the path of empire-第29章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



As　to　the　regime　which　would　result　from　our　withdrawal；　Admiral　Dewey　judged　from　the　condition　of　those　areas　where　Spanish　authority　had　already　ceased　and　that　of　the　Americans　had　not　yet　been　established。　〃Distressing　reports；〃　he　cabled；　〃have　been　received　of　inhuman　cruelty　practised　on　religious　and　civil　authorities　in　other　parts　of　these　islands。　The　natives　appear　unable　to　govern。〃　It　was　highly　probable；　in　fact；　that　if　the　United　States　did　not　take　the　islands；　Spain　would　sell　her　vanishing　equity　in　the　property　to　some　other　power　which　possessed　the　equipment　necessary　to　conquer　the　Philippines。　To　many　this　eventuality　did　not　seem　objectionable；　as　is　indicated　by　the　remark；　already　quoted；　of　an　American　official　to　certain　Germans：　〃We　don't　want　the　Philippines；　why　don't　you　take　them？〃　That　this　attitude　was　foolishly　Quixotic　is　obvious；　but　more　effective　in　the　molding　of　public　opinion　was　the　feeling　that　it　was　cowardly。

In　such　a　changing　condition　of　public　sentiment；　McKinley　was　a　better　index　of　what　the　majority　wanted　than　a　referendum　could　have　been。　In　August　he　stated：　〃I　do　not　want　any　ambiguity　to　be　allowed　to　remain　on　this　point。　The　negotiators　of　both　countries　are　the　ones　who　shall　resolve　upon　the　permanent　advantages　which　we　shall　ask　in　the　archipelago；　and　decide　upon　the　intervention；　disposition；　and　government　of　the　Philippines。〃　His　instructions　to　the　commissioners　actually　went　farther：

〃Avowing　unreservedly　the　purpose　which　has　animated　all　our　effort；　and　still　solicitous　to　adhere　to　it；　we　cannot　be　unmindful　that；　without　any　desire　or　design　on　our　part；　the　war　has　brought　us　new　duties　and　responsibilities　which　we　must　meet　and　discharge　as　becomes　a　great　nation　on　whose　growth　and　career　from　the　beginning　the　Ruler　of　Nations　has　plainly　written　the　high　command　and　pledge　of　civilization。

〃Incidental　to　our　tenure　in　the　Philippines　is　the　commercial　opportunity　to　which　American　statesmanship　cannot　be　indifferent。。。。　Asking　only　the　open　door　for　ourselves；　we　are　ready　to　accord　the　open　door　to　others。

〃In　view　of　what　has　been　stated；　the　United　States　cannot　accept　less　than　the　cession　in　full　rights　and　sovereignty　of　the　island　of　Luzon。〃

The　American　commissioners　were　divided。　Day　favored　the　limited　terms　of　the　instructions；　Davis；　Frye；　and　Reid　wished　the　whole　group　of　the　Philippines；　Gray　emphatically　protested　against　taking　any　part　of　the　islands。　On　the　26th　of　October；　Hay　telegraphed　that　the　President　had　decided　that　〃the　cession　must　be　of　the　whole　Archipelago　or　none。〃　The　Spanish　commissioners　objected　strongly　to　this　new　development；　and　threatened　to　break　off　the　negotiations　which　otherwise　were　practically　concluded。　This　outcome　would　have　put　the　United　States　in　the　unfortunate　position　of　continuing　a　war　which　it　had　begun　in　the　interests　of　Cuba　for　the　quite　different　purpose　of　securing　possession　of　the　Philippines。　The　Spanish　were　probably　not　without　hopes　that　under　these　changed　conditions　they　might　be　able　to　bring　to　their　active　assistance　that　latent　sympathy　for　them　which　existed　so　strongly　in　Europe。　Nor　was　the　basis　of　the　claim　of　the　United　States　entirely　clear。　On　the　3d　of　November　the　American　commissioners　cabled　to　the　President　that　they　were　convinced　that　the　occupation　of　Manila　did　not　constitute　a　conquest　of　the　islands　as　a　whole。

By　this　time；　however；　the　President　had　decided　that　the　United　States　must　have　the　islands。　On　the　13th　of　November；　Hay　telegraphed　that　the　United　States　was　entitled　to　an　indemnity　for　the　cost　of　the　war。　This　argument　was　not　put　forward　because　the　United　States　wished　indemnity　but　to　give　a　technical　basis　for　the　American　claim　to　the　Philippines。　In　the　same　cablegram；　Hay　instructed　the　commissioners　to　offer　Spain　ten　or　twenty　millions　for　all　the　islands。　Upon　this　financial　basis　the　treaty　was　finally　concluded；　it　was　signed　on　December　10；　1898；　and　ratifications　were　exchanged　on　April　11；　1899。

The　terms　of　the　treaty　provided；　first；　for　the　relinquishment　of　sovereignty　over　Cuba　by　Spain。　The　island　was　to　be　occupied　by　the　United　States；　in　whose　hands　its　subsequent　disposition　was　left。　All　other　Spanish　islands　in　the　West　Indies；　together　with　Guam　in　the　Ladrones；　were　ceded　to　the　United　States。　The　whole　archipelago　of　the　Philippines；　with　water　boundaries　carefully　but　not　quite　accurately　drawn；　was　ceded　to　the　United　States；　which　by　the　same　article　agreed　to　pay　Spain　20；000；000。　All　claims　for　indemnity　or　damages　between　the　two　nations；　or　either　nation　and　the　citizens　of　the　other；　were　mutually　relinquished；　the　United　States　assuming　the　adjudication　and　settlement　of　all　claims　of　her　own　citizens　against　Spain。

This　treaty；　even　more　than　the　act　of　war；　marked　a　turning　point　in　the　relation　of　the　United　States　to　the　outside　world。　So　violent　was　the　opposition　of　those　who　disapproved；　and　so　great　the　reluctance　of　even　the　majority　of　those　who　approved；　to　acknowledge　that　the　United　States　had　emerged　from　the　isolated　path　which　it　had　been　treading　since　1823；　that　every　effort　was　made　to　minimize　the　significance　of　the　beginning　of　a　new　era　in　American　history。　It　was　argued　by　those　delving　into　the　past　that　the　Philippines　actually　belonged　to　the　Western　Hemisphere　because　the　famous　demarcation　line　drawn　by　Pope　Alexander　VI；　in　1493；　ran　to　the　west　of　them；　it　was；　indeed；　partly　in　consequence　of　that　line　that　Spain　had　possessed　the　islands。　Before　Spain　lost　Mexico　her　Philippine　trade　had　actually　passed　across　the　Pacific；　through　the　Mexican　port　of　Acapulco；　and　across　the　Atlantic。　Yet　these　interesting　historical　facts　were　scarcely　related　in　the　mind　of　the　public　to　the　more　immediate　and　tangible　fact　that　the　annexation　of　the　Philippines　gave　the　United　States　a　far…flung　territory　situated　just　where　all　the　powerful　nations　of　the　world　were　then　centering　their　interest。

In　opposition　to　those　who　disapproved　of　this　extension　of　territory；　it　was　argued　more　cogently　that；　in　spite　of　the　prevailing　belief　of　the　thirty　preceding　years；　the　United　States　had　always　been　an　expanding　power；　stretching　its　authority　over　new　areas　with　a　persistency　and　rapidity　hardly　equaled　by　any　other　nation；　and　that　this　latest　step　was　but　a　new　stride　in　the　natural　expansion　of　the　United　States。　But　here　again　the　similarity　between　the　former　and　the　most　recent　steps　was　more　apparent　than　real。　Louisiana；　Florida；　Texas；　California；　and　Oregon；　had　all　been　parts　of　an　obvious　geographical　whole。　Alaska；　indeed；　was　detached；　but　its　acquisition　had　been　partly　accidental；　and　it　was　at　least　a　part　of　the　American　continent　and　would；　in　the　opinion　of　many；　eventually　become　contiguous　by　the　probable　annexation　of　Canada。　Moreover；　none　of　the　areas　so　far　occupied　by　the　United　States　had　been　really　populated。　It　had　been　a　logical　expectation　that　American　people　would　soon　overflow　these　acquired　lands　and　assimilate　the　inhabitants。　In　the　case　of　the　Philippines；　on　the　other　hand；　it　was　fully　recognized　that　Americans　could　at　most　be　only　a　small　governing　class；　and　that　even　Porto　Rico；　accessible　as　it　was；　would　prove　too　thickly　settled　to　give　hopes　of　Americanization。

The　terms　of　the　treaty　with　Spain；　indeed；　recognized　these　differences。　In　all　previous　instances；　except　Alaska；　the　added　territory　had　been　incorporated　into　the　body　of　the　United　States　with　the　expectation；　now　realized　except　in　Hawaii；　of　reaching　the　position　of　self…governing　and　participating　States　of　the　Union。　Even　in　the　case　of　Alaska　it　had　been　provided　that　all　inhabitants　remaining　in　residence；　except　uncivilized　Indians；　should　become　citizens　of　the　United　States。　In　the　case　of　these　new　annexations　resulting　from　the　war　with　Spain；　provision　was　made　only　for　the　religious　freedom　of　the　inhabitants。　〃The　civil　rights　and　political　status　of　the　native　inhabitants　of　the　territories　hereby　ceded　to　the　United　States　shall　be　determined　by　the　Congress。〃　There　could　therefore　be　no　doubt　that　for　the　first　time　the　Unit