theodore roosevelt-第26节

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　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