the path of empire-第15部分

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f　impressing　the　local　Cuban　authorities　with　the　imminence　of　American　power。　Not　less　important　was　the　purpose　of　affording　protection　to　American　citizens　endangered　by　the　rioting　of　Spaniards；　who　were　angry　because　they　believed　that　Sagasta　by　his　conciliatory　policy　was　betraying　the　interests　of　Spain。　Accordingly　the　Maine；　commanded　by　Captain　Sigsbee；　was　dispatched　to　Cuba　and　arrived　on　the　25th　of　January　in　the　harbor　of　Havana。　On　the　night　of　the　15th　of　February；　an　explosion　utterly　wrecked　the　vessel　and　killed　260　of　the　crew；　besides　wounding　ninety。

The　responsibility　for　this　calamity　has　never　been　positively　determined。　It　may　have　resulted　from　an　accidental　internal　explosion；　from　the　official　action　of　the　Spanish　authorities；　from　the　unofficial　zeal　of　subordinate　Spanish　officers；　or　evenas　suggested　by　Speaker　Reed　who　was　an　opponent　of　warby　action　of　the　insurgents　themselves　with　the　purpose　of　embroiling　the　United　States　and　Spain。　The　careful　investigations　which　were　afterwards　made　brought　to　light　evidence　of　both　internal　and　external　explosions；　it　therefore　seems　probable　that　an　external　mine　was　the　prime　cause　of　the　disaster　and　that　the　internal　explosion　followed　as　a　consequence。　No　direct　evidence　has　been　discovered　which　would　fix　the　responsibility　for　the　placing　of　the　mine；　but　it　is　reasonable　to　attribute　it　to　the　Spanish　hotheads　of　Havana。　It　is　not　impossible　that　the　insurgents　were　responsible；　but　it　is　incredible　that　the　Spanish　Government　planned　the　explosion。

The　hasty；　though　perhaps　natural；　conclusion　to　which　American　public　sentiment　at　once　leaped；　however；　was　that　the　disaster　was　the　work　of　Spain；　without　making　any　discrimination　between　the　Government　itself　and　the　disaffected　factions。　A　general　sorrow　and　anger　throughout　the　United　States　reinforced　the　popular　anxiety　for　national　interests　and　the　humane　regard　for　the　Cubans。　Press　and　public　oratory　demanded　official　action。　〃Remember　the　Maine！〃　was　an　admonition　which　everywhere　met　the　eye　and　ear。　The　venerable　and　trusted　Senator　Proctor；　who　visited　Cuba；　came　back　with　the　report　that　conditions　on　the　island　were　intolerable。　On　the　9th　of　March；　〃Uncle　Joe〃　Cannon；　the　watchdog　of　the　Treasury；　introduced　a　bill　appropriating　fifty　million　dollars　to　be　used　for　national　defense　at　the　discretion　of　the　President。　No　doubt　remained　in　the　public　mind　that　war　would　result　unless　the　withdrawal　of　Spanish　authority　from　Cuba　could　be　arranged　peaceably　and　immediately。

Even　in　this　final　stage　of　the　negotiations　it　is　sufficiently　obvious　that　the　United　States　Government　was　particularly　desirous　of　preserving　peace。　There　is　also　little　doubt　that　the　Spanish　Government　in　good　faith　had　the　same　desire。　The　intelligent　classes　in　Spain　realized　that　the　days　of　Spanish　rule　in　Cuba　were　practically　over。　The　Liberals　believed　that；　under　the　circumstances；　war　with　the　United　States　would　be　a　misfortune。　Many　of　the　Conservatives；　however；　believed　that　a　war；　even　if　unsuccessful；　was　the　only　way　of　saving　the　dynasty；　and　that　the　dynasty　was　worth　saving。　Public　opinion　in　Spain　was　therefore　no　less　inflamed　than　in　America；　but　it　was　less　well…informed。　Cartoons　represented　the　American　hog；　which　would　readily　fall　before　the　Spanish　rapier　accustomed　to　its　nobler　adversary　the　bull。　Spanish　pride；　impervious　to　facts　and　statistics；　would　brook　no　supine　submission　on　the　part　of　its　people　to　foreign　demands。　It　was　a　question　how　far　the　Spanish　Government　could　bring　itself　to　yield　points　in　season　which　it　fully　realized　must　be　yielded　in　the　end。

The　negotiation　waxed　too　hot　for　the　aged　John　Sherman；　and　was　conducted　by　the　Assistant　Secretary；　William　Rufus　Day；　a　close　friend　of　the　President；　but　a　man　comparatively　unknown　to　the　public。　When　Day　officially　succeeded　Sherman　（April　26；　1898）　he　had　to　face　as　fierce　a　light　of　publicity　as　ever　beat　upon　a　public　man　in　the　United　States。　Successively　in　charge　of　the　Cuban　negotiations；　Secretary　of　State　from　April　to　September；　1898；　President　of　the　Paris　Peace　Commission　in　October；　in　December；　after　a　career　of　prime　national　importance　for　nine　months　in　which　he　had　demonstrated　his　high　competence；　Day　retired　to　the　relative　obscurity　of　the　United　States　circuit　bench。　Although　later　raised　to　the　Supreme　Court；　he　has　never　since　been　a　national　figure。　As　an　example　of　a　meteoric　career　of　a　man　of　solid　rather　than　meteoric　qualities；　his　case　is　unparalleled　in　American　history。

The　acting　Secretary　of　State　telegraphed　the　ultimatum　of　the　Government　on　March　27；　1898；　to　General　Stewart　L。　Woodford；　then　Minister　to　Spain。　By　the　terms　of　this　document；　in　the　first　place　there　was　to　be　an　immediate　amnesty　which　would　last　until　the　1st　of　October　and　during　which　Spain　would　communicate　with　the　insurgents　through　the　President　of　the　United　States；　in　the　second　place；　the　reconcentrado　policy　was　to　cease　immediately；　and　relief　for　the　suffering　Cubans　was　to　be　admitted　from　the　United　States。　Then；　if　satisfactory　terms　were　not　reached　by　the　1st　of　October；　the　President　was　to　be　recognized　as　arbiter　between　the　Spaniards　and　the　insurgents。

On　the　30th　of　March；　Spain　abrogated　the　reconcentrado　policy　in　the　〃western　provinces　of　Cuba；〃　and　on　the　following　day　offered　to　arbitrate　the　questions　arising　out　of　the　sinking　of　the　Maine。　On　Sunday；　the　3d　of　April；　a　cablegram　from　General　Woodford　was　received　by　the　State　Department　indicating　that　Spain　was　seeking　a　formula　for　an　armistice　that　should　not　too　obviously　appear　to　be　submission　and　suggesting　that　the　President　ask　the　Pope　to　intervene　and　that　the　United　States　abstain　from　all　show　of　force。　〃If　you　can　still　give　me　time　and　reasonable　liberty　of　action；〃　ran　Woodford's　message；　〃I　will　get　you　the　peace　you　desire　so　much　and　for　which　you　have　labored　so　hard。〃　To　this　the　Secretary　of　State　immediately　replied　that　the　President　would　not　ask　the　intervention　of　the　Pope；　and　that　the　Government　would　use　the　fleet　as　it　saw　fit。　〃Would　the　peace　you　are　so　confident　of　securing；〃　asked　the　Secretary；　〃mean　the　independence　of　Cuba？　The　President　cannot　hold　his　message　longer　than　Tuesday。〃　On　Tuesday；　the　5th　of　April；　General　Woodford　cabled：

〃Should　the　Queen　proclaim　the　following　before　twelve　o'clock　noon　of　Wednesday；　April　6th；　will　you　sustain　the　Queen；　and　can　you　prevent　hostile　action　by　Congress？　〃At　the　request　of　the　Holy　Father；　in　this　Passion　Week　and　in　the　name　of　Christ；　I　proclaim　immediate　and　unconditional　suspension　of　hostilities　in　the　island　of　Cuba。　This　suspension　is　to　become　immediately　effective　as　soon　as　accepted　by　the　insurgents　of　that　island；　and　is　to　continue　for　the　space　of　six　months　to　the　5th　day　of　October；　1898。　I　do　this　to　give　time　for　passions　to　cease；　and　in　the　sincere　hope　and　belief　that　during　this　suspension　permanent　and　honorable　peace　may　be　obtained　between　the　insular　government　of　Cuba　and　those　of　my　subjects　in　that　island　who　are　now　in　rebellion　against　the　authority　of　Spain。。。。〃　Please　read　this　in　the　light　of　all　my　previous　telegrams　and　letters。　I　believe　this　means　peace；　which　the　sober　judgment　of　our　people　will　approve　long　before　next　November；　and　which　must　be　approved　at　the　bar　of　final　history。〃

To　this　message　the　Secretary　of　State　replied：

〃The　President　highly　appreciates　the　Queen's　desire　for　peace。　He　cannot　assume　to　influence　the　action　of　the　American　Congress　beyond　a　discharge　of　his　constitutional　duty　in　transmitting　the　whole　matter　to　them　with　such　recommendations　as　he　deems　necessary　and　expedient。〃

On　the　9th　of　April　the　Queen　granted　the　amnesty；　on　the　formula　of　a　request　by　the　European　powers。　On　the　next　day；　General　Woodford　cabled　that　the　United　States　could　obtain　for　Cuba　a　satisfactory　autonomy；　or　independence；　or　the　cession　of　the　island。

It　was　evident　that　there　was　no　difference　of　opinion　among　those　in　authority　in　the　United　States　as　to　the　fact　that　Cuba　must　be　severed　from　Spain。　There　were；　however；　differences　of　judgment　as　to　which　of　the　three　methods　suggested　by　Woodford　was　preferable；　and　there　was　a　substantial　disagreement　as　to　the　means　necessary　to　realize　the　aims　of　the　American　Government。　General　Woodford　believed　that　Spain　would　grant　the　demands　of　the　United　States；　if　she　were　given　time　and　were　not　pressed　to　the　point　of　endangering　her　dignity。　The　overwhelming　majority　in　Congress；　and　particularly　the　leaders　of　the　dominant　Republican　party　with　the　exception　of　Speaker　Reed；　refused　to　believe　in　the　sincerity　of　the　Spanish　Government。　The　Administration　could　not　overlook　the　fact　that　the　Spanish　Government；　however　sincere　it　might　be；　might　not　be　able　to　execute　its　promises。　Great　Britain　had　just　recognized　the　United　States　as　intermediary　in　a　dispute　between　herself　and　one　of　the　American　nations。　Spain；　in　a　dispute　much　more　serious　to　the　United　States；　refused　publicly　to　admit　American　intervention；　while　she　did　recognize　that　of　the　Pope　and　the　European　powers。　Was　it　then　possible　that