the path of empire-第13章

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ts　boundaries。　In　December；　1894；　Cleveland　expressed　to　Congress　his　hope　that　an　arbitration　would　be　arranged　and　instructed　his　Secretary　of　State　to　present　vigorously　to　Great　Britain　the　view　of　the　United　States。

Richard　Olney　of　Boston；　a　lawyer　of　exceptional　ability　and　of　the　highest　professional　standing；　was　then　Secretary　of　State。　His　Venezuela　dispatch；　however；　was　one　of　the　most　undiplomatic　documents　ever　issued　by　the　Department　of　State。　He　did　not　confine　himself　to　a　statement　of　his　case；　wherein　any　amount　of　vigor　would　have　been　permissible；　but　ran　his　unpracticed　eye　unnecessarily　over　the　whole　field　of　American　diplomacy。　〃That　distance　and　three　thousand　miles　of　intervening　ocean　make　any　permanent　political　union　between　a　European　and　an　American　state　unnatural　and　inexpedient；〃　may　have　been　a　philosophic　axiom　to　many　in　Great　Britain　as　well　as　in　the　United　States；　but　it　surely　did　not　need　reiteration　in　this　state　paper；　and　Olney　at　once　exposed　himself　to　contradiction　by　adding　the　phrase；　〃will　hardly　be　denied。〃　Entirely　ignoring　the　sensitive　pride　of　the　Spanish　Americans　and　thinking　only　of　Europe；　he　continued：　〃Today　the　United　States　is　practically　sovereign　on　this　continent；　and　its　fiat　is　law　upon　the　subjects　to　which　it　confines　its　interposition。〃

The　President　himself　did　not　run　into　any　such　uncalled…for　extravagance　of　expression；　but　his　statement　of　the　American　position　did　not　thereby　lose　in　vigor。　When　he　had　received　the　reply；　of　the　British　Government　refusing　to　recognize　the　interest　of　the　United　States　in　the　case；　Cleveland　addressed　himself；　on　December　17；　1895；　to　Congress。　In　stating　the　position　of　the　Government　of　the　United　States；　he　declared　that　to　determine　the　true　boundary　line　was　its　right；　duty；　and　interest。　He　recommended　that　the　Government　itself　appoint　a　commission　for　this　purpose；　and　he　asserted　that　this　line；　when　found；　must　be　maintained　as　the　lawful　boundary。　Should　Great　Britain　continue　to　exercise　jurisdiction　beyond　it；　the　United　States　must　resist　by　every　means　in　its　power。　〃In　making　these　recommendations　I　am　fully　alive　to　the　responsibility　incurred；　and　keenly　realize　all　the　consequences　that　may　follow。〃　Yet　〃there　is　no　calamity　which　a　great　nation　can　invite　which　equals　that　which　follows　a　supine　submission　to　wrong　and　injustice　and　the　consequent　loss　of　national　self…respect　and　honor　beneath　which　axe　shielded　and　defended　a　people's　safety　and　greatness。〃

Perhaps　no　American　document　relating　to　diplomacy　ever　before　made　so　great　a　stir　in　the　world。　Its　unexpectedness　enhanced　its　effect；　even　in　the　United　States；　for　the　public　had　not　been　sufficiently　aware　of　the　shaping　of　this　international　episode　to　be　psychologically　prepared　for　the　imminence　of　war。　Unlike　most　Anglo…American　diplomacy；　this　had　been　a　long…range　negotiation；　with　notes　exchanged　between　the　home　offices　instead　of　personal　conferences。　People　blenched　at　the　thought　of　war；　stocks　fell；　the　attention　of　the　whole　world　was　arrested。　The　innumerable　and　intimate　bonds　of　friendship　and　interest　which　would　thus　have　to　be　broken　merely　because　of　an　insignificant　jog　in　a　boundary　remote　from　both　the　nations　made　war　between　the　United　States　and　Great　Britain　seem　absolutely　inconceivable；　until　people　realized　that　neither　country　could　yield　without　an　admission　of　defeat　both　galling　to　national　pride　and　involving　fundamental　principles　of　conduct　and　policy　for　the　future。

Great　Britain　in　particular　stood　amazed　at　Cleveland's　position。　The　general　opinion　was　that　peace　must　be　maintained　and　that　diplomats　must　find　a　formula　which　would　save　both　peace　and　appearances。　Yet　before　this　public　opinion　could　be　diplomatically　formulated；　a　new　episode　shook　the　British　sense　of　security。　Germany　again　appeared　as　a　menace　and；　as　in　the　case　of　Samoa；　the　international　situation　thus　produced　tended　to　develop　a　realization　of　the　kinship　between　Great　Britain　and　the　United　States。　Early　in　January；　1896；　the　Jameson　raid　into　the　Transvaal　was　defeated；　and　the　Kaiser　immediately　telegraphed　his　congratulations　to　President　Krtiger。　In　view　of　the　possibilities　involved　in　this　South　African　situation；　British　public　opinion　demanded　that　her　diplomats　maintain　peace　with　the　United　States；　with　or　without　the　desired　formula。

The　British　Government；　however；　was　not　inclined　to　act　with　undue　haste。　It　became　apparent　even　to　the　most　panicky　that　war　with　the　United　States　could　not　come　immediately；　for　the　American　Commission　of　Inquiry　must　first　report。　For　a　time　Lord　Salisbury　hoped　that　Congress　would　not　support　the　Presidenta　contingency　which　not　infrequently　happened　under　Cleveland's　Administration。　On　this　question　of　foreign　relations；　however；　Congress　stood　squarely　behind　the　President。　Lord　Salisbury　then　toyed　with　the　hope　that　the　matter　might　be　delayed　until　Cleveland's　term　expired；　in　the　hope　he　might　have　an　opportunity　of　dealing　with　a　less　strenuous　successor。

In　the　summer　of　1896；　John　Hay；　an　intimate　friend　of　Major　McKinley；　the　probable　Republican　candidate　for　the　presidency；　was　in　England；　where　he　was　a　well…known　figure。　There　he　met　privately　Arthur　J。　Balfour；　representing　Lord　Salisbury；　and　Sir　William　Harcourt；　the　leader　of　the　Opposition。　Hay　convinced　them　that　a　change　in　the　Administration　of　his　country　would　involve　no　retreat　from　the　existing　American　position。　The　British　Government　thereupon　determined　to　yield　but　attempted　to　cover　its　retreat　by　merging　the　question　with　one　of　general　arbitration。　This　proposal；　however；　was　rejected；　and　Lord　Salisbury　then　agreed　to　〃an　equitable　settlement〃　of　the　Venezuela　question　by　empowering　the　British　Ambassador　at　Washington　to　begin　negotiations　〃either　with　the　representative　of　Venezuela　or　with　the　Government　of　the　United　States　acting　as　the　friend　of　Venezuela。〃

The　achievement　of　the　Administration　consisted　in　forcing　Great　Britain　to　recognize　the　interest　of　the　United　States　in　the　dispute　with　Venezuela；　on　the　ground　that　Venezuela　was　one　of　the　nations　of　the　Western　Hemisphere。　This　concession　practically　involved　recognition　of　the　interest　of　the　United　States　in　case　of　future　disputes　with　other　American　powers。　The　arbitration　treaty　thus　arranged　between　Great　Britain　and　Venezuela　under　the　auspices　of　the　United　States　submitted　the　whole　disputed　area　to　judicial　decision　but　adopted　the　rule　that　fifty　years　of　occupation　should　give　a　sufficient　title　for　possession。　The　arbitration　tribunal；　which　met　in　Paris　in　1899；　decided　on　a　division　of　the　disputed　territory　but　found　that　the　claim　of　Great　Britain　was；　on　the　whole；　more　nearly　correct　than　that　of　Venezuela。

Cleveland's　startling　and　unconventional　method　of　dealing　with　this　controversy　has　been　explained　by　all　kinds　of　conjectures。　For　example；　it　has　been　charged　that　his　message　was　the　product　of　a　fishing　trip　on　which　whisky　flowed　too　freely；　on　the　other　hand；　it　has　been　asserted　that　the　message　was　an　astute　political　play　for　the　thunder　of　patriotic　applause。　More　seriously；　Cleveland　has　been　charged　by　one　set　of　critics　with　bluffing；　and　by　another　with　recklessly　running　the　risk　of　war　on　a　trivial　provocation。　The　charge　of　bluffing　comes　nearer　the　fact；　for　President　Cleveland　probably　had　never　a　moment's　doubt　that　the　forces　making　for　peace　between　the　two　nations　would　be　victorious。　If　he　may　be　said　to　have　thrown　a　bomb；　he　certainly　had　attached　a　safety　valve　to　it；　for　the　investigation　which　he　proposed　could　not　but　give　time　for　the　passions　produced　by　his　message　to　cool。　It　is　interesting　to　note　in　passing　that　delay　for　investigation　was　a　device　which　that　other　great　Democrat；　William　Jennings　Bryan；　Cleveland's　greatest　political　enemy；　sought；　during　his　short　term　as　Secretary　of　State　under　President　Wilson；　to　make　universal　in　a　series　of　arbitration　treatiestreaties　which　now　bind　the　United　States　and　many　other　countries；　how　tightly　no　man　can　tell。

While；　however；　Cleveland's　action　was　based　rather　on　a　belief　in　peace　than　on　an