Moreover，thenationhadjustescapedaterriblecatastropheatthelastgeneralelection;theignorant，careless，andperversevotehavinggonealmostsolidlyforafinancialpolicywhichwouldhavewreckedustemporarilyanddisgraceduseternally。
Timewill，nodoubt，developamoreconservativesentimentintheStateswherethisvoteforevilwascast;ascivilizationdeepensandadvances，betterideaswilldoubtlessgrowstronger;butitissurethattheadditionofCubatotheUnitedStates，ifitevercomes，meanstheaddingofavastilliteratemassofvoterstothosewhoatthatelectionshowedthemselvessodangerous。
OnalltheseaccountsIhadfeltveryanxioustoputoffthewholeCubanquestionuntilourRepublicshouldbecomesomuchlargerandsomuchmorematurethattheadditionofafewmillionsofSpanish—Americanswouldbeofbutsmallaccountinthetotalvoteofthecountry。
Then，too，IhadlittlesympathywithaspirationsforwhatSpanishrevolutionistscallfreedom，andnoadmirationatallforCentralAmericanrepublics。Ihadofficiallyexaminedoneofthemthoroughly，hadknownmuchofothers，andhadnobeliefinthecapacityofpeopleforcitizenshipwhoprefertocarryongovernmentbypronunciamtentos，whoneveracknowledgetherightsofmajorities，whoarereadytostartcivilwarontheslightestpretext，andwho，wheninpower，exerciseadespotismmorepersistentandcruelthananysinceNeroandCaligula。NoRussianautocrat，claimingtogovernbydivineright，haseverdaredtocommitthehigh—handedcrueltieswhicharecommoninsundryWestIndianandequatorialrepublics。Ifeltthatthegreatthingwastogaintimebeforedoinganythingwhichmightresultintheadmissionofthemillionstrainedundersuchinfluencesintoalltherights，privileges，andpowersofAmericancitizenship。
ButtherecamethedestructionoftheMaineintheharborofHavana，andthenceforwardwarwascertain。ThenewswasbroughttomeatagalarepresentationoftheoperaatBerlin，when，oninvitationfromtheEmperor，theambassadorswereoccupyingalargeboxoppositehisown。HardlyhadthetelegramannouncingthecatastrophebeenplacedinmyhandswhentheEmperorentered，andonhisaddressingmeIinformedhimofit。Hewasevidentlyshocked，andexpressedaregretwhich，Ifullybelieve，wasdeeplysincere。Heinstantlyasked，withapiercinglook，"Wastheexplosionfromtheoutside？"MyanswerwasthatIhopedandbelievedthatitwasnot;thatitwasprobablyaninteriorexplosion。Tomygreatregret，theofficialreportafterwardobligedmetochangemymindonthesubject;butIstillfeelthatnoSpanishofficerortrueSpaniardwasconcernedinthematter。IthasbeenmygoodfortunetoknowmanySpanishofficers，anditisimpossibleformetoconceiveoneoftheirkindashavingtakenpartinsofrightfulapieceoftreachery;
ithasalwaysseemedtobemorelikelythatitwasdonebyapartyofwildlocalfanatics，therefuseofaWestIndianseaport。
TheEmperorremainedfirminhisfirstimpressionthattheexplosionwascausedfromtheoutside。Evenbeforethiswasestablishedbytheofficialinvestigation，hehadsettledintothatconclusion。Ononeoccasion，whenalargenumberofleadingofficersoftheNorthSeaSquadronwerediningwithhim，heaskedtheiropiniononthissubject，andalthoughthegreatmajority——indeed，almostallpresent——thenbelievedthatthecatastrophehadresultedfromaninteriorexplosion，headheredtohisbeliefthatitwasfromanexteriorattack。
OnvariousoccasionsbeforethattimeIhadmetmycolleaguetheSpanishambassador，SenorMendezyVigo，andmyrelationswithhimhadbeenexceedinglypleasant。Eachofushadtriedtokeepupthehopesoftheotherthatpeacemightbepreserved，anddowntothelastmomentItookgreatpainstoconvincehimofwhatI
knewtobethetruth——thatthepolicyofPresidentMcKinleywastopreventwar。ButItooknolesspainstoshowhimthatSpainmustaidthePresidentbyconcessionstopublicopinion。Mypersonalsympathies，too，werearousedinbehalfofmycolleague。
Hehadpassedtheallottedthreescoreyearsandten，wasevidentlyininfirmhealth，hadfivesonsintheSpanisharmy，andhisson—in—lawhadrecentlybeenappointedministeratWashington。
Noticeofthedeclarationofwarcametomeundercircumstancessomewhatembarrassing。Onthe21stofApril，1898，beganthefestivitiesatDresdenontheseventiethbirthdayofKingAlbertofSaxony，whichwasalsothetwenty—fifthanniversaryofhisaccession;andinviewofthehighcharacteroftheKingandoftheaffectionforhimthroughoutGermany，and，indeed，throughoutEurope，nearlyeverycivilizedpowerhadsentitsrepresentativestopresentitscongratulations。InthesetheUnitedStatesjoined。ThroughoutourcountryarelargenumbersofSaxons，who，whilethoroughlyloyaltoourRepublic，cherishakindlyandevenaffectionatefeelingtowardtheirformerKingandQueen。
Moreover，therewasaspecialreason。FormanyyearsDresdenhadbeenacenterinwhichverymanyAmericanfamiliescongregatedforthepurposeofeducatingtheirchildren，especiallyintheGermanlanguageandliterature，inmusic，andinthefinearts;
nocourtinEuropehadbeensocourteoustoAmericansproperlyintroduced，andinvariouswaysthesovereignshadpersonallyshowntheirgoodfeelingtowardourcountrymen。
ItwasinviewofthisthattheSecretaryofStateinstructedmetopresentanautographletterofcongratulationfromthePresidenttotheKing，andonthe20thofAprilIproceededtoDresden，withtheembassysecretariesandattaches，forthispurpose。Aboutmidnightbetweenthe20thand21sttherecamealoudandpersistentknockingatmydoorinthehotel，andtheresoonenteredatelegraphmessengerwithanenormouslylongdespatchincipher。HardlyhadIsetthesecretariesatworkuponitthanothertelegramsbegantocome，andalargepartofthenightwasgiventodecipheringthem。Theyannouncedthedeclarationofwarandinstructedmetoconveytothevariouspartiesinterestedtheusualnoticesregardingwarmeasures:
blockade，prohibitions，exemptions，regulations，andthelike。
Ateleveno’clockthenextmorning，courtcarriageshavingtakenusovertothepalace，weweregoingupthegrandstaircaseinfullforcewhenwhoshouldappearatthetop，onhiswaydown，buttheSpanishambassadorwithhissuite！Bothofuswere，ofcourse，embarrassed。Nodoubthefelt，asIdid，thatitwouldhavebeenmoreagreeablejustthentomeettherepresentativeofanyotherpowerthanofthatwithwhichwarhadjustbeendeclared;butIputoutmyhandandaddressedhim，ifnotsocordiallyasusual，atleastinakindlyway;hereciprocatedthegreeting，andourembarrassmentwasatleastlessened。Ofcourse，duringthecontinuationofthewar，ourrelationslackedtheirformercordiality，butweremainedpersonallyfriendly。
InmybriefspeechondeliveringPresidentMcKinley’sletterI
tenderedtotheKingandQueenthePresident’scongratulations，withthanksforthecourtesieswhichhadbeenshowntomycountrymen。ThiswasnotthefirstoccasiononwhichIhaddischargedthislatterduty，for，ataformalpresentationtothesesovereignssometimebefore，Ihadtakenpainstoshowthatwewerenotunmindfuloftheirkindnesstoourcompatriots。Thefestivitieswhichfollowedwereinteresting。Thereweredinnerswithhighstateofficials，galaopera，andhistoricalrepresentations，givenbythecityofDresden，ofaverybeautifulcharacter。OntheseoccasionsImetvariouseminentpersonages，amongotherstheEmperorofAustriaandhisprimeminister，CountGoluchowsky，bothofwhomdiscussedcurrentinternationaltopicswithclearnessandforce;andIalsohadratheraninterestingconversationwiththepapalnuncioatMunich，morerecentlyinParis，Lorenzelli，withreferencetovariousmeasureslookingtothepossibleabridgmentofthewar。
Onthethirddayofthefestivitiescameagreatreview，andasightsomewhatrare。TogreettheKingtherewerepresenttheEmperorofGermany，theEmperorofAustria，andvariousminorGermansovereigns，eachofwhomhadintheSaxonarmyaregimentnominallyhisown，andleditpasttheSaxonmonarch，salutinghimashereviewedit。ThetwoEmperorscertainlydischargedthisdutyinaveryhandsome，chivalricsortofway。Intheeveningcameagreatdinneratthepalace，atwhichtheKingandQueenpresided。TheonlyspeechontheoccasionwasoneofcongratulationmadebytheEmperorofAustria，anditwasverycreditabletohim，beingtoallappearanceextemporaneous，yetwellworded，quiet，dignified，andmanly。TheceremoniesclosedonSundaywithagrand"TeDeum"atthepalacechurch，inthepresenceofallthemajesties，——thejoyexpressedbythemusicbeingdulyaccentuatedbycannonoutside。
Imaysay，beforeclosingthissubject，thatThomasJefferson’sfamouslettertoGovernorLangdon，describingroyalpersonagesasheknewthemwhileministertoFrancebeforetheFrenchRevolution，nolongerapplies。TheeventswhichfollowedtheRevolutiontaughtthecrownedheadsofEuropethattheycouldnolongerindulgeinthegoodoldBourbon，Hapsburg，andBraganzaidlenessandstupidity。ModernEuropeansovereigns，almostwithoutexception，workfortheirliving，andworkhard。Fewbusinessmengothroughamoreseveretraining，oralongerandharderdayofsteadywork，thandomostofthecontemporarysovereignsofEurope。Thisfactespeciallystruckmeonmypresentation，aboutthistime，tooneofthebestoftheminormonarchs，theKingofWurtemberg。Ifoundhimahearty，strong，active—mindedman——thesortofmanwhomweinAmericawouldcall"level—headed"and"aworker。"LearningthatIhadoncepassedawinterinStuttgart，hedetainedmelongwithamostinterestingaccountoftheimprovementswhichhadbeenmadeinthecitysincemyvisit，andshowedpublicspiritofasortverydifferentfromthatwhichanimatedtheminorpotentatesofGermanyinthelastcentury。ThesamemaybesaidoftheGrandDukeofBaden，who，inalongconversation，impressedmeasagentlemanoflargeandjustviews，understandingtheproblemsofhistimeandthoroughlyinsympathywiththebestmenandmovements。
RepublicanasIam，thisacknowledgmentmustbemade。Thehistoricallessonsoftheeighteenthandnineteenthcenturies，andthepressureofdemocracy，areobligingthemonarchsofEuropetofitthemselvesfortheirdutieswiselyandtodischargethemintelligently。Butthisistrueonlyofcertainrulinghouses。Thereseemstobea"survivalofthefittest。"AtvariousperiodsinmylifeIhavealsohadoccasiontoobservewithsomecarevariouspretenderstoEuropeanthrones，amongthemthehusbandofQueenIsabellaofSpain;PrinceNapoleonVictor，theheirtotheNapoleonicthrone;theDukeofOrleans;DonCarlos，therepresentativeoftheSpanishBourbons;withsundryothers;
anditwouldbehardtoconceivepersonsmoreutterlyunfitorfutile。
AstotheconductofGermanyduringourwarwithSpain，whilethepress，withtwoorthreeexceptions，wasanythingbutfriendly，andwhilealargemajorityofthepeoplewerehostiletousonaccountofthenaturalsympathywithasmallpowerbattlingagainstalargerone，thecourseoftheImperialGovernment，especiallyoftheForeignOfficeunderCountvonBulowandBaronvonRichthofen，wasallthatcouldbedesired。Indeed，theywentsofarononeoccasionasalmosttoalarmus。TheAmerica...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：