part05+-第36部分

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possibly　not　always　by　means　so　peaceful　as　orating　under　the



roof　of　the　Capitol。







Moreover；　the　nation　had　just　escaped　a　terrible　catastrophe　at



the　last　general　election；　the　ignorant；　careless；　and　perverse



vote　having　gone　almost　solidly　for　a　financial　policy　which



would　have　wrecked　us　temporarily　and　disgraced　us　eternally。



Time　will；　no　doubt；　develop　a　more　conservative　sentiment　in　the



States　where　this　vote　for　evil　was　cast；　as　civilization　deepens



and　advances；　better　ideas　will　doubtless　grow　stronger；　but　it



is　sure　that　the　addition　of　Cuba　to　the　United　States；　if　it



ever　comes；　means　the　adding　of　a　vast　illiterate　mass　of　voters



to　those　who　at　that　election　showed　themselves　so　dangerous。







On　all　these　accounts　I　had　felt　very　anxious　to　put　off　the



whole　Cuban　question　until　our　Republic　should　become　so　much



larger　and　so　much　more　mature　that　the　addition　of　a　few



millions　of　Spanish…Americans　would　be　of　but　small　account　in



the　total　vote　of　the　country。







Then；　too；　I　had　little　sympathy　with　aspirations　for　what



Spanish　revolutionists　call　freedom；　and　no　admiration　at　all　for



Central　American　republics。　I　had　officially　examined　one　of　them



thoroughly；　had　known　much　of　others；　and　had　no　belief　in　the



capacity　of　people　for　citizenship　who　prefer　to　carry　on



government　by　pronunciamtentos；　who　never　acknowledge　the　rights



of　majorities；　who　are　ready　to　start　civil　war　on　the　slightest



pretext；　and　who；　when　in　power；　exercise　a　despotism　more



persistent　and　cruel　than　any　since　Nero　and　Caligula。　No　Russian



autocrat；　claiming　to　govern　by　divine　right；　has　ever　dared　to



commit　the　high…handed　cruelties　which　are　common　in　sundry　West



Indian　and　equatorial　republics。　I　felt　that　the　great　thing　was



to　gain　time　before　doing　anything　which　might　result　in　the



admission　of　the　millions　trained　under　such　influences　into　all



the　rights；　privileges；　and　powers　of　American　citizenship。







But　there　came　the　destruction　of　the　Maine　in　the　harbor　of



Havana；　and　thenceforward　war　was　certain。　The　news　was　brought



to　me　at　a　gala　representation　of　the　opera　at　Berlin；　when；　on



invitation　from　the　Emperor；　the　ambassadors　were　occupying　a



large　box　opposite　his　own。　Hardly　had　the　telegram　announcing



the　catastrophe　been　placed　in　my　hands　when　the　Emperor　entered；



and　on　his　addressing　me　I　informed　him　of　it。　He　was　evidently



shocked；　and　expressed　a　regret　which；　I　fully　believe；　was



deeply　sincere。　He　instantly　asked；　with　a　piercing　look；　〃Was



the　explosion　from　the　outside？〃　My　answer　was　that　I　hoped　and



believed　that　it　was　not；　that　it　was　probably　an　interior



explosion。　To　my　great　regret；　the　official　report　afterward



obliged　me　to　change　my　mind　on　the　subject；　but　I　still　feel



that　no　Spanish　officer　or　true　Spaniard　was　concerned　in　the



matter。　It　has　been　my　good　fortune　to　know　many　Spanish



officers；　and　it　is　impossible　for　me　to　conceive　one　of　their



kind　as　having　taken　part　in　so　frightful　a　piece　of　treachery；



it　has　always　seemed　to　be　more　likely　that　it　was　done　by　a



party　of　wild　local　fanatics；　the　refuse　of　a　West　Indian



seaport。







The　Emperor　remained　firm　in　his　first　impression　that　the



explosion　was　caused　from　the　outside。　Even　before　this　was



established　by　the　official　investigation；　he　had　settled　into



that　conclusion。　On　one　occasion；　when　a　large　number　of　leading



officers　of　the　North　Sea　Squadron　were　dining　with　him；　he　asked



their　opinion　on　this　subject；　and　although　the　great



majorityindeed；　almost　all　presentthen　believed　that　the



catastrophe　had　resulted　from　an　interior　explosion；　he　adhered



to　his　belief　that　it　was　from　an　exterior　attack。







On　various　occasions　before　that　time　I　had　met　my　colleague　the



Spanish　ambassador；　Senor　Mendez　y　Vigo；　and　my　relations　with



him　had　been　exceedingly　pleasant。　Each　of　us　had　tried　to　keep



up　the　hopes　of　the　other　that　peace　might　be　preserved；　and　down



to　the　last　moment　I　took　great　pains　to　convince　him　of　what　I



knew　to　be　the　truththat　the　policy　of　President　McKinley　was



to　prevent　war。　But　I　took　no　less　pains　to　show　him　that　Spain



must　aid　the　President　by　concessions　to　public　opinion。　My



personal　sympathies；　too；　were　aroused　in　behalf　of　my　colleague。



He　had　passed　the　allotted　threescore　years　and　ten；　was



evidently　in　infirm　health；　had　five　sons　in　the　Spanish　army；



and　his　son…in…law　had　recently　been　appointed　minister　at



Washington。







Notice　of　the　declaration　of　war　came　to　me　under　circumstances



somewhat　embarrassing。　On　the　21st　of　April；　1898；　began　the



festivities　at　Dresden　on　the　seventieth　birthday　of　King　Albert



of　Saxony；　which　was　also　the　twenty…fifth　anniversary　of　his



accession；　and　in　view　of　the　high　character　of　the　King　and　of



the　affection　for　him　throughout　Germany；　and；　indeed；　throughout



Europe；　nearly　every　civilized　power　had　sent　its　representatives



to　present　its　congratulations。　In　these　the　United　States



joined。　Throughout　our　country　are　large　numbers　of　Saxons；　who；



while　thoroughly　loyal　to　our　Republic；　cherish　a　kindly　and　even



affectionate　feeling　toward　their　former　King　and　Queen。



Moreover；　there　was　a　special　reason。　For　many　years　Dresden　had



been　a　center　in　which　very　many　American　families　congregated



for　the　purpose　of　educating　their　children；　especially　in　the



German　language　and　literature；　in　music；　and　in　the　fine　arts；



no　court　in　Europe　had　been　so　courteous　to　Americans　properly



introduced；　and　in　various　ways　the　sovereigns　had　personally



shown　their　good　feeling　toward　our　countrymen。







It　was　in　view　of　this　that　the　Secretary　of　State　instructed　me



to　present　an　autograph　letter　of　congratulation　from　the



President　to　the　King；　and　on　the　20th　of　April　I　proceeded　to



Dresden；　with　the　embassy　secretaries　and　attaches；　for　this



purpose。　About　midnight　between　the　20th　and　21st　there　came　a



loud　and　persistent　knocking　at　my　door　in　the　hotel；　and　there



soon　entered　a　telegraph　messenger　with　an　enormously　long



despatch　in　cipher。　Hardly　had　I　set　the　secretaries　at　work　upon



it　than　other　telegrams　began　to　come；　and　a　large　part　of　the



night　was　given　to　deciphering　them。　They　announced　the



declaration　of　war　and　instructed　me　to　convey　to　the　various



parties　interested　the　usual　notices　regarding　war　measures：



blockade；　prohibitions；　exemptions；　regulations；　and　the　like。







At　eleven　o'clock　the　next　morning；　court　carriages　having　taken



us　over　to　the　palace；　we　were　going　up　the　grand　staircase　in



full　force　when　who　should　appear　at　the　top；　on　his　way　down；



but　the　Spanish　ambassador　with　his　suite！　Both　of　us　were；　of



course；　embarrassed。　No　doubt　he　felt；　as　I　did；　that　it　would



have　been　more　agreeable　just　then　to　meet　the　representative　of



any　other　power　than　of　that　with　which　war　had　just　been



declared；　but　I　put　out　my　hand　and　addressed　him；　if　not　so



cordially　as　usual；　at　least　in　a　kindly　way；　he　reciprocated　the



greeting；　and　our　embarrassment　was　at　least　lessened。　Of　course；



during　the　continuation　of　the　war；　our　relations　lacked　their



former　cordiality；　but　we　remained　personally　friendly。







In　my　brief　speech　on　delivering　President　McKinley's　letter　I



tendered　to　the　King　and　Queen　the　President's　congratulations；



with　thanks　for　the　courtesies　which　had　been　shown　to　my



countrymen。　This　was　not　the　first　occasion　on　which　I　had



discharged　this　latter　duty；　for；　at　a　formal　presentation　to



these　sovereigns　some　time　before；　I　had　taken　pains　to　show　that



we　were　not　unmindful　of　their　kindness　to　our　compatriots。　The



festivities　which　followed　were　interesting。　There　were　dinners



with　high　state　officials；　gala　opera；　and　historical



representations；　given　by　the　city　of　Dresden；　of　a　very



beautiful　character。　On　these　occasions　I　met　various　eminent



personages；　among　others　the　Emperor　of　Austria　and　his　prime



minister；　Count　Goluchowsky；　both　of　whom　discussed　current



international　topics　with　clearness　and　force；　and　I　also　had



rather　an　interesting　conversation　with　the　papal　nuncio　at



Munich；　more　recently　in　Paris；　Lorenzelli；　with　reference　to



various　measures　looking　to　the　possible　abridgment　of　the　war。







On　the　third　day　of　the　festivities　came　a　great　review；　and　a



sight　somewhat　rare。　To　greet　the　King　there　were　present　the



Emperor　of　Germany；　the　Emperor　of　Austria；　and　various　minor



German　sovereigns；　each　of　whom　had　in　the　Saxon　army　a　regiment



nominally　his　own；　and　led　it　past　the　Saxon　monarch；　saluting



him　as　he　reviewed　it。　The　two　Emperors　certainly　discharged　this



duty　in　a　very　handsome；　chivalric　sort　of　way。　In　the　evening



came　a　great　dinner　at　the　palace；　at　which　the　King　and　Queen



presided。　The　only　speech　on　the　occasion　was　one　of



congratulation　made　by　the　Emperor　of　Austria；　and　it　was　very



creditable　to　him；　being　to　all　appearance　extemporaneous；　yet



well　worded；　quiet；　dignified；　and　manly。　The　ceremonies　closed



on　Sunday　with　a　grand　〃Te　Deum〃　at　the　palace　church；　in　the



presence　of　all　the　majesties；the　joy　expressed　by　the　music



being　duly　accentuated　by　cannon　outside。







I　may　say；　before　closing　this　subject；　that　Thomas　Jefferson's



famous　letter　to　Governor　Langdon；　describing　royal　per