the path of empire-第7部分

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oundary；　this　alone　came　to　fruition。　Seward　could　well　congratulate　himself　on　his　alertness　in　seizing　an　opportunity　and　on　his　management　of　the　delicate　political　aspects　of　the　purchase。　Without　his　promptness　the　golden　opportunity　might　have　passed　and　never　recurred。　Yet　he　could　never　have　saved　this　fragment　of　his　policy　had　not　the　American　people　cherished　for　Russia　a　sentimental　friendship　which　was　intensified　at　the　moment　by　anger　at　the　supposed　sympathy　of　Great　Britain　for　the　South。

If　Russia　hoped　by　ceding　Alaska　to　involve　the　United　States　in　difficulties　with　her　rival　Great　Britain；　her　desire　was　on　one　occasion　nearly　gratified。　The　only　profit　which　the　United　States　derived　from　this　new　possession　was　for　many　years　drawn　from　the　seal　fishery。　The　same　generation　of　Americans　which　allowed　the　extermination　of　the　buffalo　for　lap　robes　found　in　the　sealskin　sack　the　hall　mark　of　wealth　and　fashion。　While；　however；　the　killing　of　the　buffalo　was　allowed　to　go　on　without　official　check；　the　Government　in　1870　inaugurated　a　system　to　preserve　the　seal　herds　which　was　perhaps　the　earliest　step　in　a　national　conservation　policy。　The　sole　right　of　killing　was　given　to　the　Alaska　Commercial　Company　with　restrictions　under　which　it　was　believed　that　the　herds　would　remain　undiminished。　The　catch　was　limited　to　one　hundred　thousand　a　year；　it　was　to　include　only　male　seals；　and　it　was　to　be　limited　to　the　breeding　grounds　on　the　Pribilof　Islands。

The　seals；　however；　did　not　confine　themselves　to　American　territory。　During　the　breeding　season　they　ranged　far　and　wide　within　a　hundred　miles　of　their　islands；　and　during　a　great　part　of　the　year　they　were　to　be　found　far　out　in　the　Pacific。　The　value　of　their　skins　attracted　the　adventurous　of　many　lands；　but　particularly　Canadians；　and　Vancouver　became　the　greatest　center　for　deep…sea　sealing。　The　Americans　saw　the　development　of　the　industry　with　anger　and　alarm。　Considering　the　seals　as　their　own；　they　naturally　resented　this　unlimited　exploitation　by　outsiders　when　Americans　themselves　were　so　strictly　limited　by　law。　They　also　believed　that　the　steady　diminution　of　the　herds　was　due　to　the　reckless　methods　of　their　rivals；　particularly　the　use　of　explosives　which　destroyed　many　animals　to　secure　a　few　perfect　skins。

Public　opinion　on　the　Pacific　coast　sought　a　remedy　and　soon　found　one　in　the　terms　of　the　treaty　of　purchase。　That　document；　in　dividing　Alaska　from　Siberia；　described　a　line　of　division　running　through　Bering　Sea；　and　in　1881　the　Acting　Secretary　of　the　Treasury　propounded　the　theory　that　this　line　divided　not　merely　the　islands　but　the　water　as　well。　There　was　a　widespread　feeling　that　all　Bering　Sea　within　this　line　was　American　territory　and　that　all　intruders　from　other　nations　were　poachers。　In　accordance　with　this　theory；　the　revenue　cutter　Corwin　in　1886　seized　three　British　vessels　and　hauled　their　skippers　before　the　United　States　District　Court　of　Sitka。　Thomas　F。　Bayard；　then　Secretary　of　State　under　President　Cleveland；　did　not　recognize　this　theory　of　interpreting　the　treaty；　but　endeavored　to　right　the　grievance　by　a　joint　agreement　with　France；　Germany；　Japan；　Russia；　and　Great　Britain；　the　sealing　nations；　〃for　the　better　protection　of　the　fur　seal　fisheries　in　Bering　Sea。〃

A　solution　had　been　almost　reached；　when　Canada　interposed。　Lord　Morley　has　remarked；　in　his　〃Recollections；〃　how　the　voice　of　Canada　fetters　Great　Britain　in　her　negotiations　with　the　United　States。　While　Bayard　was　negotiating　an　agreement　concerning　Bering　Sea　which　was　on　the　whole　to　the　advantage　of　the　United　States；　he　completed　a　similar　convention　on　the　more　complicated　question　of　the　northeastern　or　Atlantic　fisheries　which　was　more　important　to　Canada。　This　latter　convention　was　unfavorably　reported　by　the　Senate　Committee　on　Foreign　Affairs；　which　foreshadowed　rejection。　Thereupon；　in　May；　1888；　Lord　Salisbury；　the　British　Foreign　Minister；　withdrew　from　the　Bering　Sea　negotiation。

At　this　critical　moment　Cleveland　gave　place　to　Harrison；　and　Bayard　was　succeeded　by　James　G。　Blaine；　the　most　interesting　figure　in　our　diplomatic　activities　of　the　eighties。　These　years　marked　the　lowest　point　in　the　whole　history　of　our　relations　with　other　countries；　both　in　the　character　of　our　agents　and　in　the　nature　of　the　public　opinion　to　which　they　appealed。　Blaine　was　undoubtedly　the　most　ill…informed　of　our　great　diplomats；　yet　a　trace　of　greatness　lingers　about　him。　The　exact　reverse　of　John　Quincy　Adams；　he　knew　neither　law　nor　history；　and　he　did　not　always　inspire　others　with　confidence　in　his　integrity。　On　the　other　hand；　the　magnetic　charm　of　his　personality　won　many　to　a　devotion　such　as　none　of　our　great　men　except　Clay　has　received。　Blaine　saw；　moreover；　though　through　a　glass　darkly；　farther　along　the　path　which　the　United　States　was　to　take　than　did　any　of　his　contemporaries。　It　was　his　fate　to　deal　chiefly　in　controversy　with　those　accomplished　diplomats；　Lord　Salisbury　and　Lord　Granville；　and　it　must　have　been　among　the　relaxations　of　their　office　to　point　out　tactfully　the　defects　and　errors　in　his　dispatches。　Nevertheless　when　he　did　not　misread　history　or　misquote　precedents　but　wielded　the　broadsword　of　equity；　he　often　caught　the　public　conscience；　and　then　he　was　not　an　opponent　to　be　despised。

Blaine　at　once　undertook　the　defense　of　the　contention　that　Bering　Sea　was　〃closed〃　and　the　exclusive　property　of　the　United　States；　in　spite　of　the　fact　that　this　position　was　opposed　to　the　whole　trend　of　American　opinion；　which　from　the　days　of　the　Revolution　had　always　stood　for　freedom　of　the　high　seas　and　the　limitation　of　the　water　rights　of　particular　nations　to　the　narrowest　limits。　The　United　States　and　Great　Britain　had　jointly　protested　against　the　Czar's　ukase　of　1821；　which　had　asserted　Russia's　claim　to　Bering　Sea　as　territorial　waters；　and　if　Russia　had　not　possessed　it　in　1821；　we　certainly　could　not　have　bought　it　in　1867。　In　the　face　of　Canadian　opinion；　Great　Britain　could　never　consent；　even　for　the　sake　of　peace；　to　a　position　as　unsound　as　it　was　disadvantageous　to　Canadian　industry。　Nor　did　Blaine's　contention　that　the　seals　were　domestic　animals　belonging　to　us；　and　therefore　subject　to　our　protection　while　wandering　through　the　ocean；　carry　conviction　to　lawyers　familiar　with　the　fascinating　intricacies　of　the　law；　domestic　and　international；　relating　to　migratory　birds　and　beasts。　To　the　present　generation　it　seems　amusing　that　Blaine　defended　his　basic　contention　quite　as　much　on　the　ground　of　the　inhumanity　of　destroying　the　seals　as　of　its　economic　wastefulness。　Yet　Blaine　rallied　Congress　to　his　support；　as　well　as　a　great　part　of　American　sentiment。

The　situation；　which　had　now　become　acute；　was　aggravated　by　the　fact　that　most　American　public　men　of　this　period　did　not　separate　their　foreign　and　domestic　politics。　Too　many　sought　to　secure　the　important　Irish　vote　by　twisting　the　tail　of　the　British　lion。　The　Republicans；　in　particular；　sought　to　identify　protection　with　patriotism　and　were　making　much　of　the　fact　that　the　recall　of　Lord　Sackville…West；　the　British　Minister；　had　been　forced　because　he　had　advised　a　correspondent　to　vote　for　Cleveland。　It　spoke　volumes　for　the　fundamental　good　sense　of　the　two　nations　that；　when　relations　were　so　strained；　they　could　agree　to　submit　their　differences　to　arbitration。　For　this　happy　outcome　credit　must　be　given　to　the　cooler　heads　on　both　sides；　but　equal　credit　must　be　given　to　their　legacy　from　the　cool　heads　which　had　preceded　them。　The　United　States　and　Great　Britain　had　acquired　the　habit　of　submitting　to　judicial　decision　their　disputes；　even　those　closely　touching　honor；　and　this　habit　kept　them　steady。

In　accepting　arbitration　in　1892；　the　United　States　practically　gave　up　her　case；　although　Blaine　undoubtedly　believed　it　could　be　defended；　and　in　spite　of　the　fact　that　it　was　ably　presented　by　John　W。　Foster　from　a　brief　prepared　by　the　American　counsel；　Edward　J。　Phelps；　Frederic　R。　Coudert；　and　James　C。　Carter。　The　tribunal　assembled　at　Paris　decided　that　Bering　Sea　was　open　and　determined　certain　facts　upon　which　a　subsequent　commission　assessed　damages　of　nearly　half　a　million　against　the　United　States　for　the　seizure　of　British　vessels　during　the　period　in　which　the　American　claim　was　being　asserted。　Blaine；　however；　did　not　lose　everything。　The　treaty　contained　the　extraordinary　provision　that　the　arbitration　tribunal；　in　case　it　decided　against　the　United　States；　was　to　draw　up　regulations　for　the　protection　of　the　seal　herds。　These　regulations　when　drafted　did　not　prove　entirely　satisfactory；　and　bound　only　the　United　States　and　Great　Britain。　It　required　many　years　and　much　tinkering　to　bring　about　the　reasonably　satisfactory　arrangement　that　is　now　in　force。　Yet　to　leave　to　an　international　tribunal　not　merely　the　decision　of　a　disputed　case　but　the　legislation　necessary　to　regulate　an　international　property　was　in　itself　a　great　step　in　the　development　of　world　polity。　The　charlatan　who　almost　brought　on　war　by　maintaining　an　indefensible　case　was　also　the　statesman　who　made　perhaps　the　greatest　single　advance　in　the　conserva