the path of empire-第15章

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f　the　Antilles〃　was　bound　to　Spain　by　compulsion　rather　than　by　love。　In　the　United　States　there　was　a　general　feeling　that　the　time　had　at　last　come　to　realize　the　vision　of　Jefferson　and　Adams　and　to　annex　Cuba。　But　the　complications　of　the　slavery　question　prevented　immediate　annexation。　As　a　slave　colony　which　might　become　a　slave　state；　the　South　wanted　Cuba；　but　the　majority　in　the　North　did　not。

After　the　Civil　War　in　the　United　States　was　over；　revolution　at　length　flared　forth　in　1868；　from　end　to　end　of　the　island。　Sympathy　with　the　Cubans　was　widespread　in　the　United　States。　The　hand　of　the　Government；　however；　was　stayed　by　recent　history。　Americans　felt　keenly　the　right　of　governments　to　exert　their　full　strength　to　put　down　rebellion；　for　they　themselves　were　prosecuting　against　Great　Britain　a　case　based　on　what　they　contended　was　her　too　lax　enforcement　of　her　obligations　to　the　American　Government　and　on　the　assistance　which　she　had　given　to　the　South。　The　great　issue　determined　the　lesser；　and　for　ten　years　the　United　States　watched　the　Cuban　revolution　without　taking　part　in　it；　but　not；　however；　without　protest　and　remonstrance。　Claiming　special　rights　as　a　close　and　necessarily　interested　neighbor；　the　United　States　constantly　made　suggestions　as　to　the　manner　of　the　contest　and　its　settlement。　Some　of　these　Spain　grudgingly　allowed；　and　it　was　in　part　by　American　insistence　that　slavery　was　finally　abolished　in　the　island。　Further　internal　reform；　however；　was　not　the　wish　and　was　perhaps　beyond　the　power　of　Spain。　Although　the　revolution　was　seemingly　brought　to　a　close　in　1878；　its　embers　continued　to　smolder　for　nearly　a　score　of　years　until　in　1895　they　again　burst　into　flame。

War　in　Cuba　could　not　help　affecting　in　a　very　intimate　way　the　people　of　the　United　States。　They　bought　much　the　greater　part　of　the　chief　Cuban　crops；　sugar　and　tobacco。　American　capital　had　been　invested　in　the　island；　particularly　in　plantations。　For　years　Cubans　of　liberal　tendencies　had　sent　their　sons　to　be　educated　in　the　United　States；　very　many　of　whom　had　been　naturalized　before　returning　home。　Cuba　was　but　ninety　miles　from　Florida；　and　much　of　our　coastwise　shipping　passed　in　sight　of　the　island。　The　people　of　the　United　States　were　aroused　to　sympathy　and　to　a　desire　to　be　of　assistance　when　they　saw　that　the　Cubans；　so　near　geographically　and　so　bound　to　them　by　many　commercial　ties；　were　engaged　against　a　foreign　monarchy　in　a　struggle　for　freedom　and　a　republican　form　of　government。　Ethan　Allen　headed　a　Cuban　committee　in　New　York　and　by　his　historic　name　associated　the　new　revolution　with　the　memory　of　the　American　struggle　for　freedom。　The　Cuban　flag　was　displayed　in　the　United　States；　Cuban　bonds　were　sold；　and　volunteers　and　arms　were　sent　to　the　aid　of　the　insurgents。

Owing　to　the　nature　of　the　country　and　the　character　of　the　people；　a　Cuban　revolution　had　its　peculiarities。　The　island　is　a　very　long　and　rugged　mountain　chain　surrounded　by　fertile；　cultivated　plains。　The　insurgents　from　their　mountain　refuges　spied　out　the　land；　pounced　upon　unprotected　spots；　burned　crops　and　sugar　mills；　and　were　off　before　troops　could　arrive。　The　portion　of　the　population　in　revolt　at　any　particular　time　was　rarely　large。　Many　were　insurgents　one　week　and　peaceful　citizens　the　next。　The　fact　that　the　majority　of　the　population　sympathized　with　the　insurgents　enabled　the　latter　to　melt　into　the　landscape　without　leaving　a　sign。　A　provisional　government　hurried　on　mule…back　from　place　to　place。　The　Spanish　Government；　contrary　to　custom；　acted　at　this　time　with　some　energy：　it　put　two　hundred　thousand　soldiers　into　the　island；　it　raised　large　levies　of　loyal　Cubans；　it　was　almost　always　victorious；　yet　the　revolution　would　not　down。　Martinez　Campos；　the　〃Pacificator〃　of　the　first　revolution；　was　this　time　unable　to　protect　the　plains。　In　1896　he　was　replaced　by　General　Weyler；　who　undertook　a　new　system。　He　started　to　corral　the　insurgents　by　a　chain　of　blockhouses　and　barbed　wire　fences　from　ocean　to　seathe　first　completely　guarded　cross…country　line　since　the　frontier　walls　of　the　Roman　Empire　in　Europe　and　the　Great　Wall　of　China　in　Asia。　He　then　proceeded　to　starve　out　the　insurgents　by　destroying　all　the　food　in　the　areas　to　which　they　were　confined。　As　the　revolutionists　lived　largely　on　the　pillage　of　plantations　in　their　neighborhood；　this　policy　involved　the　destruction　of　the　crops　of　the　loyal　as　well　as　of　the　disloyal；　of　Americans　as　well　as　of　Cubans。　The　population　of　the　devastated　plantations　was　gathered　into　reconcentrado　camps　where；　penned　promiscuously　into　small　reservations；　they　were　entirely　dependent　upon　a　Government　which　was　poor　in　supplies　and　as　careless　of　sanitation　as　it　was　of　humanity。　The　camps　became　pest…holes；　spreading　contagion　to　all　regions　having　intercourse　with　Cuba；　and　in　vain　the　interned　victims　were　crying　aloud　for　succor。

This　new　policy　of　disregard　for　property　and　life　deeply　involved　American　interests　and　sensibilities。　The　State　Department　maintained　that　Spain　was　responsible　for　the　destruction　of　American　property　by　insurgents。　This　Spain　denied；　for；　while　she　never　officially　recognized　the　insurgents　as　belligerents；　the　insurrection　had　passed　beyond　her　control。　This　was；　indeed；　the　position　which　the　Spanish　Treaty　Claims　Commission　subsequently　took　in　ruling　that　to　establish　a　claim　it　would　be　necessary　to　show　that　the　destruction　of　property　was　the　consequence　of　negligence　upon　the　part　of　Spanish　authorities　or　of　military　orders。　Of　other　serious　grievances　there　was　no　doubt。　American　citizens　were　imprisoned；　interned　in　reconcentrado　camps；　and　otherwise　maltreated。　The　nationality　of　American　sufferers　was　in　some　cases　disputed；　and　the　necessity　of　dealing　with　each　of　these　doubtful　cases　by　the　slow　and　roundabout　method　of　complaint　to　Madrid；　which　referred　matters　back　to　Havana；　which　reported　to　Madrid；　served　but　to　add　irritation　to　delay。　American　resentment；　too；　was　fired　by　the　sufferings　of　the　Cubans　themselves　as　much　as　by　the　losses　and　difficulties　of　American　citizens。

One　change　of　extreme　importance　had　taken　place　since　the　Cuban　revolt　of　1868…78。　This　was　the　development　of　the　modern　American　newspaper。　It　was　no　longer　possible　for　the　people　at　large　to　remain　ignorant　of　what　was　taking　place　at　their　very　doors。　Correspondents　braved　the　yellow　fever　and　imprisonment　in　order　to　furnish　the　last　details　of　each　new　horror。　Foremost　in　this　work　were　William　Randolph　Hearst；　who　made　new　records　of　sensationalism　in　his　papers；　particularly　in　the　New　York　Journal；　and　Joseph　Pulitzer；　proprietor　of　the　New　York　World。　Hearst　is　reported　to　have　said　that　it　cost　him　three　millions　to　bring　on　the　Spanish　American　War。　The　net　result　of　all　this　newspaper　activity　was　that　it　became　impossible　for　the　American　people　to　remain　in　happy　ignorance　of　what　was　going　on　in　the　world。　Their　reaction　to　the　facts　was　their　own。

President　Cleveland　modeled　his　policy　upon　that　of　Grant　and　Grant's　Secretary；　Hamilton　Fish。　He　did　not　recognize　the　independence　of　the　Cuban　republic；　for　that　would　have　meant　immediate　war　with　Spain；　nor　did　he　recognize　even　its　belligerency。　Public　men　in　the　United　States　were　still　convinced　that　Great　Britain　had　erred　in　recognizing　the　belligerency　of　the　Southern　Confederacy；　and　consistency　of　foreign　policy　demanded　that　the　Government　should　not　accord　recognition　to　a　Government　without　a　navy；　a　capital；　or　fixed　territory。　This　decision　made　it　particularly　difficult　for　the　President　to　perform　his　acknowledged　duty　to　Spain；　of　preventing　aid　being　sent　from　the　United　States　to　the　insurgents。　He　issued　the　proper　proclamations；　and　American　officials　were　reasonably　diligent；　it　is　true；　but　without　any　of　the　special　powers　which　would　have　resulted　from　a　recognized　state　of　war　they　were　unable　to　prevent　a　leakage　of　supplies。　As　a　result　General　Weyler　had　some　ground　for　saying；　though　with　characteristic　Spanish　extravagance；　that　it　was　American　aid　which　gave　life　to　the　revolt。

President　Cleveland　energetically　pressed　all　cases　involvin