the path of empire-第4章

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o　and　had　sent　to　destruction　over　Niagara　Falls。　The　British　Government；　holding　that　the　Caroline　was　at　the　time　illegally　employed　to　assist　Canadian　insurgents；　and　that　the　Canadian　militia　were　under　government　orders　justifiable　by　international　law；　assumed　the　responsibility　for　McLeod's　act　and　his　safety。　Ten　thousand　Americans　along　the　border；　members　of　〃Hunters'　Lodges；〃　were　anxious　for　a　war　which　would　unleash　them　for　the　conquest　of　Canada。　Delay　was　causing　all　these　disputes　to　fester；　and　the　public　mind　of　the　two　countries　was　infected　with　hostility。

Fortunately　in　1841　new　administrations　came　into　power　in　both　England　and　the　United　States。　Neither　the　English　Tories　nor　the　American　Whigs　felt　bound　to　maintain　all　the　contentions　of　their　predecessors；　and　both　desired　to　come　to　an　agreement。　The　responsibility　on　the　American　side　fell　upon　Daniel　Webster；　the　new　Secretary　of　State。　With　less　foreign　experience　than　John　Quincy　Adams；　he　was　more　a　man　of　the　world　and　a　man　among　men。　His　conversation　was　decidedly　less　ponderous　than　his　oratory；　and　there　was　no　more　desirable　dinner　guest　in　America。　Even　in　Webster's　lightest　moments；　his　majestic　head　gave　the　impression　of　colossal　mentality；　and　his　eyes；　when　he　was　in　earnest；　almost　hypnotized　those　upon　whom　he　bent　his　gaze。　A　leading　figure　in　public　life　for　twenty…five　years；　he　now　attained　administrative　position　for　the　first　time；　and　his　constant　practice　at　the　bar　had　given　something　of　a　lawyerlike　trend　to　his　mind。

The　desire　of　the　British　Government　for　an　agreement　with　the　United　States　was　shown　by　the　selection　of　Washington　instead　of　London　as　the　place　of　negotiation　and　of　Lord　Ashburton　as　negotiator。　The　head　of　the　great　banking　house　of　Baring　Brothers；　he　had　won　his　title　by　service　and　was；　moreover；　known　to　be　a　friend　of　the　United　States。　While　in　Philadelphia　in　his　youth；　he　had　married　Miss　Bingham　of　that　city；　and　she　still　had　American　interests。　In　the　controversies　before　the　War　of　1812　Lord　Ashburton　had　supported　many　of　the　American　contentions。　He　knew　Webster　personally；　and　they　both　looked　forward　to　the　social　pleasure　of　meeting　again　during　the　negotiations。　The　two　representatives　came　together　in　this　pleasant　frame　of　mind　and　did　most　of　their　business　at　the　dinner　table；　where　it　is　reported　that　more　than　diplomatic　conversation　flowed。　They　avoided　an　exchange　of　notes；　which　would　bind　each　to　a　position　once　taken；　but　first　came　to　an　agreement　and　then　prepared　the　documents。

It　must　not　be　supposed；　however；　that　either　Ashburton　or　Webster　sacrificed　the　claims　of　his　own　Government。　Webster　certainly　was　a　good　attorney　for　the　United　States　in　settling　the　boundary　disputes；　as　is　shown　by　the　battle　of　the　maps。　The　territorial　contentions　of　both　countries　hung　largely　upon　the　interpretation　of　certain　clauses　of　the　first　American　treaty　of　peace。　Webster　therefore　ordered　a　search　for　material　to　be　made　in　the　archives　of　Paris　and　London。　In　Paris　there　was　brought　to　light　a　map　with　the　boundary　drawn　in　red；　possibly　by　Franklin；　and　supporting　the　British　contention。　Webster　refrained　from　showing　this　to　Ashburton　and　ordered　search　in　London　discontinued。　Ironically　enough；　however；　a　little　later　there　was　unearthed　in　the　British　Museum　the　actual　map　used　by　one　of　the　British　commissioners　in　1782；　which　showed　the　boundary　as　the　United　States　claimed　it　to　be。　Though　they　had　been　found　too　late　to　affect　the　negotiations；　these　maps　disturbed　the　Senate　discussion　of　the　matter。　Yet；　as　they　offset　each　other；　they　perhaps　facilitated　the　acceptance　of　the　treaty。

Rapidly　Webster　and　Ashburton　cleared　the　field。　Webster　obtained　the　release　of　McLeod　and　effected　the　passage　of　a　law　to　prevent　a　similar　crisis　in　the　future　by　permitting　such　cases　to　be　transferred　to　a　federal　court。　The　Caroline　affair　was　settled　by　an　amicable　exchange　of　notes　in　which　each　side　conceded　much　to　the　other。　They　did　not　indeed　dispose　of　the　slave　trade；　but　they　reached　an　agreement　by　which　a　joint　squadron　was　to　undertake　to　police　efficiently　the　African　seas　in　order　to　prevent　American　vessels　from　engaging　in　that　trade。

Upon　the　more　important　matter　of　boundary；　both　Webster　and　Ashburton　decided　to　give　up　the　futile　task　of　convincing　each　other　as　to　the　meaning　of　phrases　which　rested　upon　half…known　facts　reaching　back　into　the　misty　period　of　first　discovery　and　settlement。　They　abandoned　interpretation　and　made　compromise　and　division　the　basis　of　their　settlement。　This　method　was　more　difficult　for　Webster　than　for　Ashburton；　as　both　Maine　and　Massachusetts　were　concerned；　and　each　must　under　the　Constitution　be　separately　convinced。　Here　Webster　used　the　〃Red　Line〃　map；　and　succeeded　in　securing　the　consent　of　these　States。　They　finally　settled　upon　a　boundary　which　was　certainly　not　that　intended　in　1782　but　was　a　compromise　between　the　two　conceptions　of　that　boundary　and　divided　the　territory　with　a　regard　for　actual　conditions　and　geography。　From　Passamaquoddy　Bay　to　the　Lake　of　the　Woods；　accepted　lines　were　substituted　for　controversy；　and　the　basis　of　peace　was　thus　made　more　secure。　The　treaty　also　contained　provision　for　the　mutual　extradition　of　criminals　guilty　of　specified　crimes；　but　these　did　not　include　embezzlement；　and　〃gone　to　Canada〃　was　for　years　the　epitaph　of　many　a　dishonest　American　who　had　been　found　out。

The　friendly　spirit　in　which　Webster　and　Ashburton　had　carried　on　their　negotiations　inaugurated　a　period　of　reasonable　amity　between　their　two　nations。　The　United　States　annexed　Texas　without　serious　protest；　in　spite　of　the　clamor　for　〃fifty…four　forty　or　fight；〃　Oregon　was　divided　peacefully；　and　England　did　not　take　advantage　of　the　war　with　Mexico。　Each　of　these　events；　however；　added　to　American　territory；　and　these　additions　gave　prominence　to　a　new　and　vexing　problem。　The　United　States　was　now　planted　solidly　upon　the　Pacific；　and　its　borders　were　practically　those　to　which　Adams　had　looked　forward。　Natural　and　unified　as　this　area　looks　upon　the　map　and　actually　is　today；　in　1850　the　extent　of　territorial　expansion　had　overreached　the　means　of　transportation。　The　Great　Plains；　then　regarded　as　the　Great　American　Desert；　and　the　Rockies　presented　impossible　barriers　to　all　but　adventurous　individuals。　These　men；　uniting　in　bands　for　self…protection　and　taking　their　lives　in　their　hands；　were　able　with　good　luck　to　take　themselves　but　little　else　across　this　central　region　and　the　western　barrier。　All　ordinary　communication；　all　mail　and　all　freight；　must　go　by　sea。　The　United　States　was　actually　divided　into　two　very　unequal　parts；　and　California　and　Oregon　were　geographically　far　distant　colonies。

The　ocean　highroad　belonged　to　the　United　States　in　common　with　all　nations；　but　it　took　American　ships　to　the　opposite　ends　of　the　earth。　No　regular　shuttle　of　traffic　sufficient　to　weave　the　nation　together　could　be　expected　to　pass　Cape　Horn　at　every　throw。　The　natural　route　lay　obviously　through　the　Caribbean；　across　some　one　of　the　isthmuses；　and　up　the　Pacific　coast。　Here　however；　the　United　States　would　have　to　use　territory　belonging　to　other　nations；　and　to　obtain　the　right　of　transit　and　security　agreement　was　necessary。　All　these　isthmus　routes；　moreover；　needed　improvement。　Capital　must　be　induced　to　do　the　work；　and　one　necessary　inducement　was　a　guarantee　of　stable　conditions　of　investment。

This　isthmus　route　became　for　a　time　the　prime　object　of　American　diplomacy。　The　United　States　made　in　1846　satisfactory　arrangements　with　the　Republic　of　New　Granada　（later　Colombia）；　across　which　lay　the　most　southern　route；　and　in　1853　with　Mexico；　of　whose　northern　or　Tehuantepec　route　many　had　great　expectations；　but　a　further　difficulty　was　now　discovered。　The　best　lanes　were　those　of　Panama　and　of　Nicaragua。　When　the　discovery　of　gold　in　California　in　1848　made　haste　a　more　important　element　in　the　problem；　〃Commodore〃　Vanderbilt；　at　that　time　the　shipping　king　of　the　United　States；　devoted　his　attention　to　the　Nicaragua　route　and　made　it　the　more　popular。　Here　however；　the　United　Sta