theodore roosevelt-第31章

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　work；　partly　for　financial　reasons；　and　partly　on　account　of　the　enormous　loss　of　life　among　the　diggers　from　the　pestilent　nature　of　the　climate　and　the　country。　Then　followed　a　period　of　waiting；　until　it　seemed　certain　that　the　French　would　never　resume　operations。　American　promoters　pressed　the　claims　of　a　route　through　Nicaragua　where　they　could　secure　concessions。　But　it　became　clear　that　an　enterprise　of　such　far　reaching　political　importance　as　a　trans…Isthmian　canal；　should　be　under　governmental　control。　John　Hay　had　been　less　than　a　year　in　the　Department　of　State　when　he　set　about　negotiating　with　England　a　treaty　which　should　embody　his　ideas。　In　Sir　Julian　Pauncefote；　the　British　Ambassador　at　Washington；　he　had　a　most　congenial　man　to　deal　with。　Both　were　gentlemen；　both　were　firmly　convinced　that　a　canal　must　be　constructed　for　the　good　of　civilization；　both　held　that　to　assure　the　friendship　of　the　two　great　branches　of　the　English…speaking　race　should　be　the　transcendent　aim　of　each。　They　soon　made　a　draft　of　a　treaty　which　was　submitted　to　the　Senate；；but　the　Senators　so　amended　it　that　the　British　Government　refused　to　accept　their　amendments；　and　the　project　failed。　Hay　was　so　terribly　chagrined　at　the　Senate's　interference　that　he　wished　to　resign。　There　could　be　no　doubt　now；　however；　that　if　the　canal　had　been　undertaken　on　the　terms　of　his　first　treaty；　it　would　never　have　satisfied　the　United　States　and　it　would　probably　have　been　a　continual　source　of　international　irritation。　Roosevelt　was　at　that　time　Governor　of　New　York；　and　I　quote　the　following　letter　from　him　to　Hay　because　it　shows　how　clearly　he　saw　the　objections　to　the　treaty；　and　the　fundamental　principles　for　the　control　of　an　Isthmian　canal：

Albany；　Feb。　18；　1900

'I　hesitated　long　before　I　said　anything　about　the　treaty　through　sheer　dread　of　two　momentsthat　in　which　I　should　receive　your　note；　and　that　in　which　I　should　receive　Cabot's。*　But　I　made　up　my　mind　that　at　least　I　wished　to　be　on　record；　for　to　my　mind　this　step　is　one　backward；　and　it　may　be　fraught　with　very　great　mischief。　You　have　been　the　greatest　Secretary　of　State　I　have　seen　in　my　timeOlney　comes　secondbut　at　this　moment　I　can　not；　try　as　I　may；　see　that　you　are　right。　Understand　me。　When　the　treaty　is　adopted；　as　I　suppose　it　will　be；　I　shall　put　the　best　face　possible　on　it；　and　shall　back　the　Administration　as　heartily　as　ever；　but　oh；　how　I　wish　you　and　the　President　would　drop　the　treaty　and　push　through　a　bill　to　build　AND　FORTIFY　our　own　canal。

*　Senator　Henry　Cabot　Lodge；　who　also　opposed　the　first　treaty。


'My　objections　are　twofold。　First；　as　to　naval　policy。　If　the　proposed　canal　had　been　in　existence　in　'98；　the　Oregon　could　have　come　more　quickly　through　to　the　Atlantic；　but　this　fact　would　have　been　far　outweighed　by　the　fact　that　Cervera's　fleet　would　have　had　open　to　it　the　chance　of　itself　going　through　the　canal；　and　thence　sailing　to　attack　Dewey　or　to　menace　our　stripped　Pacific　Coast。　If　that　canal　is　open　to　the　warships　of　an　enemy；　it　is　a　menace　to　us　in　time　of　war；　it　is　an　added　burden；　an　additional　strategic　point　to　be　guarded　by　our　fleet。　If　fortified　by　us；　it　becomes　one　of　the　most　potent　sources　of　our　possible　sea　strength。　Unless　so　fortified　it　strengthens　against　us　every　nation　whose　fleet　is　larger　than　our　own。　One　prime　reason　for　fortifying　our　great　seaports；　is　to　unfetter　our　fleet；　to　release　it　for　offensive　purposes；　and　the　proposed　canal　would　fetter　it　again；　for　our　fleet　would　have　to　watch　it；　and　therefore　do　the　work　which　a　fort　should　do；　and　what　it　could　do　much　better。

'Secondly；　as　to　the　Monroe　Doctrine。　If　we　invite　foreign　powers　to　a　joint　ownership；　a　joint　guarantee；　of　what　so　vitally　concerns　us　but　a　little　way　from　our　borders；　how　can　we　possibly　object　to　similar　joint　action；　say　in　Southern　Brazil　or　Argentina；　where　our　interests　are　so　much　less　evident？　If　Germany　has　the　same　right　that　we　have　in　the　canal　across　Central　America；　why　not　in　the　partition　of　any　part　of　Southern　America？　To　my　mind；　we　should　consistently　refuse　to　all　European　powers　the　right　to　control　in　any　shape；　any　territory　in　the　Western　Hemisphere　which　they　do　not　already　hold。

'As　for　existing　treatiesI　do　not　admit　the　〃dead　hand〃　of　the　treaty　making　power　in　the　past。　A　treaty　can　always　be　honorably　abrogatedthough　it　must　never　be　abrogated　in　dishonest　fashion。'*

*　W。　R。　Thayer：　John　Hay；　II；　339…41。


Fortunately；　Lord　Salisbury；　the　British　Prime　Minister；　remained　benevolently　disposed　towards　the　Isthmian　Canal；　and　in　the　following　year　he　consented　to　take　up　the　subject　again。　A　new　treaty　embodying　the　American　amendments　and　the　British　objections　was　drafted；　and　passed　the　Senate　a　few　months　after　Roosevelt　became　President。　Its　vital　provisions　were；　that　it　abrogated　the　Clayton…Bulwer　Treaty　and　gave　to　the　United　States　full　ownership　and　control　of　the　proposed　canal。

This　was　the　second　illustration　of　Roosevelt's　masterfulness　in　cutting　through　a　diplomatic　knot。　Arrangements　for　constructing　the　Canal　itself　forced　on　him　a　third　display　of　his　dynamic　quality　which　resulted　in　the　most　hotly　discussed　act　of　his　career。

The　French　Canal　Company　was　glad　to　sell　to　the　American　Government　its　concessions　on　the　Isthmus；　and　as　much　of　the　Canal　as　it　had　dug；　for　40；000；000。　It　had　originally　bought　its　concession　from　the　Government　of　Colombia；　which　owned　the　State　of　Panama：　At　first　the　Colombian　rulers　seemed　glad；　and　they　sent　an　accredited　agent；　Dr。　Herran；　to　Washington；　who　framed　with　Secretary　Hay　a　treaty　satisfactory　to　both；　and　believed；　by　Mr。　Hay；　to　represent　the　sincere　intentions　of　the　Colombian　Government　at　Bogota。　The　Colombian　politicians；　however；　who　were　banditti　of　the　Tammany　stripe；　but　as　much　cruder　as　Bogota　was　than　New　York　City；　suddenly　discovered　that　the　transaction　might　be　much　more　profitable　for　themselves　than　they　had　at　first　suspected。　They　put　off　ratifying　the　treaty；　therefore；　and　warned　the　French　Company　that　they　should　charge　it　an　additional　10；000；000　for　the　privilege　of　transferring　its　concession　to　the　Americans。　The　French　demurred；　the　Americans　waited。　Secretary　Hay　reminded　Dr。　Herran　that　the　treaty　must　be　signed　within　a　reasonable　time；　and　intimated　that　the　reasonable　time　would　soon　be　up。

The　Bogotan　blackmailers　indulged　in　still　wilder　dreams　of　avarice；　like　the　hasheesh…eater；　they　completely　lost　contact　with　reality　and　truth。　In　one　of　their　earlier　compacts　with　the　French　Company　they　stipulated　that；　if　the　Canal　were　not　completed　by　a　certain　day　in　1904；　the　entire　concession　and　undertaking　should　revert　to　the　Colombian　Government。　As　it　was　now　September；　1903；　it　did　not　require　the　wits　of　a　political　bandit　to　see　that；　by　staving　off　an　agreement　with　the　United　States　for　a　few　months；　Colombia　could　get　possession　of　property　and　privileges　which　the　French　were　selling　to　the　Americans　for　40；000；000。　So　the　Colombian　Parliament　adjourned　in　October；　1903；　without　even　taking　up　the　Hay…Herran　Treaty。

Meanwhile　the　managers　of　the　French　Company　became　greatly　alarmed　at　the　prospect　of　losing　the　sum　which　the　United　States　had　agreed　to　pay　for　its　rights　and　diggings；　and　it　took　steps　to　avert　this　total　loss。　The　most　natural　means　which　occurred　to　it；　the　means　which　it　adopted；　was　to　incite　a　revolution　in　the　State　of　Panama。　To　understand　the　affair　truly；　the　reader　must　remember　that　Panama　had　long　been　the　chief　source　of　wealth　to　the　Republic　of　Colombia。　The　mountain　gentry　who　conducted　the　Colombian　Government　at　Bogota　treated　Panama　like　a　conquered。　province；　to　be　squeezed　to　the　utmost　for　the　benefit　of　the　politicians。　There　was　neither　community　of　interest　nor　racial　sympathy　between　the　Panamanians　and　the　Colombians；　and；　as　it　required　a　journey　of　fifteen　days　to　go　from　Panama　to　the　Capital；　geography；　also；　added　its　sundering　influence。　Quite　naturally　the　Panamanians；　in　the　course　of　less　than　half　a　century；　had　made　more　than　fifty　attempts　to　revolt　from　Colombia　and　establish　their　own　independence。　The　mos