theodore roosevelt-第28节

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f　an　enemy；　it　is　a　menace　to　us　in　time　of　war；　it　is　an　added　burden；　an　additional　strategic　point　to　be　guarded　by　our　fleet。　If　fortified　by　us；　it　becomes　one　of　the　most　potent　sources　of　our　possible　sea　strength。　Unless　so　fortified　it　strengthens　against　us　every　nation　whose　fleet　is　larger　than　our　own。　One　prime　reason　for　fortifying　our　great　seaports；　is　to　unfetter　our　fleet；　to　release　it　for　offensive　purposes；　and　the　proposed　canal　would　fetter　it　again；　for　our　fleet　would　have　to　watch　it；　and　therefore　do　the　work　which　a　fort　should　do；　and　what　it　could　do　much　better。

'Secondly；　as　to　the　Monroe　Doctrine。　If　we　invite　foreign　powers　to　a　joint　ownership；　a　joint　guarantee；　of　what　so　vitally　concerns　us　but　a　little　way　from　our　borders；　how　can　we　possibly　object　to　similar　joint　action；　say　in　Southern　Brazil　or　Argentina；　where　our　interests　are　so　much　less　evident？　If　Germany　has　the　same　right　that　we　have　in　the　canal　across　Central　America；　why　not　in　the　partition　of　any　part　of　Southern　America？　To　my　mind；　we　should　consistently　refuse　to　all　European　powers　the　right　to　control　in　any　shape；　any　territory　in　the　Western　Hemisphere　which　they　do　not　already　hold。

'As　for　existing　treatiesI　do　not　admit　the　〃dead　hand〃　of　the　treaty　making　power　in　the　past。　A　treaty　can　always　be　honorably　abrogatedthough　it　must　never　be　abrogated　in　dishonest　fashion。'*

*　W。　R。　Thayer：　John　Hay；　II；　339…41。


Fortunately；　Lord　Salisbury；　the　British　Prime　Minister；　remained　benevolently　disposed　towards　the　Isthmian　Canal；　and　in　the　following　year　he　consented　to　take　up　the　subject　again。　A　new　treaty　embodying　the　American　amendments　and　the　British　objections　was　drafted；　and　passed　the　Senate　a　few　months　after　Roosevelt　became　President。　Its　vital　provisions　were；　that　it　abrogated　the　Clayton…Bulwer　Treaty　and　gave　to　the　United　States　full　ownership　and　control　of　the　proposed　canal。

This　was　the　second　illustration　of　Roosevelt's　masterfulness　in　cutting　through　a　diplomatic　knot。　Arrangements　for　constructing　the　Canal　itself　forced　on　him　a　third　display　of　his　dynamic　quality　which　resulted　in　the　most　hotly　discussed　act　of　his　career。

The　French　Canal　Company　was　glad　to　sell　to　the　American　Government　its　concessions　on　the　Isthmus；　and　as　much　of　the　Canal　as　it　had　dug；　for　40；000；000。　It　had　originally　bought　its　concession　from　the　Government　of　Colombia；　which　owned　the　State　of　Panama：　At　first　the　Colombian　rulers　seemed　glad；　and　they　sent　an　accredited　agent；　Dr。　Herran；　to　Washington；　who　framed　with　Secretary　Hay　a　treaty　satisfactory　to　both；　and　believed；　by　Mr。　Hay；　to　represent　the　sincere　intentions　of　the　Colombian　Government　at　Bogota。　The　Colombian　politicians；　however；　who　were　banditti　of　the　Tammany　stripe；　but　as　much　cruder　as　Bogota　was　than　New　York　City；　suddenly　discovered　that　the　transaction　might　be　much　more　profitable　for　themselves　than　they　had　at　first　suspected。　They　put　off　ratifying　the　treaty；　therefore；　and　warned　the　French　Company　that　they　should　charge　it　an　additional　10；000；000　for　the　privilege　of　transferring　its　concession　to　the　Americans。　The　French　demurred；　the　Americans　waited。　Secretary　Hay　reminded　Dr。　Herran　that　the　treaty　must　be　signed　within　a　reasonable　time；　and　intimated　that　the　reasonable　time　would　soon　be　up。

The　Bogotan　blackmailers　indulged　in　still　wilder　dreams　of　avarice；　like　the　hasheesh…eater；　they　completely　lost　contact　with　reality　and　truth。　In　one　of　their　earlier　compacts　with　the　French　Company　they　stipulated　that；　if　the　Canal　were　not　completed　by　a　certain　day　in　1904；　the　entire　concession　and　undertaking　should　revert　to　the　Colombian　Government。　As　it　was　now　September；　1903；　it　did　not　require　the　wits　of　a　political　bandit　to　see　that；　by　staving　off　an　agreement　with　the　United　States　for　a　few　months；　Colombia　could　get　possession　of　property　and　privileges　which　the　French　were　selling　to　the　Americans　for　40；000；000。　So　the　Colombian　Parliament　adjourned　in　October；　1903；　without　even　taking　up　the　Hay…Herran　Treaty。

Meanwhile　the　managers　of　the　French　Company　became　greatly　alarmed　at　the　prospect　of　losing　the　sum　which　the　United　States　had　agreed　to　pay　for　its　rights　and　diggings；　and　it　took　steps　to　avert　this　total　loss。　The　most　natural　means　which　occurred　to　it；　the　means　which　it　adopted；　was　to　incite　a　revolution　in　the　State　of　Panama。　To　understand　the　affair　truly；　the　reader　must　remember　that　Panama　had　long　been　the　chief　source　of　wealth　to　the　Republic　of　Colombia。　The　mountain　gentry　who　conducted　the　Colombian　Government　at　Bogota　treated　Panama　like　a　conquered。　province；　to　be　squeezed　to　the　utmost　for　the　benefit　of　the　politicians。　There　was　neither　community　of　interest　nor　racial　sympathy　between　the　Panamanians　and　the　Colombians；　and；　as　it　required　a　journey　of　fifteen　days　to　go　from　Panama　to　the　Capital；　geography；　also；　added　its　sundering　influence。　Quite　naturally　the　Panamanians；　in　the　course　of　less　than　half　a　century；　had　made　more　than　fifty　attempts　to　revolt　from　Colombia　and　establish　their　own　independence。　The　most　illiterate　of　them　could　understand　that；　if　they　were　independent；　the　money　which　they　received　and　passed　on　to　Bogota。；　for　the　bandits　there　to　spend；　would　remain　in　their　own　hands。　An　appeal　to　their　love　of　liberty；　being　coupled　with　so　obvious　an　appeal　to　their　pockets；　was　irresistible。

Just　what　devices　the　French　Company　employed　to　instigate　revolution；　can　be　read　in　the　interesting　work　of　M。　Bunau…Varilla；　one　of　the　most　zealous　officers　of　the　French　Company；　who　had　devoted　his　life　to　achieving　the　construction　of　the　Trans…Isthmian　Canal。　He　was　indefatigable；　breezy；　and　deliberately　indiscreet。　He　tells　much；　and　what　he　does　not　tell　he　leaves　you　to　infer；　without　risk　of　going　astray。　Mr。　William　Nelson　Cromwell；　of　New　York；　the　general　counsel　of　the　Company；　offset　Varilla's　loquacity　by　a　proper　amount　of　reticence。　Bunau…Varilla　hurried　over　from　Paris；　and　had　interviews　with　President　Roosevelt　and　Secretary　Hay；　but　could　not　draw　them　into　his　conspiracy。　The　President　told　him　that；　at　the　utmost；　he　would　only　order　American　warships；　which　were　on　the　Panama　coast；　to　prevent　any　attack　from　outside　which　might　cause　bloodshed　and　interfere　with　the　undisturbed　passage　across　the　Isthmus；　a　duty　which　the　United　States　was　pledged　to　perform。

The　French　zealot…conspirator　freely　announced　that　the　revolution　at　Panama　would　take　place　at　noon　on　November　3d。　It　did　take　place　as　scheduled　without　violence；　and　with　only　the　accidental　killing　of　a　Chinaman　and　a　dog。　The　next　day　the　Revolutionists　proclaimed　the　Republic　of　Panama；　and　on　November　6th　the　United　States　formally　recognized　its　existence　and　prepared　to　open　diplomatic　relations　with　it。　The　Colombian　Government　had　tried　to　send　troops　to　put　down　the　rebellion；　but　the　American　warships；　obeying　their　orders　to　prevent　bloodshed　or　fighting；　would　not　allow　the　troops　to　land。

As　soon　as　the　news　of　these　events　reached　Bogota；　the　halls　of　Parliament　there　resounded　with　wailing　and　gnashing　of　teeth　and　protests；　and　curses　on　the　perfidious　Americans　who　had　connived　to　free　the　Panamanians　in　their　struggle　for　liberty。　The　mountain　bandits　perceived　that　they　had　overreached　themselves。　Instead　of　the　10；000；000　which　their　envoy　Herran　had　deemed　sufficient；　instead　of　the　40；000；000　and　more；　which　their　greed　had　counted　on　in　1904；　they　would　receive　nothing。　The　Roosevelt　Government　immediately　signed　a　contract　with　the　Republic　of　Panama；　by　which　the　United　States　leased　a　zone　across　the　Isthmus　for　building；　controlling；　and　operating；　the　Canal。　Then　the　Colombians；　in　a　panic；　sent　their　most　respectable　public　man；　and　formerly　their　President；　General　Rafael　Reyes；　to　Washington；　to　endeavor　to　persuade　the　Government　to　reverse　its　compact　with　the　Panama　Republic。　The　blackmailers　were　now　very　humble。　Mr。　Wayne　MacVeagh；　who　was　counsel　for　Colombia；　told　me　that　General　Reyes　was　authorized　to　accept　8；000；000　for　all　the　desired　concessions；　〃and；〃　Mr。　MacVeagh　added；　〃he　would　have　taken　five　millions；　but　Hay　and　Roosevelt　were　so　foolish　that　they　wouldn't　accept。〃

The　quick　decisions　of　the　Administration　in　Washington；　which　accompanied　the　revolution　in　Panama　and　the　recognition　of　the　new　Republic；　were　made　by　Roosevelt。　I　have　seen　no　evidence　that　Mr。　Hay　was　consulted　at　the　last　moment。　When　the　stroke　was　accomplished；　many　good　persons　in　the　United　States　denounced　it。　They　felt　that　it　was　high…handed　and　brutal；　and　that　it　fixed　an　indelible　blot　on　the　national　conscience。　Many　of　them　did　not　know　of　the　long…drawn…out　negotiations　and　of　the　Colombian　premeditated　deceit；　others　knew；　but　overlooked　or　condoned。　They　upheld　strictly　the　letter　of　the　law。　They　could　not　deny　that　the　purpose　of　the　Colombians　was　to　exact　blackmail。　It　meant　nothing　to　them　that　Herran；　the　official　envoy；　had　drawn　up　and　signed　a　treaty　under　instructions　from　Marroquin；　the　President　of　Colombia；　and　its　virtual　dictator；　who；　having　approved　of　the　orders　under　wh