the path of empire-第16章

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n　aid　which　gave　life　to　the　revolt。

President　Cleveland　energetically　pressed　all　cases　involving　American　rights；　he　offered　mediation；　he　remonstrated　against　the　cruelty　of　Weyler's　methods；　he　pointed　out　that　the　United　States　could　not　forever　allow　an　island　so　near　and　so　closely　related　to　be　in　flames　without　intervention。　Spain；　however；　assumed　a　rather　lofty　tone；　and　Cleveland　was　able　to　accomplish　nothing。　Senator　Lodge　and　other　Republicans　violently　attacked　his　policy　as　procrastinating；　and　the　nation　as　a　whole　looked　forward　with　interest　to　the　approaching　change　in　administration。

William　McKinley；　who　became　President　on　March　4；　1897；　was　not　actively　interested　in　foreign　affairs。　This　he　illustrated　in　a　striking　way　by　appointing　as　Secretary　of　State　John　Sherman　of　Ohio；　a　man　of　undoubtedly　high　ability　but　one　whose　whole　reputation　rested　upon　his　financial　leadership；　and　who　now；　at　the　age　of　seventy…four；　was　known　to　be　incapacitated　for　vigorous　action。　To　the　very　moment　of　crisis；　McKinley　was　opposed　to　a　war　with　Spain；　he　was　opposed　to　the　form　of　the　declaration　of　war　and　he　was　opposed　to　the　terms　of　peace　which　ended　the　war。　Emphatically　not　a　leader；　he　was；　however；　unsurpassed　in　his　day　as　a　reader　of　public　opinion；　and　he　believed　his　function　to　be　that　of　interpreting　the　national　mind。　Nor　did　he　yield　his　opinion　in　a　grudging　manner。　He　grasped　broadly　the　consequences　of　each　new　position　which　the　public　assumed；　and　he　was　a　master　at　securing　harmonious　cooperation　for　a　desired　end。

The　platform　of　the　Republican　party　had　declared：　〃The　Government　of　Spain　having　lost　control　of　Cuba；　and　being　unable　to　protect　the　property　or　lives　of　resident　American　citizens；　or　to　comply　with　its　treaty　obligations；　we　believe　that　the　Government　of　the　United　States　should　actively　use　its　influence　and　good　offices　to　restore　peace　and　give　independence　to　the　island。〃　With　this　mandate；　McKinley　sought　to　free　Cuba；　absolutely　or　practically；　while　at　the　same　time　maintaining　peace　with　Spain。　On　June　26；　1897；　Secretary　Sherman　sent　a　note　to　the　Spanish　Minister；　protesting　against　the　Spanish　methods　of　war　and　asserting　that　〃the　inclusion　of　a　thousand　or　more　of　our　own　citizens　among　the　victims　of　this　policy〃　gives　〃the　President　the　right　of　specific　remonstrance；　but　in　the　just　fulfillment　of　his　duty　he　cannot　limit　himself　to　these　formal　grounds　of　complaint。　He　is　bound　by　the　higher　obligation　of　his　representative　office　to　protest　against　the　uncivilized　and　inhuman　conduct　of　the　campaign　in　the　island　of　Cuba。　He　conceives　that　he　has　a　right　to　demand　that　a　war；　conducted　almost　within　sight　of　our　shores　and　grievously　affecting　American　citizens　and　their　interests　throughout　the　length　and　breadth　of　the　land；　shall　at　least　be　conducted　according　to　the　military　codes　of　civilization。〃

Negotiations　between　the　United　States　and　Spain　have　always　been　peculiarly　irritating；　owing　to　temperamental　differences　between　the　two　peoples。　McKinley；　however；　had　in　mind　a　program　for　which　there　was　some　hope　of　success。　He　was　willing　to　agree　to　some　form　of　words　which　would　leave　Spain　in　titular　possession　of　the　island；　thereby　making　a　concession　to　Spanish　pride；　for　he　knew　that　Spain　was　always　more　loath　to　surrender　the　form　than　the　substance。　This　hope　of　the　President　was　strengthened；　towards　the　end　of　1897；　by　a　dramatic　incident　in　the　political　life　of　Spain。　On　the　8th　of　August；　the　Spanish　Prime　Minister；　the　Conservative　Antonio　Canovas　del　Castillo；　was　assassinated；　and　was　succeeded　on　the　4th　of　October　by　the　Liberal；　Praxedes　Mateo　Sagasta。

The　new　Spanish　Government　listened　to　American　demands　and　made　large　promises　of　amelioration　of　conditions　in　Cuba。　General　Blanco　was　substituted　for　General　Weyler；　whose　cruelty　had　made　him　known　in　the　American　press　as　〃the　Butcher〃；　it　was　announced　that　the　reconcentrado　camps　would　be　broken　up；　and　the　Queen　Regent　decreed　the　legislative　autonomy　of　Cuba。　Arrangements　had　been　made　for　the　handling　of　minor　disputes　directly　with　the　Governor…General　of　Cuba　through　the　American　Consul　General　at　Havana；　General　Fitzhugh　Lee。　On　December　6；　1897；　McKinley；　in　his　annual　message　to　Congress；　counseled　patience。　Convinced　of　the　good　intentions　of　the　new　Spanish　Government；　he　sought　to　induce　American　public　sentiment　to　allow　it　time　to　act。　He　continued　nevertheless　to　urge　upon　Spain　the　fact　that　in　order　to　be　effective　action　must　be　prompt。

Public　sentiment　against　Spain　grew　every　day　stronger　in　the　United　States　and　was　given　startling　impulse　in　February；　1898；　by　two　of　those　critical　incidents　which　are　almost　sure　to　occur　when　general　causes　are　potent　enough　to　produce　a　white　heat　of　popular　feeling。　The　Spanish　Minister　in　the　United　States；　Senor　Dupuy　de　Lome；　had　aroused　the　suspicion；　during　his　summer　residence　on　the　north　shore　of　Massachusetts　Bay；　that　he　was　collecting　information　which　would　be　useful　to　a　Spanish　fleet　operating　on　that　coast。　Whether　this　charge　was　true　or　not；　at　any　rate　he　wrote　a　letter　to　a　friend；　a　Madrid　editor　visiting　Havana；　in　which　he　characterized　McKinley　as　a　vacillating　and　timeserving　politician。　Alert　American　newspaper　men；　who　practically　constituted　a　secret　service　of　some　efficiency；　managed　to　obtain　the　letter。　On　February　9；　1898；　De　Lome　saw　a　facsimile　of　this　letter　printed　in　a　newspaper　and　at　once　cabled　his　resignation。　In　immediately　accepting　De　Lome's　resignation　Spain　anticipated　an　American　demand　for　his　recall　and　thus　saved　Spanish　pride；　though　undoubtedly　at　the　expense　of　additional　irritation　in　the　United　States；　where　it　was　thought　that　he　should　have　been　punished　instead　of　being　allowed　to　slip　away。

Infinitely　more　serious　than　this　diplomatic　faux　pas　was　the　disaster　which　befell　the　United　States　battleship　Maine：　On　January　24；　1898；　the　Government　had　announced　its　intention　of　sending　a　warship　on　a　friendly　visit　to　Havana；　with　the　desire　of　impressing　the　local　Cuban　authorities　with　the　imminence　of　American　power。　Not　less　important　was　the　purpose　of　affording　protection　to　American　citizens　endangered　by　the　rioting　of　Spaniards；　who　were　angry　because　they　believed　that　Sagasta　by　his　conciliatory　policy　was　betraying　the　interests　of　Spain。　Accordingly　the　Maine；　commanded　by　Captain　Sigsbee；　was　dispatched　to　Cuba　and　arrived　on　the　25th　of　January　in　the　harbor　of　Havana。　On　the　night　of　the　15th　of　February；　an　explosion　utterly　wrecked　the　vessel　and　killed　260　of　the　crew；　besides　wounding　ninety。

The　responsibility　for　this　calamity　has　never　been　positively　determined。　It　may　have　resulted　from　an　accidental　internal　explosion；　from　the　official　action　of　the　Spanish　authorities；　from　the　unofficial　zeal　of　subordinate　Spanish　officers；　or　evenas　suggested　by　Speaker　Reed　who　was　an　opponent　of　warby　action　of　the　insurgents　themselves　with　the　purpose　of　embroiling　the　United　States　and　Spain。　The　careful　investigations　which　were　afterwards　made　brought　to　light　evidence　of　both　internal　and　external　explosions；　it　therefore　seems　probable　that　an　external　mine　was　the　prime　cause　of　the　disaster　and　that　the　internal　explosion　followed　as　a　consequence。　No　direct　evidence　has　been　discovered　which　would　fix　the　responsibility　for　the　placing　of　the　mine；　but　it　is　reasonable　to　attribute　it　to　the　Spanish　hotheads　of　Havana。　It　is　not　impossible　that　the　insurgents　were　responsible；　but　it　is　incredible　that　the　Spanish　Government　planned　the　explosion。

The　hasty；　though　perhaps　natural；　conclusion　to　which　American　public　sentiment　at　once　leaped；　however；　was　that　the　disaster　was　the　work　of　Spain；　without　making　any　discrimination　between　the　Government　itself　and　the　disaffected　factions。　A　general　sorrow　and　anger　throughout　the　United　States　reinforced　the　popular　anxiety　for　national　interests　and　the　humane　regard　for　the　Cubans。　Press　and　public　oratory　demanded　official　action。　〃Remember　the　Maine！〃　was　an　admonition　which　everywhere　met　the　eye　and　ear。　The　venerable　and　trusted　Senator　Proctor；　who　visited　Cuba