BC Cook
CONTINUING Mark Twain’s observations on civilization and international behavior:
“And, next, Russia must go and play the game injudiciously. She affronts England once or twice — with the person sitting in darkness observing and noting; by moral assistance of France and Germany, she robs Japan of her hard-earned spoil, all swimming in Chinese blood — Port Arthur — with the person again observing and noting; then she seizes Manchuria, raids its villages, and chokes its great rivers with the swollen corpses of countless massacred peasants — that astonished person still observing and noting. And perhaps he is saying to himself: ‘It is yet another civilized power, with its banner of the Prince of Peace in one hand and its loot-basket and its butcher-knife in the other. Is there no salvation for us but to adopt civilization and lift ourselves down to its level?’
“And by and by comes America, and our master of the game plays it badly. It was a mistake to do that; also, it was one which was quite unlooked for in a master who was playing it so well in Cuba. In Cuba, he was playing the usual and regular American game, and it was winning, for there is no way to beat it. The master, contemplating Cuba, said: ‘Here is an oppressed and friendless little nation which is willing to fight to be free; we go partners, and put up the strength of seventy million sympathizers, and the resources of the United States: play!’ Nothing but Europe combined could call that hand: and Europe cannot combine on anything.
“Presently came the Philippine temptation. It was strong; it was too strong, and he made that bad mistake: he played the European game. It was a pity; it was a great pity, that error. For it was the very place and time to play the American game again. And at no cost. Rich winnings to be gathered in, too; rich and permanent; indestructible; a fortune transmissible forever to the children of the flag. Not land, not money, not dominion — no, something worth many times more than that dross: our share, the spectacle of a nation of long harassed and persecuted slaves set free through our influence; our posterity’s share, the golden memory of that fair deed. The game was in our hands.
“If it had been played according to the American rules, Dewey would have sailed away from Manila as soon as he had destroyed the Spanish fleet — after putting up a sign on shore guaranteeing foreign property and life against damage by the Filipinos, and warning the Powers that interference with the emancipated patriots would be regarded as an act unfriendly to the United States. The Powers cannot combine, in even a bad cause, and the sign would not have been molested. Dewey could have gone about his affairs elsewhere, and left the competent Filipino army to starve out the little Spanish garrison and send it home, and the Filipino citizens to set up the form of government they might prefer.
“The more we examine the mistake, the more clearly we perceive that it is going to be bad for the business. The person sitting in darkness is almost sure to say: ‘There is something curious about this. There must be two Americas: one that sets the captive free, and one that takes a once-captive’s new freedom away from him, and picks a quarrel with him with nothing to found it on; then kills him to get his land.’
“The truth is, the person sitting in darkness is saying things like that. Our traditions required that Dewey should now set up his warning sign, and go away. But the master of the game happened to think of another plan — the European plan. He acted upon it. This was, to send out an army — ostensibly to help the native patriots put the finishing touch upon their long and plucky struggle for independence, but really to take their land away from them and keep it.
“With our treaty ratified, Manila subdued, we had no further use for Aguinaldo and the owners of the Archipelago. We forced a war, and we have been hunting America’s guest and ally through the woods and swamps ever since.
“Having now laid all the historical facts before the person sitting in darkness, we should bring him to again, and explain them to him. We should say to him: ‘They look doubtful, but in reality they are not. There have been lies; yes, but they were told in a good cause. We have been treacherous; but that was only in order that real good might come out of apparent evil.’ ”
It is remarkable that Twain wrote these words 125 years ago. Change a few names and it could have been written last week.
BC Cook, PhD lived on Saipan and has taught history for over 30 years. He is a director and historian at Sealark Exploration (sealarkexploration.org)
