the path of empire-第25部分

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ward　peace　by　asking　for　the　good　offices　of　the　French　Government。　On　the　26th　of　July；　M。　Cambon；　the　French　Ambassador　at　Washington；　opened　negotiations　with　the　United　States。　On　the　12th　of　August；　a　protocol　was　signed；　but；　owing　to　the　difference　in　time　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　globe；　to　say　nothing　of　the　absence　of　cable　communication；　not　in　time　to　prevent　Dewey's　capture　of　Manila。　This　protocol　provided　for　the　meeting　of　peace　commissioners　at　Paris　not　later　than　the　1st　of　October。　Spain　agreed　immediately　to　evacuate　and　relinquish　all　claim　to　Cuba；　to　cede　to　the　United　States　ultimately　all　other　islands　in　the　West　Indies；　and　one　in　the　Ladrones；　and　to　permit　the　United　States　to　〃occupy　and　hold　the　city；　bay；　and　harbor　of　Manila　pending　the　conclusion　of　a　treaty　of　peace　which　shall　determine　the　control；　disposition；　and　government　of　the　Philippines。〃

President　McKinley　appointed　the　Secretary　of　State；　William　R。　Day；　as　president　of　the　peace　commission；　and　summoned　John　Hay　home　from　England　to　take　his　place。　The　other　commissioners　were　Senators　Cushman　K。　Davis　and　William　P。　Frye；　Republicans；　Senator　George　Gray；　Democrat；　and　Whitelaw　Reid；　the　editor　of　the　New　York　〃Tribune〃。　The　secretary　of　the　commission　was　the　distinguished　student　of　international　law；　John　Bassett　Moore。　On　most　points　there　was　general　agreement　as　to　what　they　were　to　do。　Cuba；　of　course；　must　be　free。　It　was；　moreover；　too　obvious　to　need　much　argument　that　Spanish　rule　on　the　American　continent　must　come　altogether　to　an　end。　As　there　was　no　organized　local　movement　in　Porto　Rico　to　take　over　the　government；　its　cession　to　the　United　States　was　universally　recognized　as　inevitable。　Nevertheless　when　the　two　commissions　met　in　Paris；　there　proved　to　be　two　exciting　subjects　of　controversy；　and　at　moments　it　seemed　possible　that　the　attempt　to　arrange　a　peace　would　prove　unsuccessful。　However　reassured　the　people　were　by　the　successful　termination　of　the　war；　for　those　in　authority　the　period　of　anxiety　had　not　yet　entirely　passed。

The　first　of　these　points　was　raised　by　the　Spanish　commissioners。　They　maintained　that　the　separation　of　Cuba　from　Spain　involved　the　rending　of　the　Empire；　and　that　Cuba　should　therefore　take　responsibilities　as　well　as　freedom。　The　specific　question　was　that　of　debts　contracted　by　Spain；　for　the　security　of　which　Cuban　revenues　had　been　pledged。　There　was　a　manifest　lack　of　equity　in　this　claim；　for　Cuba　had　not　been　party　to　the　contracting　of　the　obligations；　and　the　money　had　been　spent　in　stifling　her　own　desire　to　be　free　rather　than　on　the　development　of　her　resources。　Nevertheless　the　Spanish　commissioners　could　feel　the　support　of　a　sustaining　public　opinion　about　them；　for　the　bulk　of　these　obligations　were　held　in　France　and　investors　were　doubtful　of　the　ability　of　Spain；　if　bereft　of　her　colonies；　to　carry　her　enormous　financial　burdens。　The　point；　then；　was　stoutly　urged；　but　the　American　commissioners　as　stoutly　defended　the　interests　of　their　clients；　the　Cubans；　and　held　their　ground。　Thanks　to　their　efforts；　the　Cuban　republic　was　born　free　of　debt。

The　other　point　was　raised　by　the　American　commissioners；　and　was　both　more　important　and　more　complicated；　for　when　the　negotiation　began　the　United　States　had　not　fully　decided　what　it　wanted。　It　was　necessary　first　to　decide　and　then　to　obtain　the　consent　of　Spain　with　regard　to　the　great　unsettled　question　of　the　disposition　of　the　Philippines。　Dewey's　victory　came　as　an　overwhelming　surprise　to　the　great　majority　of　Americans　snugly　encased；　as　they　supposed　themselves　to　be；　in　a　separate　hemisphere。　Nearly　all　looked　upon　it　as　a　military　operation　only；　not　likely　to　lead　to　later　complications。　Many　discerning　individuals；　however；　both　in　this　country　and　abroad；　at　once　saw　or　feared　that　occupation　would　lead　to　annexation。　Carl　Schurz；　as　early　as　the　9th　of　May；　wrote　McKinley　expressing　the　hope　that　〃we　remain　true　to　our　promise　that　this　is　a　war　of　deliverance　and　not　one　of　greedy　ambition；　conquest；　self…aggrandizement。〃　In　August；　Andrew　Carnegie　wrote　in　〃The　North　American　Review〃　an　article　on　〃Distant　PossessionsThe　Parting　of　the　Ways。〃

Sentiment　in　favor　of　retaining　the　islands；　however；　grew　rapidly　in　volume　and　in　strength。　John　Hay　wrote　to　Andrew　Carnegie　on　the　22d　of　August：　〃I　am　not　allowed　to　say　in　my　present　fix　（ministerial　responsibility）　how　much　I　agree　with　you。　The　only　question　in　my　mind　is　how　far　it　is　now　POSSIBLE　for　us　to　withdraw　from　the　Philippines。　I　am　rather　thankful　it　is　not　given　to　me　to　solve　that　momentous　question。〃　On　the　5th　of　September；　he　wrote　to　John　Bigelow：　〃I　fear　you　are　right　about　the　Philippines；　and　I　hope　the　Lord　will　be　good　to　us　poor　devils　who　have　to　take　care　of　them。　I　marvel　at　your　suggesting　that　we　pay　for　them。　I　should　have　expected　no　less　of　your　probity；　but　how　many　except　those　educated　by　you　in　the　school　of　morals　and　diplomacy　would　agree　with　you？　Where　did　I　pass　you　on　the　road　of　life？　You　used　to　be　a　little　my　senior　＇twenty…one　years＇；　now　you　are　ages　younger　and　stronger　than　I　am。　And　yet　I　am　going　to　be　Secretary　of　State　for　a　little　while。〃

Not　all　those　who　advocated　the　retention　of　the　Philippines　did　so　reluctantly　or　under　the　pressure　of　a　feeling　of　necessity。　In　the　very　first　settlers　of　our　country；　the　missionary　impulse　beat　strong。　John　Winthrop　was　not　less　intent　than　Cromwell　on　the　conquest　of　all　humanity　by　his　own　ideals；　only　he　believed　the　most　efficacious　means　to　be　the　power　of　example　instead　of　force。　Just　now　there　was　a　renewed　sense　throughout　the　Anglo…Saxon　public　that　it　was　the　duty　of　the　civilized　to　promote　the　civilization　of　the　backward；　and　the　Cromwellian　method　waxed　in　popularity。　Kipling；　at　the　summit　of　his　influence；　appealed　to　a　wide　and　powerful　public　in　his　〃White　Man's　Burden；〃　which　appeared　in　1899。

Take　up　the　White　Man's　burden　Send　forth　the　best　ye　breed　Go　bind　your　sons　to　exile　To　serve　your　captives'　need；　To　wait　in　heavy　harness；　On　fluttered　folk　and　wild　Your　new　caught；　sullen　peoples；　Half…devil　and　half…child。

Take　up　the　White　Man's　burden　And　reap　his　old　reward　The　blame　of　those　ye　better；　The　hate　of　those　ye　guard　The　cry　of　hosts　ye　humour　（Ah；　slowly！）　towards　the　light：　Why　brought　ye　us　from　bondage；　Our　loved　Egyptian　night？

McKinley　asked　those　having　opinions　on　the　subject　of　this　burden　to　write　to　him；　and　a　strong　call　for　the　United　States　to　take　up　her　share　in　the　regeneration　of　mankind　came　from　important　representatives　of　the　religious　public。　Nor　was　the　attitude　of　those　different　who　saw　the　possibilities　of　increased　traffic　with　the　East。　The　expansion　of　the　area　of　home　distribution　seemed　a　halfway　house　between　the　purely　nationalistic　policy；　which　was　becoming　a　little　irksome；　and　the　competition　of　the　open　world。

It　was　not；　however；　the　urging　of　these　forces　alone　which　made　the　undecided　feel　that　the　annexation　of　the　Philippines　was　bound　to　come。　The　situation　itself　seemed　to　offer　no　other　solution。　Gradually　evidence　as　to　the　local　conditions　reached　America。　The　Administration　was　anxious　for　the　commissioners　to　have　the　latest　information；　and；　as　Admiral　Dewey　remained　indispensable　at　Manila；　General　Merritt　was　ordered　to　report　at　Paris；　where　he　arrived　on　the　6th　of　October。　He　was　of　the　opinion　that　the　Americans　must　remain　in　the　Philippines；　and　his　reports　were　sustained　by　a　cablegram　from　Dewey　on　the　14th　of　October　reading：　〃Spanish　authority　has　been　completely　destroyed　in　Luzon；　and　general　anarchy　prevails　without　the　limits　of　the　city　and　Bay　of　Manila。　Strongly　probable　that　islands　to　the　south　will　fall　into　the　same　state　soon。〃　The　history　of　the　previous　few　years　and　existing　conditions　made　it　highly　improbable　that　Spanish　domination　could　ever　be　restored。　The　withdrawal　of　the　United　States　would　therefore　not　mean　the　reestablishment　of　Spanish　rule　but　no　government　at　all。

As　to　the　regime　which　would　result　from　our　withdrawal；　Admiral　Dewey　judged　from　the　condition　of　those　areas　where　Spanish　authority　had　already　ceased　and　that　of　the　Americans　had　not　yet　been　established。　〃Distressing　reports；〃　he　cabled；　〃have　been　received　of　inhuman　cruelty　practised　on　religious　and　civil　authorities　in　other　parts　of　these　islands。　The　natives　appear　unable　to　govern。〃　It　was　highly　probable；　in　fact；　that　if　the　United　States　did　not　take　the　islands；　Spain　would　sell　her　vanishing　equity　in　the　property　to　some　other　power　which　possessed　the　equipment　necessary　to　conquer　the　Philippines。　To　many　this　eventuality　did　not　seem　objectionable；　as　is　indicated　by　the　remark；　already　quoted；　of　an　American　official　to　certain　Germans：　〃We　don't　want　the　Philippines；　why　don't　you　take　them？〃　That　this　attitude　was　foolishly　Quixotic　is　obvious；　but　more　effective　in　the　molding　of　public　opinion　was　the　feeling　that　it　was　cowardly。

In　such　a　changing　condition　of　public　sentiment；　McKinley　was　a　better　index　of　what　the　majority　wanted　than　a　referendum　could　have　been。　In　August　he　stated：　〃I　do　not　want　any　ambiguity　to