigor　would　have　been　permissible；　but　ran　his　unpracticed　eye　unnecessarily　over　the　whole　field　of　American　diplomacy。　〃That　distance　and　three　thousand　miles　of　intervening　ocean　make　any　permanent　political　union　between　a　European　and　an　American　state　unnatural　and　inexpedient；〃　may　have　been　a　philosophic　axiom　to　many　in　Great　Britain　as　well　as　in　the　United　States；　but　it　surely　did　not　need　reiteration　in　this　state　paper；　and　Olney　at　once　exposed　himself　to　contradiction　by　adding　the　phrase；　〃will　hardly　be　denied。〃　Entirely　ignoring　the　sensitive　pride　of　the　Spanish　Americans　and　thinking　only　of　Europe；　he　continued：　〃Today　the　United　States　is　practically　sovereign　on　this　continent；　and　its　fiat　is　law　upon　the　subjects　to　which　it　confines　its　interposition。〃

The　President　himself　did　not　run　into　any　such　uncalled…for　extravagance　of　expression；　but　his　statement　of　the　American　position　did　not　thereby　lose　in　vigor。　When　he　had　received　the　reply；　of　the　British　Government　refusing　to　recognize　the　interest　of　the　United　States　in　the　case；　Cleveland　addressed　himself；　on　December　17；　1895；　to　Congress。　In　stating　the　position　of　the　Government　of　the　United　States；　he　declared　that　to　determine　the　true　boundary　line　was　its　right；　duty；　and　interest。　He　recommended　that　the　Government　itself　appoint　a　commission　for　this　purpose；　and　he　asserted　that　this　line；　when　found；　must　be　maintained　as　the　lawful　boundary。　Should　Great　Britain　continue　to　exercise　jurisdiction　beyond　it；　the　United　States　must　resist　by　every　means　in　its　power。　〃In　making　these　recommendations　I　am　fully　alive　to　the　responsibility　incurred；　and　keenly　realize　all　the　consequences　that　may　follow。〃　Yet　〃there　is　no　calamity　which　a　great　nation　can　invite　which　equals　that　which　follows　a　supine　submission　to　wrong　and　injustice　and　the　consequent　loss　of　national　self…respect　and　honor　beneath　which　axe　shielded　and　defended　a　people's　safety　and　greatness。〃

Perhaps　no　American　document　relating　to　diplomacy　ever　before　made　so　great　a　stir　in　the　world。　Its　unexpectedness　enhanced　its　effect；　even　in　the　United　States；　for　the　public　had　not　been　sufficiently　aware　of　the　shaping　of　this　international　episode　to　be　psychologically　prepared　for　the　imminence　of　war。　Unlike　most　Anglo…American　diplomacy；　this　had　been　a　long…range　negotiation；　with　notes　exchanged　between　the　home　offices　instead　of　personal　conferences。　People　blenched　at　the　thought　of　war；　stocks　fell；　the　attention　of　the　whole　world　was　arrested。　The　innumerable　and　intimate　bonds　of　friendship　and　int