theodore roosevelt-第48章

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arly　sixties。　Roosevelt　felt　that　those　persons　who　most　heartily　agreed　that　as　it　was　the　presence　of　the　negro　which　made　the　problem；　and　that　slavery　was　merely　the　worst　possible　method　of　solving　it；　we　must　therefore　hold　up　to　reprobation；　as　guilty　of　doing　one　of　the　worst　deeds　which　history　records；　those　men　who　tried　to　break　up　this　Union　because　they　were　not　allowed　to　bring　slavery　and　the　negro　into　our　new　territory。　Every　step　which　followed；　from　freeing　the　slave　to　enfranchising　him；　was　due　only　to　the　North　being　slowly　and　reluctantly　forced　to　act　by　the　South's　persistence　in　its　folly　and　wickedness。

*　Leupp；231。


The　President　could　not　say　these　things　in　public　because　they　tended；　when　coming　from　a　man　in　public　place；　to　embitter　people。　But　Rhodes　was　writing　what　Roosevelt　hoped　would　prove　the　great　permanent　history　of　the　period；　and　he　said　that　it　would　be　a　misfortune　for　the　country；　and　especially　a　misfortune　for　the　South；　if　they　were　allowed　to　confuse　right　and　wrong　in　perspective。　He　added　that　his　difficulties　with　the　Southern　people　had　come　not　from　the　North；　but　from　the　South。　He　had　never　done　anything　that　was　not　for　their　interest。　At　present；　he　added；　they　were；　as　a　whole；　speaking　well　of　him。　When　they　would　begin　again　to　speak　ill；　he　did　not　know；　but　in　either　case　his　duty　was　equally　clear。　*

*　February　20；　1905。


Inviting　Booker　Washington　to　the　White　House　was　a　counsel　of　perfection　which　we　must　consider　one　of　Roosevelt's　misses。　Quite　different　was　the　voyage　of　the　Great　Fleet；　planned　by　him　and　carried　out　without　hitch　or　delay。

We　have　seen　that　from　his　interest　in　American　naval　history；　which　began　before　he　left　Harvard；　he　came　to　take　a　very　deep　interest　in　the　Navy　itself；　and　when　he　was　Assistant　Secretary；　he　worked　night　and　day　to　complete　its　preparation　for　entering　the　Spanish　War。　From　the　time　he　became　President；　he　urged　upon　Congress　and　the　country　the　need　of　maintaining　a　fleet　adequate　to　ward　off　any　dangers　to　which　we　might　be　exposed。　In　season　and　out　of　season　he　preached；　with　the　ardor　of　a　propagandist；　his　gospel　that　the　Navy　is　the　surest　guarantor　of　peace　which　this　country　possesses。　By　dint　of　urging　he　persuaded　Congress　to　consent　to　lay　down　one　battleship　of　the　newest　type　a　year。　Congress　was　not　so　much　reluctant　as　indifferent。　Even　the　lesson　of　the　Spanish　War　failed　to　teach　the　Nation's　law…makers；　or　the　Nation　itself；　that　we　must　have　a　Navy　to　protect　us　if　we　intended　to　play　the　role　of　a　World　Power。　The　American　people　instinctively　dreaded　militarism；　and　so　they　resisted　consenting　to　naval　or　military　preparations　which　might　expand　into　a　great　evil　such　as　they　saw　controlling　the　nations　of　Europe。

Nevertheless　Roosevelt；　as　usual；　could　not　be　deterred　by　opposition；　and　when　the　Hague　Conference　in　1907；　through　the　veto　of　Germany；　refused　to　limit　armaments　by　sea　and　land；　he　warned　Congress　that　one　new　battleship　a　year　would　not　do；　that　they　must　build　four。　Meanwhile；　he　had　pushed　to　completion　a　really　formidable　American　Fleet；　which　assembled　in　Hampton　Roads　on　December　1；　1907；　and　ten　days　later　weighed　anchor　for　parts　unknown。　There　were　sixteen　battleships；　commanded　by　Rear　Admiral　Robley　D。　Evans。　Every　ship　was　new；　having　been　built　since　the　Spanish　War。　The　President　and　Mrs。　Roosevelt　and　many　notables　reviewed　the　Fleet　from　the　President's　yacht　Mayflower；　as　it　passed　out　to　sea。　Later；　the　country　learned　that　the　Fleet　was　to　sail　round　Cape　Horn；　to　New　Zealand　and　Australia；　up　the　Pacific　to　San　Francisco；　then　across　to　Japan；　and　so　steer　homeward　through　the　Indian　Ocean；　the　Suez　Canal；　and　the　Mediterranean　to　Gibraltar；　across　the　Atlantic；　and　back　to　Hampton　Roads。

The　American　public　did　not　quite　know　what　to　make　of　this　dramatic　gesture。　Roosevelt's　critics　said；　of　course；　that　it　was　the　first　overt　display　of　his　combativeness；　and　that　from　this　he　would　go　on　to　create　a　great　army　and　be　ready；　at　the　slightest　provocation；　to　attack　any　foreign　Power。　In　fact；　however；　the　sending　of　the　Great　Fleet；　which　was　wholly　his　project；　was　designed　by　him　to　strengthen　the　prospect　of　peace　for　the　United　States。　Through　it；　he　gave　a　concrete　illustration　of　his　maxim：　〃Speak　softly；　but　carry　a　big　stick。〃　The　Panama　Canal　was　then　half　dug　and　would　be　finished　in　a　few　years。　Distant　nations　thought　of　this　country　as　of　a　land　peopled　by　dollar…chasers；　too　absorbed　in　getting　rich　to　think　of　providing　defense　for　themselves。　The　fame　of　Dewey's　exploit　at　Manila　Bay　had　ceased　to　strike　wonder　among　foreign　peoples；　after　they　heard　how　small　and　almost　contemptible；　judging　by　the　new　standards；　the　Squadron　was　by　which　he　won　his　victory。　Japan；　the　rising　young　giant　of　the　Orient；　felt　already　strong　enough　to　resent　any　supposed　insult　from　the　United　States。　Germany　had　embarked　on　her　wild　naval　policy　of　creating　a　fleet　which　would　soon　be　able　to　cope　with　that　of　England。

When；　however；　the　Great　Fleet　steamed　into　Yokohama　or　Bombay　or　any　other　port；　it　furnished　a　visible　evidence　of　the　power　of　the　country　from　which　it　came。　We　could　not　send　an　army　to　furnish　the　same　object…lesson。　But　the　Fleet　must　have　opened　the　eyes　of　any　foreign　jingoes　who　supposed　that　they　might　send　over　with　impunity　their　battleships　and　attack　our　ports。　In　this　way　it　served　directly　to　discourage　war　against　us；　and　accordingly　it　was　a　powerful　agent　for　peace。　Spectacular　the　voyage　was　without　question；　like　so　many　of　Roosevelt's　acts；　but　if　you　analyze　it　soberly；　do　you　not　admit　that　it　was　the　one　obvious；　simple　way　by　which　to　impress　upon　an　uncertain　and　rapacious　world　the　fact　that　the　United　States　had　manpower　as　well　as　money…power；　and　that　they　were　prepared　to　repel　all　enemies？

On　February　22；　1909；　the　White　Fleet　steamed　back　to　Hampton　Roads　and　was　received　by　President　Roosevelt。　It　had　performed　a　great　moral　achievement。　It　had　also　raised　the　efficiency　of　its　officers　and　the　discipline　of　its　crews　to　the　highest　point。　There　had　been　no　accident；　not　a　scratch　on　any　ship。

〃Isn't　it　magnificent？〃　said　Roosevelt；　as　he　toasted　the　Admirals　and　Captains　in　the　cabin　of　the　Mayflower。　〃Nobody　after　this　will　forget　that　the　American　coast　is　on　the　Pacific　as　well　as　on　the　Atlantic。〃　Ten　days　later　he　left　the　White　House；　and　after　he　left；　the　prestige　of　the　American　Fleet　was　slowly　frittered　away。

So　important　is　it；　if　we　would　form　a　just　estimate　of　Roosevelt；　to　understand　his　attitude　towards　war；　that　I　must　refer　to　the　subject　briefly　here。　One　of　the　most　authoritative　observers　of　international　politics　now　living；　a　man　who　has　also　had　the　best　opportunity　for　studying　the　chief　statesmen　of　our　age；　wrote　me　after　Roosevelt's　death：　〃I　deeply　grieve　with　you　in　the　loss　of　our　friend。　He　was　an　extraordinary　man。　The　only　point　in　which　I　ever　found　myself　seriously　differing　from　him　was　in　the　value　he　set　upon　war。　He　did　not　seem　to　realize　how　great　an　evil　it　is；　and　in　how　many　ways；　fascinated　as　he　was　by　the　virtues　which　it　sometimes　called　out；　but　in　this　respect；　also；　I　think　his　views　expanded　and　mellowed　as　time　went　on。　His　mind　was　so　capacious　as　to　take　in　Old…World　affairs　in　a　sense　which　very　few　people　outside　Europe；　since　Hamilton；　have　been　able　to　do。〃

Now　the　truth　is　that　neither　the　eminent　person　who　wrote　this　letter；　nor　many　others　among　us；　saw　as　clearly　during　the　first　decade　of　this　century　as　Roosevelt　saw　that　war　was　not　a　remote　possibility；　but　a　very　real　danger。　I　think　that　he　was　almost　the　first　in　the　United　States　to　feel　the　menace　of　Germany　to　the　entire　world。　He　knew　the　strength　of　her　army；　and　when　she　began　to　build　rapidly　a　powerful　navy；　he　understood　that　the　likelihood　of　her　breaking　the　peace　was　more　than　doubled；　for　with　the　fleet　she　could　at　pleasure　go　up　and　down　the　seas；　picking　quarrels　as　she　went。　If　war　came　on　a　great　scale　in　Europe；　our　Republic　would　probably　be　involved；　we　should　either　take　sides　and　so　have　to　furnish　a　contingent；　or　we　should　restri