part05+-第38部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！





those　fraudulent　pretenders　I　always　felt　to　be　a　galling　burden。







Fortunately　the　rules　of　the　State　Department　have　been　of　late



years　strengthened　to　meet　this　evil；　and　it　has　finally　become



our　practice　to　inform　such　people　that　if　they　return　to　America



they　can　receive　a　passport　for　that　purpose；　but　that　unless



they　show　a　clear　intention　of　returning；　they　cannot。　Very　many



of　them　persist　in　their　applications　in　spite　of　this；　and　one



case　became　famous　both　at　the　State　Department　and　at　the



embassy。　Three　Russians　of　the　class　referred　to　had　emigrated



with　their　families　to　America；　and；　after　the　usual　manner；



stayed　just　long　enough　to　acquire　citizenship；　and　had　then



returned　to　Germany。　One　of　them　committed　a　crime　and



disappeared；　the　other　two　went　to　the　extreme　eastern　frontier



of　Prussia　and　settled　there。　Again　and　again　the　Prussian



Government　notified　us　that　under　the　right　exercised　by　every



nation；　and　especially　by　our　own；　these　〃undesirable　intruders〃



must　leave　Prussian　territory　or　be　expelled。　Finally　we



discovered　at　the　embassy　that　a　secret　arrangement　had　been　made



between　Germany　and　Russia　which　obliged　each　to　return　the



undesirable　emigrants　of　the　other。　This　seemed　to　put　the　two



families　in　great　danger　of　being　returned　to　Russia；　and；　sooner



than　risk　a　new　international　trouble；　a　proposal　was　made　to



them；　through　the　embassy；　to　pay　their　expenses　back　to　America；



but　they　utterly　refused　to　leave；　and　continued　to　burrow　in　the



wretched　suburbs　of　one　of　the　German　cities　nearest　the　Russian



border。　Reams　of　correspondence　ensuedall　to　no　purpose；　a



special　messenger　was　sent　to　influence　themall　in　vain：　they



persisted　in　living　just　as　near　Russia　as　possible；　and　in



calling　themselves　American；　though　not　one　of　them　spoke



English。







From　time　to　time　appeared　in　our　own　country　attacks　against　the



various　American　embassies　and　legations　abroad　for　not



protecting　such　American　citizens；　and　a　very　common　feature　of



these　articles　was　an　unfavorable　comparison　between　the　United



States　and　England：　it　being　claimed　that　Great　Britain　protects



her　citizens　everywhere；　while　the　United　States　does　not。　This



statement　is　most　misleading。　Great　Britain；　while　she　is



renowned　for　protecting　her　subjects　throughout　the　world；



bringing　the　resources　of　her　fleet；　if　need　be；　to　aid



them；makes　an　exception　as　regards　her　adopted　citizens　in　the



land　of　their　birth。　The　person　who；　having　been　naturalized　in



Great　Britain；　goes　back　to　the　country　of　his　birth；　does　so　at



his　or　her　own　risk。　The　British　Government　considers　itself；



under　such　circumstances；　entirely　absolved　from　the　duty　of



giving　protection。　The　simple　fact　is　that　the　United　States　goes



much　further　in　protecting　adopted　citizens　than　does　any　other



country；　and　it　is　only　rank　demagogism　which　can　find　fault



because　some　of　our　thinking　statesmen　do　not　wish　to　see



American　citizenship　prostituted　by　persons　utterly　unfit　to



receive　it；　who　frequently　use　it　fraudulently；　and　who；　as　many



cases　prove；　are　quite　ready　to　renounce　it　and　take　up　their　old



allegiance　if　they　can　gain　advantage　thereby。







Another　general　duty　of　the　embassy　was　to　smooth　the　way　for　the



large　number　of　young　men　and　women　who　came　over　as　students。



This　duty　was　especially　pleasing　to　me　now；　as　it　had　been



during　my　life　as　minister　in　Berlin　twenty　years　before。　At　that



time　women　were　not　admitted　to　the　universities；　but　now　large



numbers　were　in　attendance。　The　university　authorities　showed



themselves　very　courteous；　and；　when　there　was　any　doubt　as　to



the　standing　of　the　institution　from　which　a　candidate　for



admission　came；　allowed　me　to　pass　upon　the　question　and　accepted



my　certificate。　Almost　without　exception；　I　found　these



candidates　excellent；　but　there　were　some　exceptions。　The



applicants　were　usually　persons　who　had　been　graduated　from　some



one　of　our　own　institutions；　but；　from　time　to　time；　persons　who



had　merely　passed　a　freshman　year　in　some　little　American　college



came　abroad；　anxious　to　secure　the　glory　of　going　at　once　into　a



German　university。　Certificates　for　such　candidates　I　declined　to



sign。　To　do　so　would　have　been　an　abuse　sure　to　lead　the　German



authorities　finally　to　reject　the　great　mass　of　American



students：　far　better　for　applicants　to　secure　the　best　advantages



possible　in　their　own　country；　and　then　to　supplement　their　study



at　home　by　proper　work　abroad。







In　sketches　of　my　former　mission　to　Berlin　I　have　mentioned



various　applications；　some　of　them　psychological　curiosities；



these　I　found　continuing；　though　with　variations。　Some



compatriots　expected　me　to　forward　to　the　Emperor　begging



letters；　or　letters　suggesting　to　him　new　ideas；　unaware　that



myriads　of　such　letters　are　constantly　sent　which　never　reach



him；　and　which　even　his　secretaries　never　think　of　reading。



Others　sent　books；　not　knowing　the　rule　prevailing　among　crowned



heads；　never　to　accept　a　PUBLISHED　book；　and　not　realizing　that



if　this　rule　were　broken；　not　one　book　in　a　thousand　would　get



beyond　the　office　of　his　general　secretary。　Others　sent　medicine



which　they　wished　him　to　recommend；　and　one　gentleman　was　very



persistent　in　endeavoring　to　secure　his　Majesty's　decision　on　a



wager。







Then　there　were　singers　or　performers　on　wind　or　string



instruments　wishing　to　sing　or　play　before　him；　sculptors　and



painters　wishing　him　to　visit　their　studios；　and　writers　of　music



wishing　him　to　order　their　compositions　to　be　brought　out　at　the



Royal　Opera。







All　these　requests　culminated　in　two；　wherein　the　gentle　reader



will　see　a　mixture　of　comic　and　pathetic。　The　first　was　from　a



person　（not　an　American）　who　wished　my　good　offices　in　enabling



her　to　obtain　a　commission　for　a　brilliant　marriage；she　having



in　reserve；　as　she　assured　me；　a　real　Italian　duke　whom；　for　a



consideration；　she　would　secure　for　an　American　heiress。　The



other；　which　was　from　an　eminently　respectable　source；　urged　me



to　induce　the　imperial　authorities　to　station　in　the　United



States　a　young　German　officer　with　whom　an　American　young　lady



had　fallen　in　love。　And　these　proposals　I　was　expected　to



further；　in　spite　of　the　fact　that　the　rules　for　American



representatives　abroad　forbid　all　special　pleading　of　any　kind　in



favor　of　individual　interests　or　enterprises；　without　special



instructions　from　the　State　Department。　Discouraging　was　it　to



find　that　in　spite　of　the　elaborate　statement　prepared　by　me



during　my　former　residence；　which　had　been　freely　circulated



during　twenty　years；　there　were　still　the　usual　number　of　people



persuaded　that　enormous　fortunes　were　awaiting　them　somewhere　in



Germany。







One　application；　from　a　truly　disinterested　man；　was　grounded　in



nobler　motives。　This　was　an　effort　made　by　an　eminent　Polish



scholar　and　patriot　to　wrest　American　citizenship　for　political



purposes。　He　had　been　an　instructor　at　various　Russian　and　German



universities　had　shown　in　some　of　his　books　extraordinary



ability；　had　gained　the　friendship　of　several　eminent　scholars　in



Great　Britain　and　on　the　Continent；　and　was　finally　settled　at



one　of　the　most　influential　seats　of　learning　in　Austrian　Poland。



He　was　a　most　attractive　man；　wide　in　his　knowledge；　charming　in



his　manner；　but　not　of　this　world。　Having　drawn　crowds　to　his



university　lectures；　he　suddenly　attacked　the　Emperor　Franz



Josef；　who；　more　than　any　other；　had　befriended　his　compatriots；



was　therefore　obliged　to　flee　from　his　post；　and　now　came　to



Berlin；　proposing　seriously　that　I　should　at　once　make　him　an



American　citizen；　and　thus；　as　he　supposed；　enable　him　to　go　back



to　his　university　and；　in　revolutionary　speeches；　bid　defiance　to



Austria；　Russia；　and　Germany。　Great　was　his　disappointment　when



he　learned　that；　in　order　to　acquire　citizenship；　he　would　be



obliged　to　go　to　the　United　States　and　remain　there　five　years。



As　he　was　trying　to　nerve　himself　for　this　sacrifice；　I　presented



some　serious　considerations　to　him。　Knowing　him　to　be　a　man　of



honor；　I　asked　him　how　he　could　reconcile　it　with　his　sense　of



veracity　to　assume　the　rights　of　American　citizenship　with　no



intention　to　discharge　its　duties。　This　somewhat　startled　him。



Then；　from　a　more　immediately　practical　point　of　view；　I　showed



that；　even　if　he　acquired　American　citizenship；　and　could



reconcile　his　conscience　to　break　the　virtual　pledge　he　had　made



in　order　to　obtain　it；　the　government　of　Austria；　and；　indeed；



all　other　governments；　would　still　have　a　full　right；　under　the



simplest　principles　of　international　law；　to　forbid　his　entrance



into　their　territories；　or　to　turn　him　out　after　he　had



entered；the　right　of　expelling　undesirable　emigrants　being



constantly　exercised；　even　by　the　United　States。　This　amazed　him。



He　had　absolutely　persuaded　himself　that　I　could；　by　some　sleight



of　hand；　transform　him　into　an　American　citizen；　that　he　could



then　at　once　begin　attempts　to　reestablish　the　fine　old　Polish



anarchy　in　Austria；　Russia；　and　Germany；　and　that　no　one　of　these



nations　would　dare　interfere　with　him。　It　was　absurd　but



pathetic。　My　advice　to　him　was　to　go　back　to　his　lecture…room　and



labor　to　raise　the　character　of　the　younger　generation　of　Poles；



in　the　hope　that　P