the path of empire-第8节

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ndefensible　case　was　also　the　statesman　who　made　perhaps　the　greatest　single　advance　in　the　conservation　of　the　world's　resources　by　international　regulation。



CHAPTER　IV。　Blaine　And　Pan…Americanism

During　the　half　century　that　intervened　between　John　Quincy　Adams　and　James　G。　Blaine；　the　Monroe　Doctrine；　it　was　commonly　believed；　had　prevented　the　expansion　of　the　territories　of　European　powers　in　the　Americas。　It　had　also　relieved　the　United　States　both　of　the　necessity　of　continual　preparation　for　war　and　of　that　constant　tension　in　which　the　perpetual　shifting　of　the　European　balance　of　power　held　the　nations　of　that　continent。　But　the　Monroe　Doctrine　was　not　solely　responsible　for　these　results。　Had　it　not　been　for　the　British　Navy；　the　United　States　would　in　vain　have　proclaimed　its　disapproval　of　encroachment。　Nor；　had　Europe　continued　united；　could　the　United　States　have　withstood　European　influence；　but　Canning's　policy　had　practically　destroyed　Metternich's　dream　of　unity　maintained　by　intervention；　and　in　1848　that　whole　structure　went　hopelessly　tumbling　before　a　new　order。　Yet　British　policy；　too；　failed　of　full　realization；　for　British　statesmen　always　dreamed　of　an　even　balance　in　continental　Europe　which　Great　Britain　could　incline　to　her　wishes；　whereas　it　usually　proved　necessary；　in　order　to　preserve　a　balance　at　all；　for　her　to　join　one　side　or　the　other。　Divided　Europe　therefore　stood　opposite　united　America；　and　our　inferior　strength　was　enhanced　by　an　advantageous　position。

The　insecurity　of　the　American　position　was　revealed　during　the　Civil　War。　When　the　United　States　divided　within；　the　strength　of　the　nation　vanished。　The　hitherto　suppressed　desires　of　European　nations　at　once　manifested　themselves。　Spain；　never　satisfied　that　her　American　empire　was　really　lost；　at　once　leaped　to　take　advantage　of　the　change。　On　a　trumped　up　invitation　of　some　of　the　inhabitants　of　Santo　Domingo；　she　invaded　the　formerly　Spanish　portion　of　the　island　and　she　began　war　with　Peru　in　the　hope　of　acquiring　at　least　some　of　the　Pacific　islands　belonging　to　that　state。

More　formidable　were　the　plans　of　Napoleon　III；　for　the　French；　too；　remembered　the　glowing　promise　of　their　earlier　American　dominions。　They　had　not　forgotten　that　the　inhabitants　of　the　Americas　as　far　north　as　the　southern　borders　of　the　United　States　were　of　Latin　blood；　at　least　so　far　as　they　were　of　European　origin。　In　Montevideo　there　was　a　French　colony；　and　during　the　forties　France　had　been　active　in　proffering　her　advice　in　South　American　disputes。　When　the　second　French　Republic　had　been　proclaimed　in　1848；　one　of　the　French　ministers　in　South　America　saw　a　golden　chance　for　his　country　to　assume　the　leadership　of　all　Latin　America；　which　was　at　that　time　suspicious　of　the　designs　of　the　United　States　and　alarmed　by　its　rapid　expansion　at　the　expense　of　Mexico。　With　the　power　of　the　American　Government　neutralized　in　1861；　and　with　the　British　Navy　immobilized　by　the　necessity　of　French　friendship；　which　the　〃Balance〃　made　just　then　of　paramount　interest　to　Great　Britain；　Napoleon　III　determined　to　establish　in　Mexico　an　empire　under　French　influence。

It　is　instructive　to　notice　that　General　Bernhardi　states；　in　〃Germany　and　the　Next　War〃　which　has　attracted　such　wide　attention　and　which　has　done　so　much　to　convince　Americans　of　the　bad　morals　of　autocracy；　that　Great　Britain　lost　her　great　chance　of　world　dominance　by　not　taking　active　advantage　of　this　situation；　as　did　France　and　Spain。　It　is　indeed　difficult　to　see　what　would　have　been　the　outcome　had　Great　Britain　also　played　at　that　time　an　aggressive　and　selfish　part。　She　stayed　her　hand；　but　many　British　statesmen　were　keenly　interested　in　the　struggle；　from　the　point　of　view　of　British　interests。　They　did　not　desire　territory；　but　they　foresaw　that　the　permanent　separation　of　the　two　parts　of　the　United　States　would　leave　the　country　shorn　of　weight　in　the　affairs　of　the　Western　Hemisphere。　North　and　South；　if　separated；　would　each　inevitably　seek　European　support；　and　the　isolation　of　the　United　States　and　its　claim　to　priority　in　American　affairs　would　disappear。　The　balance　of　power　would　extend　itself　to　the　Western　Hemisphere　and　the　assumption　of　a　sphere　of　influence　would　vanish　with　the　unity　of　the　United　States。

Nor　did　the　close　of　the　Civil　War　reveal　less　clearly　than　its　beginning　the　real　international　position　of　the　United　States。　When　the　country　once　more　acquired　unity；　these　European　encroachments　were　renounced；　and　dreams　of　colonial　empire　in　America　vanished。　There　was　a　moment's　questioning　as　to　the　reality　of　the　triumph　of　the　Northa　doubt　that　the　South　might　rise　if　foreign　war　broke　out；　but　the　uncertainty　was　soon　dispelled。　It　was　somewhat　embarrassing；　if　not　humiliating；　for　the　Emperor　of　the　French　to　withdraw　from　his　Mexican　undertaking；　but　the　way　was　smoothed　for　him　by　the　finesse　of　Seward。　By　1866　the　international　position　of　the　United　States　was　reestablished　and　was　perhaps　the　stronger　for　having　been　tested。

In　all　these　years；　however；　the　positive　side　of　the　Monroe　Doctrine；　the　development　of　friendly　cooperation　between　the　nations　of　America　under　the　leadership　of　the　United　States；　had　made　no　progress。　In　fact；　with　the　virtual　disappearance　of　the　American　merchant　marine　after　the　Civil　War；　the　influence　of　the　United　States　diminished。　Great　Britain　with　her　ships；　her　trade；　and　her　capital；　at　that　time　actually　counted　for　much　more；　while　German　trade　expanded　rapidly　in　the　seventies　and　eighties　and　German　immigration　into　Brazil　gave　Prussia　a　lever　hold；　the　ultimate　significance　of　which　is　not　even　yet　fully　evident。

Under　these　circumstances；　Blaine　planned　to　play　a　brilliant　role　as　Secretary　of　State　in　President　Garfield's　Cabinet。　Though　the　President　was　his　personal　friend；　Blaine　regarded　him　as　his　inferior　in　practical　statecraft　and　planned　to　make　his　own　foreign　policy　the　notable　feature　of　the　Administration。　His　hopes　were　dashed；　however；　by　the　assassination　of　Garfield　and　by　the　accession　of　President　Arthur。　The　new　Secretary　of　State；　F　T。　Frelinghuysen；　reversed　nearly　all　of　his　predecessor's　policies。　When　Blaine　returned　to　the　Department　of　State　in　1889；　he　found　a　less　sympathetic　chief　in　President　Harrison　and　a　less　brilliant　role　to　play。　Whether　his　final　retirement　before　the　close　of　the　Harrison　Administration　was　due　directly　to　the　conflict　of　views　which　certainly　existed　or　was　a　play　on　his　part　for　the　presidency　and　for　complete　control　is　a　question　that　has　never　been　completely　settled。

Narrow　as　was　Blaine's　view　of　world　affairs；　impossible　as　was　his　conception　of　an　America　divided　from　Europe　economically　and　spiritually　as　well　as　politically　and　of　an　America　united　in　itself　by　a　provoked　and　constantly　irritated　hostility　to　Europe；　he　had　an　American　program　which；　taken　by　itself；　was　definite；　well　conceived；　and　in　a　sense　prophetic。　It　is　interesting　to　note　that　in　referring　to　much　the　same　relationship；　Blaine　characteristically　spoke　of　the　United　States　as　〃Elder　Sister〃　of　the　South　American　republics；　while　Theodore　Roosevelt；　at　a　later　period；　conceived　the　role　to　be　that　of　a　policeman　wielding　the　〃Big　Stick。〃

Blaine's　first　aim　was　to　establish　peace　in　the　Western　Hemisphere　by　offering　American　mediation　in　the　disputes　of　sister　countries。　When　he　first　took　office　in　1881；　the　prolonged　and　bitter　war　existing　between　Chili；　Bolivia；　and　Peru　for　the　control　of　the　nitrate　fields　which　lay　just　where　the　territories　of　the　three　abutted；　provided　a　convenient　opportunity。　If　he　could　restore　peace　on　an　equitable　basis　here；　he　would　do　much　to　establish　the　prestige　of　the　United　States　as　a　wise　and　disinterested　counselor　in　Spanish　American　affairs。　In　this　his　first　diplomatic　undertaking；　there　appeared；　however；　one　of　the　weaknesses　of　execution　which　constantly　interfered　with　the　success　of　his　plans。　He　did　not　know　how　to　sacrifice　politics　to　statesmanship；　and　he　appointed　as　his　agents　men　so　incompetent　that　they　aggravated　rather　than　settled　the　difficulty。　Later　he　saw　his　mistake　and　made　a　new　and　admirable　appointment　in　the　case　of　Mr。　William　H。　Trescot　of　South　Carolina。　Blaine　himself；　however；　lost　office　before　new　results　could　be　obtained；　and　Frelinghuysen　recalled　Trescot　and　abandoned　the　attempt　to　force　peace。

A　second　object　of　Blaine's　policy　was　to　prevent　disputes　between　Latin　American　and　European　powers　from　becoming　dangerous　by　acting　as　mediator　between　them。　When　he　took　office；　France　was　endeavoring　to　collect　from　Venezuela　a　claim　which　was　probably　just。　When　Venezuela　proved　obdurate；　France　proposed　to　seize　her　custom　houses　and　to　collect　the　duties　until　the　debt　was　paid。　Blaine　protested；　urged　Venezuela　to　pay；　and　suggested　that　the　money　be　sent　through　the　American　agent　at　Caracas。　He　further　proposed　that；　should　Venezuela　not　pay　within　three　months；　the　United　States　should　seize　the　custom　houses；　collect　the　money；　and　pay　it　to　France。　Again　his　short　term　prevented　him　from　carrying　out　his　policy；　but　it　is　nevertheless　of　interest　as　anti