the hispanic nations of the new world-第20节

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　such　as　the　country　had　never　known　before。　A　person　of　much　versatility；　he　had　studied　medicine　and　law　before　he　became　a　soldier　and　a　politician。　Later　he　displayed　another　kind　of　versatility　by　letting　henchmen　hold　the　presidential　office　while　he　remained　the　power　behind　the　throne。　Endowed　with　a　masterful　will　and　a　pronounced　taste　for　minute　supervision；　he　had　exactly　the　ability　necessary　to　rule　Venezuela　wisely　and　well。

Amid　considerable　opposition　he　began；　in　1870；　the　first　of　his　three　periods　of　administrationthe　Septennium；　as　it　was　termed。　The　〃sovereign〃　states　he　governed　through　〃sovereign〃　officials　of　his　own　selection。　He　stopped　the　plundering　of　farms　and　the　dragging　of　laborers　off　to　military　service。　He　established　in　Venezuela　an　excellent　monetary　system。　Great　sums　were　expended　in　the　erection　of　public　and　private　buildings　and　in　the　embellishment　of　Caracas。　European　capital　and　immigration　were　encouraged　to　venture　into　a　country　hitherto　so　torn　by　chronic　disorder　as　to　deprive　both　labor　and　property　of　all　guarantees。　Roads；　railways；　and　telegraph　lines　were　constructed。　The　ministers　of　the　Church　were　rendered　submissive　to　the　civil　power。　Primary　education　became　alike　free　and　compulsory。　As　the　phrase　went；　Guzman　Blanco　〃taught　Venezuela　to　read。〃　At　the　end　of　his　term　of　office　he　went　into　voluntary　retirement。

In　1879　Guzman　Blanco　put　himself　at　the　head　of　a　movement　which　he　called　a　〃revolution　of　replevin〃which　meant；　presumably；　that　he　was　opposed　to　presidential　〃continuism；〃　and　in　favor　of　republican　institutions！　Although　a　constitution　promulgated　in　1881　fixed　the　chief　magistrate's　term　of　office　at　two　years；　the　success　which　Guzman　Blanco　had　attained　enabled　him　to　control　affairs　for　five　yearsthe　Quinquennium；　as　it　was　called。　Thereupon　he　procured　his　appointment　to　a　diplomatic　post　in　Europe；　but　the　popular　demand　for　his　presence　was　too　strong　for　him　to　remain　away。　In　1886　he　was　elected　by　acclamation。　He　held　office　two　years　more　and　then；　finding　that　his　influence　had　waned；　he　left　Venezuela　for　good。　Whatever　his　faults　in　other　respects；　Guzman　Blancobe　it　said　to　his　credit　tried　to　destroy　the　pest　of　periodical　revolutions　in　his　country。　Thanks　to　his　vigorous　suppression　of　these　uprisings；　some　years　of　at　least　comparative　security　were　made　possible。　More　than　any　other　President　the　nation　had　ever　had；　he　was　entitled　to　the　distinction　of　having　been　a　benefactor；　if　not　altogether　a　regenerator；　of　his　native　land。



CHAPTER　VIII。　〃ON　THE　MARGIN　OF　INTERNATIONAL　LIFE〃

During　the　period　from　1889　to　1907　two　incidents　revealed　the　standing　that　the　republics　of　Hispanic　America　had　now　acquired　in　the　world　at　large。　In　1889　at　Washington；　and　later　in　their　own　capital　cities；　they　met　with　the　United　States　in　council。　In　1899；　and　again　in　1907；　they　joined　their　great　northern　neighbor　and　the　nations　of　Europe　and　Asia　at　The　Hague　for　deliberation　on　mutual　concerns；　and　they　were　admitted　to　an　international　fellowship　and　cooperation　far　beyond　a　mere　recognition　of　their　independence　and　a　formal　interchange　of　diplomats　and　consuls。

Since　attempts　of　the　Hispanic　countries　themselves　to　realize　the　aims　of　Bolivar　in　calling　the　Congress　at　Panama　had　failed；　the　United　States　now　undertook　to　call　into　existence　a　sort　of　inter…American　Congress。　Instead　of　being　merely　a　supporter；　the　great　republic　of　the　north　had　resolved　to　become　the　director　of　the　movement　for　greater　solidarity　in　thought　and　action。　By　linking　up　the　concerns　of　the　Hispanic　nations　with　its　own　destinies　it　would　assert　not　so　much　its　position　as　guardian　of　the　Monroe　Doctrine　as　its　headship；　if　not　its　actual　dominance；　in　the　New　World；　and　would　so　widen　the　bounds　of　its　political　and　commercial　influence　…　a　tendency　known　as　〃imperialism。〃　Such　was　the　way；　at　least；　in　which　the　Hispanic　republics　came　to　view　the　action　of　the　〃Colossus　of　the　North〃　in　inviting　them　to　participate　in　an　assemblage　meeting　more　or　less　periodically　and　termed　officially　the　〃International　Conference　of　American　States；〃　and　popularly　the　〃Pan…American　Conference。〃

Whether　the　mistrust　the　smaller　countries　felt　at　the　outset　was　lessened　in　any　degree　by　the　attendance　of　their　delegates　at　the　sessions　of　this　conference　remains　open　to　question。　Although　these　representatives；　in　common　with　their　colleagues　from　the　United　States；　assented　to　a　variety　of　conventions　and　passed　a　much　larger　number　of　resolutions；　their　acquiescence　seemed　due　to　a　desire　to　gratify　their　powerful　associate；　rather　than　to　a　belief　in　the　possible　utility　of　such　measures。　The　experience　of　the　earlier　gatherings　had　demonstrated　that　political　issues　would　have　to　be　excluded　from　consideration。　Propositions；　for　example；　such　as　that　to　extend　the　basic　idea　of　the　Monroe　Doctrine　into　a　sort　of　self…denying　ordinance；　under　which　all　the　nations　of　America　should　agree　to　abstain　thereafter　from　acquiring　any　part　of　one　another's　territory　by　conquest；　and　to　adopt；　also；　the　principle　of　compulsory　arbitration；　proved　impossible　of　acceptance。　Accordingly；　from　that　time　onward　the　matters　treated　by　the　Conference　dealt　for　the　most　part　with　innocuous；　though　often　praiseworthy；　projects　for　bringing　the　United　States　and　its　sister　republics　into　closer　commercial；　industrial；　and　intellectual　relations。

The　gathering　itself；　on　the　other　hand；　became　to　a　large　extent　a　fiesta；　a　festive　occasion　for　the　display　of　social　amenities。　Much　as　the　Hispanic　Americans　missed　their　favorite　topic　of　politics；　they　found　consolation　in　entertaining　the　distinguished　foreign　visitors　with　the　genial　courtesy　and　generous　hospitality　for　which　they　are　famous。　As　one　of　their　periodicals　later　expressed　it；　since　a　discussion　of　politics　was　tabooed；　it　were　better　to　devote　the　sessions　of　the　Conference　to　talking　about　music　and　lyric　poetry！　At　all　events；　as　far　as　the　outcome　was　concerned；　their　national　legislatures　ratified　comparatively　few　of　the　conventions。

Among　the　Hispanic　nations　of　America　only　Mexico　took　part　in　the　First　Conference　at　The　Hague。　Practically　all　of　them　were　represented　at　the　second。　The　appearance　of　their　delegates　at　these　august　assemblages　of　the　powers　of　earth　was　viewed　for　a　while　with　mixed　feelings。　The　attitude　of　the　Great　Powers　towards　them　resembled　that　of　parents　of　the　old　regime：　children　at　the　international　table　should　be　〃seen　and　not　heard。〃　As　a　matter　of　fact；　the　Hispanic　Americans　were　both　seen　and　heardespecially　the　latter！　They　were　able　to　show　the　Europeans　that；　even　if　they　did　happen　to　come　from　relatively　weak　states；　they　possessed　a　skillful　intelligence；　a　breadth　of　knowledge；　a　capacity　for　expression；　and　a　consciousness　of　national　character；　which　would　not　allow　them　simply　to　play　〃Man　Friday〃　to　an　international　Crusoe。　The　president　of　the　second　conference；　indeed；　confessed　that　they　had　been　a　〃revelation〃　to　him。

Hence；　as　time　went　on；　the　progress　and　possibilities　of　the　republics　of　Hispanic　America　came　to　be　appreciated　more　and　more　by　the　world　at　large。　Gradually　people　began　to　realize　that　the　countries　south　of　the　United　States　were　not　merely　an　indistinguishable　block　on　the　map；　to　be　referred　to　vaguely　as　〃Central　and　South　America〃　or　as　〃Latin　America。〃　The　reading　public　at　least　knew　that　these　countries　were　quite　different　from　one　another；　both　in　achievements　and　in　prospects。

Yet　the　fact　remains　that；　despite　their　active　part　in　these　American　and　European　conferences；　the　Hispanic　countries　of　the　New　World　did　not　receive　the　recognition　which　they　felt　was　their　due。　Their　national　associates　in　the　European　gatherings　were　disinclined　to　admit　that　the　possession　of　independence　and　sovereignty　entitled　them　to　equal　representation　on　international　council　boards。　To　a　greater　or　less　degree；　therefore；　they　continued　to　stay　in　the　borderland　where　no　one　either　affirmed　or　denied　their　individuality。　To　quote　the　phrase　of　an　Hispanic　American；　they　stood　〃on　the　margin　of　international　life。〃　How　far　they　might　pass　beyond　it　into　the　full　privileges　of　recognition　and　association　on　equal　terms；　would　depend　upon　the　readiness　with　which　they　could　atone　for　the　errors　or　recover　from　the　misfortunes　of　the　past；　and　upon　their　power　to　attain　stability；　prosperity；　strength；　and　responsibility。

Certain　of　the　Hispanic　republics；　however；　were　not　allowed　to　remain　alone　on　their　side　of　〃the　margin　of　international　life。〃　Though　nothing　so　extreme　as　the　earlier　French　intervention　took　place；　foreign　nations　were　not　at　all　averse　to　crossing　over　the　marginal　line　and　teaching　them　what　a　failure　to　comply　with　international　obligations　meant。　The　period　from　1889　to　1907；　therefore；　is　characterized　also　by　interference　on　the　part　of　European　powers；　and　by　interposition　on　the　part　of　the　United　States；　in　the　affairs　of　countries　in　and　around　the　Caribbean　Sea。　Because　of　the　action　taken　by　the　United　States　two　more　republicsCuba　and　Panamacame　into　being；　thus　increasing　the　number　of