the path of empire-第14部分

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otiations；　Secretary　of　State　from　April　to　September；　1898；　President　of　the　Paris　Peace　Commission　in　October；　in　December；　after　a　career　of　prime　national　importance　for　nine　months　in　which　he　had　demonstrated　his　high　competence；　Day　retired　to　the　relative　obscurity　of　the　United　States　circuit　bench。　Although　later　raised　to　the　Supreme　Court；　he　has　never　since　been　a　national　figure。　As　an　example　of　a　meteoric　career　of　a　man　of　solid　rather　than　meteoric　qualities；　his　case　is　unparalleled　in　American　history。

The　acting　Secretary　of　State　telegraphed　the　ultimatum　of　the　Government　on　March　27；　1898；　to　General　Stewart　L。　Woodford；　then　Minister　to　Spain。　By　the　terms　of　this　document；　in　the　first　place　there　was　to　be　an　immediate　amnesty　which　would　last　until　the　1st　of　October　and　during　which　Spain　would　communicate　with　the　insurgents　through　the　President　of　the　United　States；　in　the　second　place；　the　reconcentrado　policy　was　to　cease　immediately；　and　relief　for　the　suffering　Cubans　was　to　be　admitted　from　the　United　States。　Then；　if　satisfactory　terms　were　not　reached　by　the　1st　of　October；　the　President　was　to　be　recognized　as　arbiter　between　the　Spaniards　and　the　insurgents。

On　the　30th　of　March；　Spain　abrogated　the　reconcentrado　policy　in　the　〃western　provinces　of　Cuba；〃　and　on　the　following　day　offered　to　arbitrate　the　questions　arising　out　of　the　sinking　of　the　Maine。　On　Sunday；　the　3d　of　April；　a　cablegram　from　General　Woodford　was　received　by　the　State　Department　indicating　that　Spain　was　seeking　a　formula　for　an　armistice　that　should　not　too　obviously　appear　to　be　submission　and　suggesting　that　the　President　ask　the　Pope　to　intervene　and　that　the　United　States　abstain　from　all　show　of　force。　〃If　you　can　still　give　me　time　and　reasonable　liberty　of　action；〃　ran　Woodford's　message；　〃I　will　get　you　the　peace　you　desire　so　much　and　for　which　you　have　labored　so　hard。〃　To　this　the　Secretary　of　State　immediately　replied　that　the　President　would　not　ask　the　intervention　of　the　Pope；　and　that　the　Government　would　use　the　fleet　as　it　saw　fit。　〃Would　the　peace　you　are　so　confident　of　securing；〃　asked　the　Secretary；　〃mean　the　independence　of　Cuba？　The　President　cannot　hold　his　message　longer　than　Tuesday。〃　On　Tuesday；　the　5th　of　April；　General　Woodford　cabled：

〃Should　the　Queen　proclaim　the　following　before　twelve　o'clock　noon　of　Wednesday；　April　6th；　will　you　sustain　the　Queen；　and　can　you　prevent　hostile　action　by　Congress？　〃At　the　request　of　the　Holy　Father；　in　this　Passion　Week　and　in　the　name　of　Christ；　I　proclaim　immediate　and　unconditional　suspension　of　hostilities　in　the　island　of　Cuba。　This　suspension　is　to　become　immediately　effective　as　soon　as　accepted　by　the　insurgents　of　that　island；　and　is　to　continue　for　the　space　of　six　months　to　the　5th　day　of　October；　1898。　I　do　this　to　give　time　for　passions　to　cease；　and　in　the　sincere　hope　and　belief　that　during　this　suspension　permanent　and　honorable　peace　may　be　obtained　between　the　insular　government　of　Cuba　and　those　of　my　subjects　in　that　island　who　are　now　in　rebellion　against　the　authority　of　Spain。。。。〃　Please　read　this　in　the　light　of　all　my　previous　telegrams　and　letters。　I　believe　this　means　peace；　which　the　sober　judgment　of　our　people　will　approve　long　before　next　November；　and　which　must　be　approved　at　the　bar　of　final　history。〃

To　this　message　the　Secretary　of　State　replied：

〃The　President　highly　appreciates　the　Queen's　desire　for　peace。　He　cannot　assume　to　influence　the　action　of　the　American　Congress　beyond　a　discharge　of　his　constitutional　duty　in　transmitting　the　whole　matter　to　them　with　such　recommendations　as　he　deems　necessary　and　expedient。〃

On　the　9th　of　April　the　Queen　granted　the　amnesty；　on　the　formula　of　a　request　by　the　European　powers。　On　the　next　day；　General　Woodford　cabled　that　the　United　States　could　obtain　for　Cuba　a　satisfactory　autonomy；　or　independence；　or　the　cession　of　the　island。

It　was　evident　that　there　was　no　difference　of　opinion　among　those　in　authority　in　the　United　States　as　to　the　fact　that　Cuba　must　be　severed　from　Spain。　There　were；　however；　differences　of　judgment　as　to　which　of　the　three　methods　suggested　by　Woodford　was　preferable；　and　there　was　a　substantial　disagreement　as　to　the　means　necessary　to　realize　the　aims　of　the　American　Government。　General　Woodford　believed　that　Spain　would　grant　the　demands　of　the　United　States；　if　she　were　given　time　and　were　not　pressed　to　the　point　of　endangering　her　dignity。　The　overwhelming　majority　in　Congress；　and　particularly　the　leaders　of　the　dominant　Republican　party　with　the　exception　of　Speaker　Reed；　refused　to　believe　in　the　sincerity　of　the　Spanish　Government。　The　Administration　could　not　overlook　the　fact　that　the　Spanish　Government；　however　sincere　it　might　be；　might　not　be　able　to　execute　its　promises。　Great　Britain　had　just　recognized　the　United　States　as　intermediary　in　a　dispute　between　herself　and　one　of　the　American　nations。　Spain；　in　a　dispute　much　more　serious　to　the　United　States；　refused　publicly　to　admit　American　intervention；　while　she　did　recognize　that　of　the　Pope　and　the　European　powers。　Was　it　then　possible　that　a　Government　which　was　either　unwilling　or　afraid　openly　to　acknowledge　American　interest　in　April　would；　by　October；　yield　to　the　wishes　of　the　Administration？　Was　it　certain　or　likely　that　if　the　Spanish　Government　did　so　yield；　it　would　remain　in　power？

Reluctantly　President　McKinley　decided　that　he　could　not　announce　to　Congress　that　he　had　secured　the　acceptance　of　the　American　policy。　In　his　message　to　Congress　on　the　11th　of　April；　he　reviewed　the　negotiation　and　concluded　by　recommending　forcible　intervention。　On　the　19th　of　April；　Congress；　by　joint　resolution；　called　upon　Spain　to　withdraw　from　Cuba　and　authorized　the　President　to　use　force　to　compel　her　to　do　so。　Congress；　however；　was　not　content　to　leave　the　future　of　the　island　merely　indefinite；　but　added　that　the　United　States　did　not　desire　Cuba　and　that　the　〃people　of　the　island　of　Cuba　are；　and　of　right　ought　to　be；　free　and　independent。〃　This　decision　ruled　out　both　autonomy　and　cession　as　solutions　of　the　problem。　It　put　an　end　to　the　American　century…long　dream　of　annexing　Cuba；　unless　the　people　of　the　island　themselves　desired　such　a　relation；　and　it　practically　determined　the　recognition　of　the　unstable　Cuban　Government　then　in　existence。　This　decision　on　the　part　of　Congress；　however；　reflected　the　deep…seated　conviction　of　the　American　people　regarding　freedom　and　plainly　put　the　issue　where　the　popular　majority　wished　it　to　beupon　a　basis　of　unselfish　sympathy　with　struggling　neighbors。

The　resolution　was　signed　by　the　President　on　the　20th　of　April。　On　the　following　day；　Admiral　Sampson's　fleet　left　Key　West　with　orders　to　blockade　the　coast　of　Cuba；　and；　in　the　absence　of　a　formal　declaration　of　war；　this　strategic　move　may　be　considered　as　its　actual　beginning。　On　the　25th　of　April；　Congress　declared　〃that；　war　be；　and　the　same　is　hereby；　declared　to　exist；　and　that　war　has　existed　since　the　twenty…first　of　April；　Anno　Domini；　eighteen　hundred　and　ninety…eight；　including　the　said　day；　between　the　United　States　of　America　and　the　Kingdom　of　Spain。〃



CHAPTER　VIII。　Dewey　And　Manila　Day

War　had　begun；　but　the　majority　of　the　American　people　had　hardly　considered　seriously　how　they　were　to　fight。　Fortunately　their　navy　already　existed；　and　it　was　upon　it　that　they　had　to　rely　in　the　opening　moments　of　hostility。　Ton　for　ton；　gun　for　gun；　it　stood　on　fairly　even　terms　with　that　of　Spain。　Captain；　later　Admiral；　Mahan；　considered　that　the　loss　of　the　Maine　shifted　a　slight　paper　advantage　from　the　United　States　to　Spain。　In　personnel；　however；　the　American　Navy　soon　proved　its　overwhelming　superiority；　which　was　due　not　solely　to　innate　ability　but　also　to　sound　professional　training。

The　Secretary　of　the　Navy；　John　D。　Long；　had　a　thorough　appreciation　of　values。　Although　Congress　had　not　provided　for　a　general　staff；　he　himself　appointed　a　Naval　War　Board；　which　served　many　of　the　same　purposes。　Upon　this　Board　he　appointed　Rear　Admiral　Sicard；　who　but　for　ill　health　would　have　commanded　the　main　fleet；　Captain　A。　S。　Crowninshield；　and；　most　important；　Captain　A。　T。　Mahan；　whose　equal　as　master　of　the　theory　and　history　of　naval　warfare　no　navy　of　the　world　could　show。　The　spirit　of　the　fighting　force　was　speedily　exhibited　by　such　exploits　as　that　of　Lieutenant　Victor　Blue　in　boldly　plunging　into　the　Cuban　wilderness　to　obtain　information　regarding　the　position　of　Admiral　Cervera's　fleet；　though　in　this　dangerous　sort　of　work　the　individual　palm　must　be　given　to　Lieutenant　A。　S。　Rowan　of　the　army；　whose　energy　and　initiative　in　overcoming　obstacles　are　immortalized　in　Elbert　Hubbard's　〃Message　to　Garcia；〃　the　best　American　parable　of　efficient　service　since　the　days　of　Franklin。

Efficient；　however；　as　was　the　navy；　it　was　far　from　being　a　complete　fighting　force。　Its　fighting　vessels　were　totally　unsupplied　with　that　cloud　of　serverscolliers；　mother　ships；　hospital　ships；　and　scoutswhich　we　now　know　must　accompany　a　fleet。　The　merchant　marine；　then　at　almost　its　lowest　point；　was　not　in　a　position　entirely　to　fill　the　need。　The　United　States　had　no　extensive　store　of　munitions。　Over　all　operations　there　hung　a　cloud　of　uncertainty。　Except　for　the　short　campaign　of　the　Chino…Japanese　War　of　1894；　modern　implements　of　sea　war　remained　untested。　Scientific　experiment；　valuable　and　necessary　as　it　was；　did　not　carry　absolute　conviction　regarding　efficient　service。　Would　the　weapons　of　offense　or　defense　prove　most　effective？　Accidents　on　shipboard　and　even　the　total　destruction　of　vessels　had　been　common　to　all　navies　during　times　of　peace。　That　the　Maine　had　not　been　a　victim　of　the　failure　of　her　own　mechanism　was　not　then　certain。　Such　misgivings　were　in　the　minds　of　many　officers。　Indeed；　a　report　of　the　total　disappearance　of　two　battling　fleets　would　not　have　found　the　watchful　naval　experts　of　the　world　absolutely　incredulous。　So　much　the　higher；　therefore；　was　the　heroism　of　those　who　led　straight　to　battle　that　complex　and　as　yet　unproved　product　of　the　brainthe　modern　warship。

While　negotiations　with　Spain　were　in　their