the path of empire-第7部分

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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　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