第 26 节
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朝令夕改 更新:2021-02-25 00:17 字数:9322
come unless some means could be found to bring concord to the antagonists。 Here was surely an amazing paradox。 The United States; already possessed of fabulous wealth and daily amassing more; was heading straight for a social and economic revolution; because a part of the inhabitants claimed to be the slaves of industrialism and of poverty。
This slight outline; which every reader can complete for himself; will serve to show what sort of a world; especially what sort of an American world; confronted Roosevelt when he took the reins of government。 His task was stupendous; the problems he had to solve were baffling。 Other public men of the time saw its portents; but he alone seems to have felt that it was his duty to strain every nerve to avert the impending disaster。 And he alone; as it seems to me; understood the best means to take。
Honesty; Justice; Reason; were not to him mere words to decorate sonorous messages or to catch and placate the hearers of his passionate speeches; they were the most real of all realities; moral agents to be used to clear away the deadlock into which Civilization was settling。
CHAPTER XI。 ROOSEVELT'S FOREIGN POLICY
In taking the oath of office at Buffalo; Roosevelt promised to continue President McKinley's policies。 And this he set about doing loyally。 He retained McKinley's Cabinet;* who were working out the adjustments already agreed upon。 McKinley was probably the best…natured President who ever occupied the White House。 He instinctively shrank from hurting anybody's feelings。 Persons who went to see him in dudgeon; to complain against some act which displeased them; found him 〃a bower of roses;〃 too sweet and soft to be treated harshly。 He could say 〃no〃 to applicants for office so gently that they felt no resentment。 For twenty years he had advocated a protective tariff so mellifluously; and he believed so sincerely in its efficacy; that he could at any time hypnotize himself by repeating his own phrases。 If he had ever studied the economic subject; it was long ago; and having adopted the tenets which an Ohio Republican could hardly escape from adopting; he never revised them or even questioned their validity。 His protectionism; like cheese; only grew stronger with age。 As a politician; he was so hospitable that in the campaign of 1896; which was fought to maintain the gold standard and the financial honesty of the United States; he showed very plainly that he had no prejudice against free silver; and it was only at the last moment that the Republican managers could persuade him to take a firm stand for gold。
* In April; 1901; J。 W。 Griggs had retired as Attorney…General and was succeeded by P。 C。 Knox; in January; 1902; C。 E。 Smith was replaced by H。 W。 Payne as Postmaster…General。
The chief business which McKinley left behind him; the work which Roosevelt took up and carried on; concerned Imperialism。 The Spanish War forced this subject to the front by leaving us in possession of the Philippines and by bequeathing to us the responsibility for Cuba and Porto Rico。 We paid Spain for the Philippines; and in spite of constitutional doubts as to how a Republic like the United States could buy or hold subject peoples; we proceeded to conquer those islands and to set up an American administration in them。 We also treated Porto Rico as a colony; to enjoy the blessing of our rule。 And while we allowed Cuba to set up a Republic of her own; we made it very clear that our benevolent protection was behind her。
All this constituted Imperialism; against which many of our soberest citizens protested。 They alleged that as a doctrine it contradicted the fundamental principles on which our nation was built。 Since the Declaration of Independence; America had stood before the world as the champion and example of Liberty; and by our Civil War she had purged her self of Slavery。 Imperialism made her the mistress of peoples who had never been consulted。 Such moral inconsistency ought not to be tolerated。 In addition to it was the political danger that lay in holding possessions on the other side of the Pacific。 To keep them we must be prepared to defend them; and defense would involve maintaining a naval and military armament and of stimulating a warlike spirit; repugnant to our traditions。 In short; Imperialism made the United States a World Power; and laid her open to its perils and entanglements。
But while a minority of the men and women of sober judgment and conscience opposed Imperialism; the large majority accepted it; and among these was Theodore Roosevelt。 He believed that the recent war had involved us in a responsibility which we could not evade if we would。 Having destroyed Spanish sovereignty in the Philippines; we must see to it that the people of those islands were protected。 We could not leave them to govern themselves because they had no experience in government; nor could we dodge our obligation by selling them to any other Power。 Far from hesitating because of legal or moral doubts; much less of questioning our ability to perform this new task; Roosevelt embraced Imperialism; with all its possible issues; boldly not to say exultantly。 To him Imperialism meant national strength; the acknowledgment by the American people that the United States are a World Power and that they would not shrink from taking up any burden which that distinction involved。
When President Cleveland; at the end of 1895; sent his swingeing message in regard to the Venezuelan Boundary quarrel; Roosevelt was one of the first to foresee the remote consequences。 And by the time he himself became President; less than six years later; several eventsour taking of the Hawaiian Islands; the Spanish War; the island possessions which it saddled upon usconfirmed his conviction that the United States could no longer live isolated from the great interests and policies of the world; but must take their place among the ruling Powers。 Having reached national maturity we must accept Expansion as the logical and normal ideal for our matured nation。 Cleveland had laid down that the Monroe Doctrine was inviolable; Roosevelt insisted that we must not only bow to it in theory; but be prepared to defend it if necessary by force of arms。
Very naturally; therefore; Roosevelt encouraged the passing of legislation needed to complete the settlement of our relations with our new possessions。 He paid especial attention to the men he sent to administer the Philippines; and later he was able to secure the services of W。 Cameron Forbes as Governor…General。 Mr。 Forbes proved to be a Viceroy after the best British model and he looked after the interest of his wards so honestly and competently that conditions in the Philippines improved rapidly; and the American public in general felt no qualms over possessing them。 But the Anti…Imperialists; to whom a moral issue does not cease to be moral simply because it has a material sugar…coating; kept up their protest。
There were; however; matters of internal policy; along with them Roosevelt inherited several foreign complications which he at once grappled with。 In the Secretary of State; John Hay; he had a remarkable helper。 Henry Adams told me that Hay was the first 〃man of the world〃 who had ever been Secretary of State。 While this may be disputed; nobody can fail to see some truth in Adams's assertion。 Hay had not only the manners of a gentleman; but also the special carriage of a diplomat。 He was polite; affable; and usually accessible; without ever losing his innate dignity。 An indefinable reserve warded off those who would either presume or indulge in undue familiarity His quick wits kept him always on his guard。 His main defect was his unwillingness to regard the Senate as having a right to pass judgment on his treaties。 And instead of being compliant and compromising; he injured his cause with the Senators by letting them see too plainly that he regarded them as interlopers; and by peppering them with witty but not agreeable sarcasm。 In dealing with foreign diplomats; on the other hand; he was at his best。 They found him polished; straightforward; and urbane。 He not only produced on them the impression of honesty; but he was honest。 In all his diplomatic correspondence; whether he was writing confidentially to American representatives or was addressing official notes to foreign governments; I do not recall a single hint of double…dealing。 Hay was the velvet glove; Roosevelt the hand of steel。
For many years Canada and the United States had enjoyed grievances towards each other; grievances over fisheries; over lumber; and other things; no one of which was worth going to war for。 The discovery of gold in the Klondike; and the rush thither of thousands of fortune…seekers; revived the old question of the Alaskan Boundary; for it mattered a great deal whether some of the gold…fields were Alaskanthat is; American…or Canadian。 Accordingly; a joint High Commission was appointed towards the end of McKinley's first administration to consider the claims and complaints of the two countries。 The Canadians; however; instead of settling each point on its own merits; persisted in bringing in a list of twelve grievances which varied greatly in importance; and this method favored trading one claim a