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The　Path　Of　Empire；　A　Chronicle　Of　The　United　States　As　A　World　Power

by　Carl　Russell　Fish







CONTENTS

I。　THE　MONROE　DOCTRINE
II。　CONTROVERSIES　WITH　GREAT　BRITAIN
III。　ALASKA　AND　ITS　PROBLEMS
IV。　BLAINE　AND　PAN…AMERICANISM
V。　THE　UNITED　STATES　AND　THE　PACIFIC
VI。　VENEZUELA
VII。　THE　OUTBREAK　OF　THE　WAR　WITH　SPAIN
VIII。　DEWEY　AND　MANILA　BAY
IX。　THE　BLOCKADE　OF　CUBA
X。　THE　PREPARATION　OF　THE　ARMY
XI。　THE　CAMPAIGN　OF　SANTIAGO　DE　CUBA
XII。　THE　CLOSE　OF　THE　WAR
XIII。　A　PEACE　WHICH　MEANT　WAR
XIV。　THE　OPEN　DOOR
XV。　THE　PANAMA　CANAL
XVI。　PROBLEMS　OF　THE　CARIBBEAN
XVII。　WORLD　RELATIONSHIPS
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL　NOTE







THE　PATH　OF　EMPIRE


CHAPTER　I。　The　Monroe　Doctrine

In　1815　the　world　found　peace　after　twenty…two　years　of　continual　war。　In　the　forests　of　Canada　and　the　pampas　of　South　America；　throughout　all　the　countries　of　Europe；　over　the　plains　of　Russia　and　the　hills　of　Palestine；　men　and　women　had　known　what　war　was　and　had　prayed　that　its　horrors　might　never　return。　In　even　the　most　autocratic　states　subjects　and　rulers　were　for　once　of　one　mind：　in　the　future　war　must　be　prevented。　To　secure　peace　forever　was　the　earnest　desire　of　two　statesmen　so　strongly　contrasted　as　the　impressionable　Czar　Alexander　I　of　Russia；　acclaimed　as　the　〃White　Angel〃　and　the　〃Universal　Savior；〃　and　Prince　Metternich；　the　real　ruler　of　Austria；　the　spider　who　was　for　the　next　thirty　years　to　spin　the　web　of　European　secret　diplomacy。　While　the　Czar　invited　all　governments　to　unite　in　a　〃Holy　Alliance〃　to　prevent　war；　Metternich　for　the　same　purpose　formed　the　less　holy　but　more　powerful　〃Quadruple　Alliance〃　of　Russia；　Prussia；　Austria；　and　England。

The　designs　of　Metternich；　however；　went　far　beyond　the　mere　prevention　of　war。　To　his　mind　the　cause　of　all　the　upheavals　which　had　convulsed　Europe　was　the　spirit　of　liberty　bred　in　France　in　the　days　of　the　Revolution；　if　order　was　to　be　restored；　there　must　be　a　return　to　the　former　autocratic　principle　of　government；　to　the　doctrine　of　〃Divine　Right〃；　it　was　for　kings　and　emperors　to　command；　it　was　the　duty　of　subjects　to　obey。　These　principles　had　not；　it　was　true；　preserved　peace　in　the　past；　but　Metternich　now　proposed　that；　in　the　future；　sovereigns　or　their　representatives　should　meet　〃at　fixed　periods〃　to　adjust　their　own　differences　and　to　assist　one　another　in　enforcing　the　obedience　of　subjects　everywhere。　The　rulers　were　reasonably　well　satisfied　with　the　world　as　it　was　arranged　by　the　Congress　of　Vienna　in　1815　and　determined　to　set　their　faces　against　any　change　in　the　relations　of　governments　to　one　another　or　to　their　subjects。　They　regretted；　indeed；　that　the　Government　of　the　United　States　was　built　upon　the　sands　of　a　popular　vote；　but　they　recognized　that　it　was　apparently　well　established　and　decently　respectable；　and　therefore　worthy　of　recognition　by　the　mutual　protection　society　of　the　Holy　Alliance。

The　subjects　of　these　sovereigns；　however；　did　not　all　share　the　satisfaction　of　their　masters；　and　some　of　them　soon　showed　that　much　as　they　desired　peace　they　desired　other　things　even　more。　The　inhabitants　of　Spanish　America；　while　their　imperial　mother　was　in　the　chaos　of　Napoleon's　wars；　had　nibbled　at　the　forbidden　fruit　of　freedom。　They　particularly　desired　freedom　to　buy　the　products　of　British　factories；　which　cost　less　and　satisfied　better　than　those　previously　furnished　by　the　Spanish　merchants；　secure　in　their　absolute　monopoly。　With　peace　came　renewed　monopoly；　haughty　officials；　and　oppressive　laws　dictated　by　that　most　stupid　of　the　restored　sovereigns；　Ferdinand　VII　of　Spain。　Buenos　Aires；　however；　never　recognized　his　rule；　and　her　general；　the　knightly　San　Martin；　in　one　of　the　most　remarkable　campaigns　of　history；　scaled　the　Andes　and　carried　the　flag　of　revolution　into　Chili　and　Peru。　Venezuela；　that　hive　of　revolution；　sent　forth　Bolivar　to　found　the　new　republics　of　Colombia　and　Bolivia。　Mexico　freed　herself；　and　Brazil　separated　herself　from　Portugal。　By　1822　European　rule　had　been　practically　swept　off　the　American　mainland；　from　Cape　Horn　to　the　borders　of　Canada；　and；　except　for　the　empire　of　Dom　Pedro　in　Brazil；　the　newly　born　nations　had　adopted　the　republican　form　of　government　which　the　European　monarchs　despised。　The　spirit　of　unrest　leaped　eastward　across　the　Atlantic。　Revolutions　in　Spain；　Portugal；　and　Naples　sought　impiously　and　with　constitutions　to　bind　the　hands　of　their　kings。　Even　the　distant　Greeks　and　Serbians　sought　their　independence　from　the　Turk。

Divine　Right；　just　rescued　from　the　French　Revolution；　was　tottering　and　had　yet　to　test　the　strength　of　its　new　props；　the　〃Holy〃　and　the　〃Quadruple〃　alliances；　and　the　policy　of　intervention　to　maintain　the　status　quo。　Congresses　at　Aix…la…Chapelle　in　1818；　at　Troppau　in　1820；　and　at　Laibach　in　1821；　decided　to　refuse　recognition　to　governments　resting　on　such　revolutions；　to　offer　mediation　to　restore　the　old　order；　and；　if　this　were　refused；　to　intervene　by　force。　In　the　United　States；　on　the　other　hand；　founded　on　the　right　of　revolution　and　dedicated　to　government　by　the　people；　these　popular　movements　were　greeted　with　enthusiasm。　The　fiery　Clay；　speaker　and　leader　of　the　House　of　Representatives；　made　himself　champion　of　the　cause　of　the　Spanish　Americans；　Daniel　Webster　thundered　forth　the　sympathy　of　all　lovers　of　antiquity　for　the　Greeks；　and　Samuel　Gridley　Howe；　an　impetuous　young　American　doctor；　crossed　the　seas；　carrying　to　the　Greeks　his　services　and　the　gifts　of　Boston　friends　of　liberty。　A　new　conflict　seemed　to　be　shaping　itselfa　struggle　of　absolutism　against　democracy；　of　America　against　Europe。

Between　the　two　camps；　both　in　her　ideas　and　in　her　geographical　situation；　stood　England。　Devoted　as　she　was　to　law　and　order；　bulwark　against　the　excesses　of　the　French　Terror　and　the　world　dominion　that　Napoleon　sought；　she　was　nevertheless　equally　strong　in　her　opposition　to　Divine　Right。　Her　people　and　her　government　alike　were　troubled　at　the　repressive　measured　by　which　the　Allies　put　down　the　Revolution　of　Naples　in　1821　and　that　of　Spain　in　1823。　Still　more　were　they　disturbed　at　the　hint　given　at　the　Congress　of　Verona　in　1822　that；　when　Europe　was　once　quieted；　America　would　engage　the　attention　of　Europe's　arbiters。　George　Canning；　the　English　foreign　minister；　soon　discovered　that　this　hint　foreshadowed　a　new　congress　to　be　devoted　especially　to　the　American　problem。　Spain　was　to　be　restored　to　her　sovereignty；　but　was　to　pay　in　liberal　grants　of　American　territory　to　whatever　powers　helped　her。　Canning　is　regarded　as　the　ablest　English　foreign　minister　of　the　nineteenth　century；　at　least　no　one　better　embodied　the　fundamental　aspirations　of　the　English　people。　He　realized　that　liberal　England　would　be　perpetually　a　minority　in　a　united　Europe；　as　Europe　was　then　organized。　He　believed　that　the　best　security　for　peace　was　not　a　union　but　a　balance　of　powers。　He　opposed　intervention　in　the　internal　affairs　of　nations　and　stood　for　the　right　of　each　to　choose　its　own　form　of　government。　Particularly　he　fixed　his　eyes　on　America；　where　he　hoped　to　find　weight　to　help　him　balance　the　autocrats　of　the　Old　World。　He　wished　to　see　the　new　American　republics　free；　and　he　believed　that　in　freedom　of　trade　England　would　obtain　from　them　all　that　she　needed。　Alarmed　at　the　impending　European　intervention　to　restore　the　rule　of　Spain　or　of　her　monarchical　assignees　in　America；　he　sought　an　understanding　with　the　United　States。　He　proposed　to　Richard　Rush；　the　United　States　minister　in　London；　that　the　two　countries　declare　concurrently　that　the　independence　of　Spanish　America；　was　a　fact；　that　the　recognition　of　the　new　governments　was　a　matter　of　time　and　circumstance；　that　neither　country　desired　any　portion　of　Spain's　former　dominions；　but　that　neither　would　look　with　indifference　upon　the　transfer　of　any　portion　of　them　to　another　power。

On　October　9；　1823；　this　proposal　reached　Washington。　The　answer　would　be　framed　by　able　and　most　experienced　statesmen。　The　President；　James　Monroe；　had　been　almost　continuously　in　public　service　since　1782。　He　had　been　minister　to　France；　Spain；　and　England；　and　had　been　Secretary　of　State。　In　his　earlier　missions　he　had　often　shown　an　unwise　impetuosity　and　an　independent　judgment　which　was　not　always　well　balanced。　He　had；　however；　grown　in　wisdom。　He　inspired　respect　by　his　sterling　qualities　of　character；　and　he　was　an　admirable　presiding　officer。　William　H。　Crawford；　his　Secretary　of　the　Treasury；　John　C。　Calhoun；　his　Secretary　of　War；　William　Wirt；　his　Attorney…General；　and　even　John　McLean；　his　Postmaster…General；　not　then　a　member　of　the　Cabinet；　were　all　men　who　were　considered　as　of　presidential　caliber。

Foremost　in　ability　and　influence；　however；　was　John　Quincy　Adams；　the　Secretary　of　State。　Brought　up　from　early　boyhood　in　the　atmosphere　of　diplomacy；　familiar　with　nearly　every　country　of　Europe；　he　had　nevertheless　none　of　those　arts　of　suavity　which　are　popularly　associated　with　the　diplomat。　Short；　baldheaded；　with　watery　eyes；　he　on　the　one　hand　repelled　familiarity；　and　on　the　other　hand　shocked　some　sensibilities；　as　for　example　when　he　appeared　in　midsummer