第78章

ThismeantthatunlessIactedatonceIwouldfindforeignpowersinpartialpossessionofSantoDomingo；inwhicheventtheveryindividualswho，intheactualeventdeprecatedtheprecautiontakentopreventsuchaction，wouldhaveadvocatedextremeandviolentmeasurestoundotheeffectoftheirownsupineness。Nine-tenthsofwisdomistobewiseintime，andattherighttime；andmywholeforeignpolicywasbasedontheexerciseofintelligentforethoughtandofdecisiveactionsufficientlyfarinadvanceofanylikelycrisistomakeitimprobablethatwewouldrunintoserioustrouble。

SantoDomingohadfallenintosuchchaosthatonceforsomeweeksthereweretworivalgovernmentsinit，andarevolutionwasbeingcarriedonagainsteach。Atoneperiodonegovernmentwasatseainasmallgunboat，butstillstoutlymaintainedthatitwasinpossessionoftheislandandentitledtomakeloansanddeclarepeaceorwar。ThesituationhadbecomeintolerablebythetimethatIinterfered。TherewasanavalcommanderinthewaterswhomIdirectedtopreventanyfightingwhichmightmenacethecustom-houses。Hecarriedouthisorders，bothtohisandmysatisfaction，inthoroughgoingfashion。Ononeoccasion，whenaninsurgentforcethreatenedtoattackatowninwhichAmericanshadinterests，henotifiedthecommandersonbothsidesthathewouldnotpermitanyfightinginthetown，butthathewouldappointacertainplacewheretheycouldmeetandfightitout，andthatthevictorsshouldhavethetown。Theyagreedtomeethiswishes，thefightcameoffattheappointedplace，andthevictors，whoifIrememberrightlyweretheinsurgents，weregiventhetown。

Itwasthecustom-housesthatcausedthetrouble，fortheyofferedtheonlymeansofraisingmoney，andtherevolutionswerecarriedontogetpossessionofthem。AccordinglyIsecuredanagreementwiththegovernmentalauthorities，whoforthemomentseemedbestabletospeakforthecountry，bywhichthesecustom-houseswereplacedunderAmericancontrol。Thearrangementwasthatweshouldkeeporderandpreventanyinterferencewiththecustom-housesortheplaceswheretheystood，andshouldcollecttherevenues。Forty-fivepercentoftherevenuewasthenturnedovertotheSantoDominganGovernment，andfifty-fivepercentputinasinkingfundinNewYorkforthebenefitofthecreditors。Thearrangementworkedincapitalstyle。Ontheforty-fivepercentbasistheSantoDominganGovernmentreceivedfromusalargersumthanithadeverreceivedbeforewhennominallyalltherevenuewenttoit。Thecreditorswereentirelysatisfiedwiththearrangement，andnoexcuseforinterferencebyEuropeanpowersremained。Occasionaldisturbancesoccurredintheisland，ofcourse，butonthewholethereensuedadegreeofpeaceandprosperitywhichtheislandhadnotknownbeforeforatleastacentury。

Allthiswasdonewithoutthelossofalife，withtheassentofallthepartiesininterest，andwithoutsubjectingtheUnitedStatestoanycharge，whilepracticallyalloftheinterference，afterthenavalcommanderwhomIhavementionedhadtakentheinitialstepsinpreservingorder，consistedinputtingafirst-classmantrainedinourinsularserviceattheheadoftheSantoDomingancustomsservice。

Wesecuredpeace，weprotectedthepeopleoftheislandsagainstforeignfoes，andweminimizedthechanceofdomestictrouble。Wesatisfiedthecreditorsandtheforeignnationstowhichthecreditorsbelonged；andourownpartoftheworkwasdonewiththeutmostefficiencyandwithrigidhonesty，sothatnotaparticleofscandalwaseversomuchashintedat。

Underthesecircumstancesthosewhodonotknowthenatureoftheprofessionalinternationalphilanthropistswouldsupposethattheseapostlesofinternationalpeacewouldhavebeenoverjoyedwithwhatwehaddone。Asamatteroffact，whentheytookanynoticeofitatallitwastodenounceit；andthoseAmericannewspaperswhicharefondestofproclaimingthemselvesthefoesofwarandthefriendsofpeaceviolentlyattackedmeforavertingwarfrom，andbringingpeaceto，theisland。TheyinsistedIhadnopowertomaketheagreement，anddemandedtherejectionofthetreatywhichwastoperpetuatetheagreement。Theywere，ofcourse，whollyunabletoadvanceasinglesoundreasonofanykindfortheirattitude。Isupposetherealexplanationwaspartlytheirdislikeofmepersonally，andunwillingnesstoseepeacecomethroughornationalhonorupheldbyme；andinthenextplaceth