the path of empire-第4节

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n。　In　Paris　there　was　brought　to　light　a　map　with　the　boundary　drawn　in　red；　possibly　by　Franklin；　and　supporting　the　British　contention。　Webster　refrained　from　showing　this　to　Ashburton　and　ordered　search　in　London　discontinued。　Ironically　enough；　however；　a　little　later　there　was　unearthed　in　the　British　Museum　the　actual　map　used　by　one　of　the　British　commissioners　in　1782；　which　showed　the　boundary　as　the　United　States　claimed　it　to　be。　Though　they　had　been　found　too　late　to　affect　the　negotiations；　these　maps　disturbed　the　Senate　discussion　of　the　matter。　Yet；　as　they　offset　each　other；　they　perhaps　facilitated　the　acceptance　of　the　treaty。

Rapidly　Webster　and　Ashburton　cleared　the　field。　Webster　obtained　the　release　of　McLeod　and　effected　the　passage　of　a　law　to　prevent　a　similar　crisis　in　the　future　by　permitting　such　cases　to　be　transferred　to　a　federal　court。　The　Caroline　affair　was　settled　by　an　amicable　exchange　of　notes　in　which　each　side　conceded　much　to　the　other。　They　did　not　indeed　dispose　of　the　slave　trade；　but　they　reached　an　agreement　by　which　a　joint　squadron　was　to　undertake　to　police　efficiently　the　African　seas　in　order　to　prevent　American　vessels　from　engaging　in　that　trade。

Upon　the　more　important　matter　of　boundary；　both　Webster　and　Ashburton　decided　to　give　up　the　futile　task　of　convincing　each　other　as　to　the　meaning　of　phrases　which　rested　upon　half…known　facts　reaching　back　into　the　misty　period　of　first　discovery　and　settlement。　They　abandoned　interpretation　and　made　compromise　and　division　the　basis　of　their　settlement。　This　method　was　more　difficult　for　Webster　than　for　Ashburton；　as　both　Maine　and　Massachusetts　were　concerned；　and　each　must　under　the　Constitution　be　separately　convinced。　Here　Webster　used　the　〃Red　Line〃　map；　and　succeeded　in　securing　the　consent　of　these　States。　They　finally　settled　upon　a　boundary　which　was　certainly　not　that　intended　in　1782　but　was　a　compromise　between　the　two　conceptions　of　that　boundary　and　divided　the　territory　with　a　regard　for　actual　conditions　and　geography。　From　Passamaquoddy　Bay　to　the　Lake　of　the　Woods；　accepted　lines　were　substituted　for　controversy；　and　the　basis　of　peace　was　thus　made　more　secure。　The　treaty　also　contained　provision　for　the　mutual　extradition　of　criminals　guilty　of　specified　crimes；　but　these　did　not　include　embezzlement；　and　〃gone　to　Canada〃　was　for　years　the　epitaph　of　many　a　dishonest　American　who　had　been　found　out。

The　friendly　spirit　in　which　Webster　and　Ashburton　had　carried　on　their　negotiations　inaugurated　a　period　of　reasonable　amity　between　their　two　nations。　The　United　States　annexed　Texas　without　serious　protest；　in　spite　of　the　clamor　for　〃fifty…four　forty　or　fight；〃　Oregon　was　divided　peacefully；　and　England　did　not　take　advantage　of　the　war　with　Mexico。　Each　of　these　events；　however；　added　to　American　territory；　and　these　additions　gave　prominence　to　a　new　and　vexing　problem。　The　United　States　was　now　planted　solidly　upon　the　Pacific；　and　its　borders　were　practically　those　to　which　Adams　had　looked　forward。　Natural　and　unified　as　this　area　looks　upon　the　map　and　actually　is　today；　in　1850　the　extent　of　territorial　expansion　had　overreached　the　means　of　transportation。　The　Great　Plains；　then　regarded　as　the　Great　American　Desert；　and　the　Rockies　presented　impossible　barriers　to　all　but　adventurous　individuals。　These　men；　uniting　in　bands　for　self…protection　and　taking　their　lives　in　their　hands；　were　able　with　good　luck　to　take　themselves　but　little　else　across　this　central　region　and　the　western　barrier。　All　ordinary　communication；　all　mail　and　all　freight；　must　go　by　sea。　The　United　States　was　actually　divided　into　two　very　unequal　parts；　and　California　and　Oregon　were　geographically　far　distant　colonies。

The　ocean　highroad　belonged　to　the　United　States　in　common　with　all　nations；　but　it　took　American　ships　to　the　opposite　ends　of　the　earth。　No　regular　shuttle　of　traffic　sufficient　to　weave　the　nation　together　could　be　expected　to　pass　Cape　Horn　at　every　throw。　The　natural　route　lay　obviously　through　the　Caribbean；　across　some　one　of　the　isthmuses；　and　up　the　Pacific　coast。　Here　however；　the　United　States　would　have　to　use　territory　belonging　to　other　nations；　and　to　obtain　the　right　of　transit　and　security　agreement　was　necessary。　All　these　isthmus　routes；　moreover；　needed　improvement。　Capital　must　be　induced　to　do　the　work；　and　one　necessary　inducement　was　a　guarantee　of　stable　conditions　of　investment。

This　isthmus　route　became　for　a　time　the　prime　object　of　American　diplomacy。　The　United　States　made　in　1846　satisfactory　arrangements　with　the　Republic　of　New　Granada　（later　Colombia）；　across　which　lay　the　most　southern　route；　and　in　1853　with　Mexico；　of　whose　northern　or　Tehuantepec　route　many　had　great　expectations；　but　a　further　difficulty　was　now　discovered。　The　best　lanes　were　those　of　Panama　and　of　Nicaragua。　When　the　discovery　of　gold　in　California　in　1848　made　haste　a　more　important　element　in　the　problem；　〃Commodore〃　Vanderbilt；　at　that　time　the　shipping　king　of　the　United　States；　devoted　his　attention　to　the　Nicaragua　route　and　made　it　the　more　popular。　Here　however；　the　United　States　encountered　not　only　the　local　independent　authorities　but　also　Great　Britain。　Just　to　the　north　of　the　proposed　route　Great　Britain　possessed　Belize；　now　British　Honduras；　a　meager　colony　but　with　elastic　boundaries。　For　many　generations；　too；　she　had　concerned　herself　with　securing　the　rights　of　the　Mosquito　Indians；　who　held　a　territory；　also　with　elastic　boundaries；　inconveniently　near　the　San　Juan　River；　the　Caribbean　entrance　to　the　Nicaraguan　thoroughfare。　From　Great　Britain；　moreover；　must　come　a　large　portion　of　the　capital　to　be　employed　in　constructing　the　canal　which　was　expected　soon　to　cut　the　isthmus。

The　local　situation　soon　became　acute。　Costa　Rica；　Nicaragua；　and　the　Mosquitoes　all　claimed　the　mouth　of　the　San　Juan；　Honduras　and　Nicaragua；　the　control　of　the　Pacific　outlet。　British　diplomatic　and　naval　officers　clashed　with　those　of　the　United　States　until；　in　their　search　for　complete　control；　both　exceeded　the　instructions　which　they　had　received　from　home。　The　British　occupied　Greytown　on　the　San　Juan　and　supported　the　Mosquitoes　and　Costa　Rica。　The　Americans　won　favor　in　Nicaragua　and　Honduras；　framed　treaties　allowing　transit　and　canal　construction；　and　proposed　the　annexation　of　Tigre　Island；　which；　commanded　the　proposed　Pacific　outlet。

To　untie　these　knots；　Sir　Henry　Bulwer　was　sent　to　Washington　to　negotiate　with　John　M。　Clayton；　President　Taylor's　Secretary　of　State。　Neither　of　these　negotiators　was　of　the　caliber　of　Webster　and　Ashburton；　and　the　treaty　which　they　drew　up　proved　rather　a　Pandora's　box　of　future　difficulties　than　a　satisfactory　settlement。　In　the　first　place　it　was　agreed　that　any　canal　to　be　constructed　over　any　of　the　isthmuses　was　to　be　absolutely　neutral；　in　time　of　war　as　well　as　of　peace。　Both　nations　were　to　guarantee　this　neutrality；　and　other　nations　were　invited　to　join　with　them。　No　other　nations　did　join；　however；　and　the　project　became　a　dual　affair　which；　owing　to　the　superiority　of　the　British　Navy；　gave　Britain　the　advantage；　or　would　eventually　have　done　so　if　a　canal　had　been　constructed。　Subsequently　the　majority　of　Americans　decided　that　such　a　canal　must　be　under　the　sole　control　of　the　United　States；　and　the　treaty　then　stood　as　a　stumbling　block　in　the　way　of　the　realization　of　this　idea。

More　immediately　important；　however；　and　a　great　wrench　to　American　policies；　was　the　provision　that　neither　power　〃will　ever　erect　or　maintain　any　fortifications　commanding〃　the　canal　〃or　occupy；　or　fortify；　or　colonize；　or　assume　or　exercise　any　dominion　over。。。any　part　of　Central　America。〃　This　condition　violated　Adams's　principle　that　the　United　States　was　not　on　the　same　footing　with　any　European　power　in　American　affairs　and　should　not　be　bound　by　any　self…denying　ordinance；　and　actually　it　reversed　the　principle　against　the　United　States。　An　explanatory　note　accompanying　the　treaty　recognized　that　this　provision　did　not　apply　to　Belize　and　her　dependencies；　and　Great　Britain　promptly　denied　that　it　applied　to　any　rights　she　already　possessed　in　Central　America；　including　the　Mosquito　protectorate　and　certain　Bay　Islands　which　were　claimed　by　Great　Britain　as　dependencies　of　Belize　and　by　Honduras　as　a　part　of　her　territory。

In　vain　did　Webster；　who　succeeded　Clayton；　seek　an　agreement。　His　term　of　office　passed；　and　the　controversy　fell　into　the　hands　of　Lord　Palmerston；　the　jingoistic　spirit　who　began　at　this　time　to　dominate　British　foreign　policy；　and　of　James　Buchanan；　who；　known　to　us　as　a　spineless　seeker　after　peace　where　there　was　no　peace；　was　at　this　time　riding　into　national　leadership　on　a　wave　of　expansionist　enthusiasm。　Buchanan　and　Palmerston　mutually　shook　the　stage　thunder　of　verbal　extravagance；　but　probably　neither　intended　war。　Poker　was　at　this　time　the　national　American　game；　and　bluff　was　a　highly　developed　art。　The　American　player　won　a　partial　victory。　In　1856　Great　Britain　agreed　to　withdraw　her　protectorate　over　the　Mosquitoes；　to　acknowledge　the　supremacy　of　Honduras　over　the　Bay　Islands；　and　to　accept　a　reasonable　inte