the path of empire-第12章

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　kings　in　their　government。　The　descendants　of　these　missionaries　continued　to　live　on　the　islands　and　became　the　nucleus　of　a　white　population　which　waxed　rich　and　powerful　by　the　abundant　production　of　sugar　cane　on　that　volcanic　soil。

In　view　of　this　tangible　evidence　of　intimacy　on　the　part　of　the　United　States　with　the　Hawaiian　Islands；　Webster　in　1842　brought　them　within　the　scope　of　the　Monroe　Doctrine　by　declaring　that　European　powers　must　not　interfere　with　their　government。　Marcy；　Secretary　of　State；　framed　a　treaty　of　annexation　in　1853；　but　the　Hawaiian　Government　withdrew　its　assent。　Twenty　years　later　Secretary　Fish　wrote：　〃There　seems　to　be　a　strong　desire　on　the　part　of　many　persons　in　the　islands；　representing　large　interests　and　great　wealth；　to　become　annexed　to　the　United　States　and　while　there　are；　as　I　have　already　said；　many　and　influential　persons　in　the　country　who　question　the　policy　of　any　insular　acquisition；　perhaps　even　any　extension　of　territorial　limits；　there　are　also　those　of　influence　and　wise　foresight　who　see　a　future　that　must　extend　the　jurisdiction　and　the　limits　of　this　nation；　and　that　will　require　a　resting　spot　in　the　mid…ocean；　between　the　Pacific　coast　and　the　vast　domains　of　Asia；　which　are　now　opening　to　commerce；　and　Christian　civilization。〃

All　immediate　action；　however；　was　confined　to　a　specially　intimate　treaty　of　reciprocity　which　was　signed　in　1875；　and　which　secured　a　substantial　American　domination　in　commerce。　When　Blaine　became　Secretary　of　State　in　1881；　he　was；　or　at　least　he　affected　to　be；　seriously　alarmed　at　the　possibility　of　foreign　influence　in　Hawaiian　affairs；　particularly　on　the　part　of　Great　Britain。　The　native　population　was　declining；　and　should　it　continue　to　diminish；　he　believed　that　the　United　States　must　annex　the　islands。　〃Throughout　the　continent；　north　and　south；〃　he　wrote；　〃wherever　a　foothold　is　found　for　American　enterprise；　it　is　quickly　occupied；　and　the　spirit　of　adventure；　which　seeks　its　outlet；　in　the　mines　of　South　America　and　the　railroads　of　Mexico；　would　not　be　slow　to　avail　itself　of　openings　of　assured　and　profitable　enterprise　even　in　mid…ocean。〃　As　the　feeling　grew　in　the　United　States　that　these　islands　really　belonged　to　the　American　continent；　Blaine　even　invited　Hawaii　to　send　representatives　to　the　Pan…American　Congress　of　1889。　When　he　again　became　Secretary　of　State；　he　was　prepared　to　give　indirect　support　at　least　to　American　interests；　for　the　new　queen；　Liliuokalani；　was　supposed　to　be　under　British　influence。　On　the　arrival　of　a　British　gunboat　in　Honolulu；　J。　L。　Stevens；　the　American　Minister；　went　so　far　as　to　write　on　February　8；　1892：　〃At　this　time　there　seems　to　be　no　immediate　prospect　of　its　being　safe　to　have　the　harbor　of　Honolulu　left　without　an　American　vessel　of　war。〃

Revolution　was；　indeed；　impending　in　Hawaii。　On　January　14；　1893；　the　Queen　abolished　the　later　constitution　under　which　the　Americans　had　exercised　great　power；　and　in　its　place　she　proclaimed　the　restoration　of　the　old　constitution　which　established　an　absolutism　modified　by　native　home　rule。　At　two　o'clock　on　the　afternoon　of　the　16th　of　January；　the　resident　Americans　organized　a　committee　of　safety；　at　half…past　four　United　States　marines　landed　at　the　call　of　Stevens。　The　Queen　was　thereupon　deposed；　a　provisional　government　was　organized；　and　at　its　request　Stevens　assumed　for　the　United　States　the　〃protection〃　of　the　islands。　Without　delay；　John　W。　Foster；　who　had　just　succeeded　Blaine　as　Secretary　of　State；　drew　up　a　treaty　of　annexation；　which　he　immediately　submitted　to　the　Senate。

On　March　4；　1893；　Cleveland　became　President　for　the　second　time。　He　at　once　withdrew　the　treaty　and　appointed　James　H。　Blount　special　commissioner　to　investigate　the　facts　of　the　revolt。　While　the　report　of　Commissioner　Blount　did　not；　indeed；　convict　Stevens　of　conspiring　to　bring　about　the　uprising；　it　left　the　impression　that　the　revolt　would　not　have　taken　place　and　certainly　could　not　have　succeeded　except　for　the　presence　of　the　United　States　marines　and　the　support　of　the　United　States　Minister。　Cleveland　recalled　Stevens　and　the　marines；　and　requested　the　provisional　government　to　restore　the　Queen。　This　Sanford　Ballard　Dole；　the　President　of　the　new　republic；　refused　to　do；　on　the　contention　that　President　Cleveland　had　no　right　to　interfere　in　the　domestic　affairs　of　Hawaii。　On　the　legality　or　propriety　of　Stevens's　conduct；　opinion　in　Congress　was　divided；　but　with　regard　to　Dole's　contention；　both　the　Senate　and　the　House　were　agreed　that　the　islands　should　maintain　their　own　domestic　government　without　interference　from　the　United　States。　Thus　left　to　themselves；　the　Americans　in　Hawaii　bided　their　time　until　public　opinion　in　the　United　States　should　prove　more　favorable　to　annexation。



CHAPTER　VI。　Venezuela

Probably　no　President　ever　received　so　much　personal　abuse　in　his　own　day　as　did　Grover　Cleveland。　In　time；　however；　his　sterling　integrity　and　fundamental　courage；　his　firm　grasp　of　the　higher　administrative　duties　of　his　office；　won　the　approval　of　his　countrymen；　and　a　repentant　public　sentiment　has　possibly　gone　too　far　in　the　other　direction　of　acclaiming　his　statesmanship。　Unlike　Blaine；　Cleveland　thought　soundly　and　consistently；　but　he　was　more　obstinate；　his　vision　was　often　narrower；　and　he　was　notably　lacking　both　in　constructive　power　and　in　tact；　particularly　in　foreign　relations。　In　his　first　Administration；　through　his　Secretary　of　State；　Thomas　F。　Bayard；　Cleveland　had　negotiated　fairly　amicably　with　Great　Britain；　and　when　he　failed　to　secure　the　Senate's　assent　to　a　treaty　on　the　irritating　question　of　the　northeastern　fisheries；　he　arranged　a　modus　vivendi　which　served　for　many　years。　In　American　affairs　he　opposed　not　only　the　annexation　of　Hawaii　but　also　the　development　of　the　spirit　of　Pan…Americanism。　He　was；　however；　no　more　disposed　than　was　Blaine　to　permit　infractions　of　that　negative　side　of　the　Monroe　Doctrine　which　forbade　European　interference　in　America。　His　second　Administration　brought　to　the　forefront　of　world　diplomacy　an　issue　involving　this　traditional　principle。

The　only　European　possession　in　South　America　at　this　time　was　Guiana；　fronting　on　the　Atlantic　north　of　Brazil　and　divided　among　France；　Holland；　and　Great　Britain。　Beyond　British　Guiana；　the　westernmost　division；　lay　Venezuela。　Between　the　two　stretched　a　vast　tract　of　unoccupied　tropical　jungle。　Somewhere　there　must　have　been　a　boundary；　but　where；　no　man　could　tell。　The　extreme　claim　of　Great　Britain　would　have　given　her　command　of　the　mouth　of　the　Orinoco；　while　that　of　Venezuela　would　practically　have　eliminated　British　Guiana。　Efforts　to　settle　this　long…standing　dispute　were　unavailing。　Venezuela　had　from　time　to　time　suggested　arbitration　but　wished　to　throw　the　whole　area　into　court。　Great　Britain　insisted　upon　reserving　a　minimum　territory　and　would　submit　to　judicial　decision　only　the　land　west　of　what　was　known　as　the　Schomburgk　line　of　1840。　As　early　as　1876　Venezuela　appealed　to　the　United　States；　〃the　most　powerful　and　oldest　of　the　Republics　of　the　new　continent；〃　for　its　〃powerful　moral　support　in　disputes　with　European　nations。〃　Several　times　the　United　States　proffered　its　good　offices　to　Great　Britain；　but　to　no　effect。　The　satisfactory　settlement　of　the　question　grew　more　difficult　as　time　went　on；　particularly　after　the　discovery　of　gold　in　the　disputed　region　had　given　a　new　impulse　to　occupation。

President　Cleveland　took　a　serious　view　of　this　controversy　because　it　seemed　to　involve　more　than　a　boundary　dispute。　To　his　mind　it　called　into　question　the　portion　of　Monroe's　message　which；　in　1823；　stated　that　〃the　American　continents。。。are　henceforth　not　to　be　considered　as　subjects　for　future　colonization　by　any　European　powers。〃　According　to　this　dictum；　boundaries　existed　between　all　nations　and　colonies　of　America；　the　problem　was　merely　to　find　these　boundaries。　If　a　European　power　refused　to　submit　such　a　question　to　judicial　decision；　the　inference　must　be　made　that　it　was　seeking　to　extend　its　boundaries。　In　December；　1894；　Cleveland　expressed　to　Congress　his　hope　that　an　arbitration　would