Special Providence_ American Foreign Policy and How It Changed World - Walter Russell Mead

"VindicatorOnlyof HerOwn" 185

subornthegovernmentorcorruptpoliticiansandbendtheUnitedStates
totheirwill.TheycouldsoinfringeontherightsofAmericancitizens
abroad-theimpressmentofseamen,theconfiscationofproperty,piracy,
extortion,mistreatmentofdiplomats-thattheAmericangovernment
wouldhavenoalternativebutwar.
These werereal andalarming enough-particularlyinthe eraof
Napoleon-buttheywerefarfromthemostinsidiousdangersJeffersoni-
anssawlurkingintheworldofforeignaffairs.Whattheyfearedmost
wasnotsuccessfulforeigninvasionsoftheUnitedStates.Distance,the
sea,andtheAmericanvictoryintheRevolutionallcounseledcouragein
thefaceofthatdanger.Rather,theyfearedwhattheeffortofcontinually
resisting invasion, or participating inforeign politics, woulddo to
Americandemocracy.Victory,evenuniversalglobalhegemony,wouldbe
a hollowprize.
"Shewellknows,"JohnQuincyAdamssaid,speakingoftheUnited
States,

thatby onceenlistingunderotherbannersthanherown,were they

eventhebannersofforeign independence,shewouldinvolveherself,

beyondthepowerof extrication,inallthewarsof interestandintrigue,

ofindividualavarice,envy,andambition,whichassumethecolorsand

usurpthestandardoffreedom....Shemightbecomethedictatressof

theworld:shewouldbenolongertherulerofherownspirit.^4

SenatorBorah,theJeffersonianchairmanoftheSenateForeignRela-
tionsCommitteewhodrove Hamiltoniansand Wilsoniansalmost to
despairwithhisresourcefuloppositiontotheLeagueofNations,echoed
Adams'sthoughtsalmosta hundredyearslaterwhenheroseontheSen-
atefloor tomakea lastattempttoblockratificationoftheVersailles
Treaty,includingU.S. membershipintheLeagueofNations:"When
youshallhavecommittedthisRepublictoa schemeofworldcontrol
baseduponforce...youwillhavesoondestroyedtheatmosphereoffree-
dom,ofconfidenceintheself-governingcapacityofthemasses,inwhich
alonea democracymaythrive....Andwhatshallitprofitusasa Nation
ifweshallgoforthtothedominationoftheearthandsharewithothers
thegloryofworldcontrolandlosethatfinesenseofconfidenceinthe
people,thesoulofdemocracy?"5LikeAdams,Borahbelievedthatexces-
siveinterventionintheHobbesianworldofinternationalpoliticswould
corruptandunderminetheLockean,democraticorderthattheAmerican
peoplehadestablishedathome.