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fruitful theme for the exhortations of all American clergymen to
their flocks； whether Catholic； Jewish； or Protestant。 May we not
hope； also； that Mr。 Pulitzer's new College of Journalism will
give careful attention to this subject？
As to public questions then demanding attention； the first which
I now recall was a bit of international comedy； serving as a
prelude to more important matters； and worth mentioning here only
as showing a misconception very absurd； yet not without dangers。
One morning； as I had just sat down to my office work； there was
ushered in； with due ceremony； a young gentleman of light color；
Parisian to the tips of his fingers；in accent； manner； and
garb；who was announced as the charge d'affaires of Haiti。 He
was evidently under deep concern； and was soon in the midst of a
somewhat impassioned statement of his business。
It appeared that his government； like so many which had preceded
it； after a joyous career of proclamations； revolutions；
throat…cutting； confiscation； paper money； and loans； public and
private； had at last met a check； and that in this instance the
check had come in the shape of a German frigate which had dropped
into the harbor of Port…au…Prince； run out its guns； and demanded
redress of injuries and payment of debts to Germany and German
subjects； and the charge； after dwelling upon the enormity of
such a demand； pointed out the duty of the United States to
oblige Germany to desist；in short； to assert the Monroe
Doctrine as he understood it。
The young diplomatist's statement interested me much； it brought
back vividly to my mind the days when； as a commissioner from the
United States； I landed at Port…au…Prince； observed the wreck and
ruin caused by a recent revolution； experienced the beauties of a
paper…money system carried out so logically that a market…basket
full of currency was needed to buy a market…basket full of
vegetables； visited the tombs of the presidents from which the
bodies of their occupants had been torn and scattered； saw the
ring to which President Salnave had recently been tied when the
supporters of his successor had murdered him； and mused over the
ruins of the presidential mansion； which had been torn in pieces
by bombs from a patriotic vessel。 My heart naturally warmed
toward the representative of so much glory； and it seemed sad to
quench his oratorical fire and fervor with a cold statement of
fact。 But my duty was plain： I assured him that neither the
President whose name the famous 〃Doctrine〃 bears； nor the
Secretary of State who devised it； nor the American people behind
them； had any idea of protecting our sister republics in such
conduct as that of which the Germans complained； and I concluded
by fervently exhorting him to advise his government and people
simply topay their debts。
It gave me pleasure to learn； somewhat later； that this very
prosaic solution of the difficulty had been adopted。
I make haste to add that nothing which may be said here or
elsewhere in these recollections regarding sundry equatorial
governments has any reference to our sister republics of South
America really worthy of the name。 No countries were in my time
more admirably represented at Berlin than the Argentine Republic；
Chile； and Brazil。 The first…named sent as its minister the most
eminent living authority on international law； the second； a
gentleman deeply respected for character and ability； whose
household was one of the most beautiful and attractive I have
ever known； and the third； a statesman and scholar worthy of the
best traditions of his country。
As to more complicated international matters with which my
embassy had to deal； the first to assume a virulent form was that
of the Samoan Islands。
During the previous twenty…five years the United States； Germany；
and Great Britain had seemed to develop equal claims in Samoa。
There had been clashes from time to time； in which good sense had
generally prevailed； but in one case a cyclone which destroyed
the German and American vessels of war in the main port of the
islands seemed providential in preventing a worse form of
trouble。
But now the chronic difficulties became acute。 In the consuls of
the three powers what Bismarck used to call the furor consularis
was developed to the highest degree。 Yet this was not the worst。
Under the Berlin agreement； made some years before； there was a
German president of the municipality of Apia with ill…defined
powers； and an American chief justice with powers in some
respects enormous； and each of these naturally magnified his
office at the expense of the other。 To complete the elements of
discord； there were two great native parties； each supporting its
candidate for kingship； and behind these； little spoken of； but
really at the bottom of the main trouble； were
missionaries；English Wesleyans on one side； and French Roman
Catholics on the other；each desiring to save the souls of the
natives； no matter at what sacrifice of their bodies。
This tea…pot soon began to boil violently。 The old king having
died； the question arose as to the succession。 The power of
appointing the successor having been in the most clear and
definite terms bestowed by the treaty upon the chief justice； he
named for the position Malietoa Tanu； a young chieftain who had
been induced to call himself a Protestant； but on the other side
was Mataafa； an old chief who years before had made much trouble；
had been especially obnoxious to the Germans； and had been
banished； but had been recently allowed to return on his taking
oath that he would abstain from all political action； and would
be true to his allegiance to the Malietoan kings。 He had been
induced to call himself a Catholic。
But hardly had he returned when； having apparently been absolved
from his oath； he became the leader of a political party and
insisted on his right to the kingship。
The result was a petty civil war which cost many lives。 Nor was
this all。 A drunken Swiss having one day amused himself by
breaking the windows of the American chief justice's court and no
effective punishment having been administered by the German
president of Apia； the Yankee chief justice took the matter into
his own hands； and this Little Pedlington business set in motion
sensation…mongers throughout the world。 They exerted themselves
to persuade the universe that war might； and indeed ought to；
result between the three great nations concerned。 On the arrival
of the American Admiral Kautz； he simply and naturally supported
the decree which the chief justice had made； in strict accordance
with the treaty of Berlin； and was finally obliged to fire upon
the insurgents。 Now came a newspaper carnival： screams of wrath
from the sensation press of Germany and yells of defiance from
the sensation press of the United States。
It was fortunate； indeed； that at this period the American
Secretary of State was Mr。 John Hay and the German minister of
foreign affairs Count von Bulow。 Both at Washington and Berlin
the light of plain common sense was gradually let into this
jungle of half truths and whole falsehoods； the appointment of an
excellent special commission； who supplanted all the officials in
the islands by new men； solved various preliminary problems； so
that finally a treaty was made between the three nations
concerned which swept away the old vicious syste