Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-03-19


there and the number Of directors 10 be in the same
proportion the quantity Of stock" President LACY
SON was highly displeased With the result Mr. For
syth, on the 23d of September 1885, Immediately after
ascerainng the facts, in despatch Robert b MoAfa
Charge dAares at Bogota, disavowed ana
the whole proceeding and directed him dsclam all
connexon with the project the part of this Govern
ment, prevent any misunderstanding with the (ov
ernment Of New Granada" The whole object of The
Senate and the President thus frustrated by the in
competency of the agent. President Jackson shortly
after of office But the subject was not permit
ted to sleep The records of the State Department show
that during every succeeding Administration that Depart
ment has been engaged in the consideration Of this sub
Ject and especially in the acquisition of information ne
eessary to enable IL TO act with effect Ia the admirable
despatch Of Mr.. Wheaton, of the 18th December 1916
it's observed that in the letter of instructions given in
1876 by Mr. Clay, then Secretary Of State to our pen
potentaries appointed to attend the Congress of Pana
ma reference had correspondence on this subject
between HIM and the Minister of Central America and
II was stated that II the work caDa should ever be
executed to admit Of the passage vessels the
benefits Of ought not 10 be exclusively appropriated 10
any one nation, but should be extended 10 al pars of he
GLOBE upon the payment of just compensation or rea
sonable tolls. BY recurring the instructions eiyen
to Ministers to Panama by Mr. Clay in 1926 it will
be that President Adams fully approved the principle
subsequently adopted by the American Government SO
far at least as to negative the idea that either the
interest or the duty Of the American people to obtain
monopoly OF the right of way. MIR. Wheaton correctly
observes that after the failure Of Mr. Bddes grant and
subsequent similar grant OF exclusive privileges to
Baron Thierry the subject again taken up 1889 in
the House of Representatives Of the United States on
the memorial Of the merchants Of New York and Pha-
delpha, on which very elaborate report made by
Mr.. Mercer from the Committee Roads and Canals,
accompanied with documents and maps illustrative of
THE important subject The report concluded with pro-
posing resolution that the President should requested
to consider the expedency of opening or continuing ne
goiations with the Governments of other nations and
particularly with those the territorial jurisdiction of
which comprehends the Isthmus of Panama. and to
which the United States have accredited ministers or
agents. for the purpose of ascerainng the practcasty
OF etiecting communication between the Atlantic and
Pacific oceans by the construction Of ship across
the sthmus and of securing forever by suitable treaty
stpulahon the free and equal right of navigating such
canal to all nations This resolution unanimously
agreed to by the House. 1t win be that it is almost
literal copy Of the Senatcs resolution of the 3D. of
March, 1885,
thus appears that the House Of adopt
ed the identical principle established by the President and
Senate four years previously. Mr. Adams and Mr. Clay
had merely proposed that the benefits of the comunca
ton between the two should be exclusively APP
proprated nation and should be extended to all
parts of the globe the terms. But during the
administration of President Jackson that our Go
vernmen extended the principle to the length embraced
in the resolution of the Senate and during the admins
raton Of President Van Buren, the House of Representa-
tyes adopted the principle by resolution in nearly
the words In 1917 President Polk carried the prn
cple into practical execution by the treaty which
gotiated with the Government Of New Granada In his
Executive message the Senate OF the 10Th of February
l8i7 communicating the treaty with New Granada in
gard to canal railroad across the isthmus Of Panama.
he quotes full length resolution of the Senate Of the
Sd of March, 1885, approves Of the policy adopted by
President Jackson and the Senate that period denies
the policy of obtaining exclusive grant monopoly Of
the right of way the American people; and vindcaes
the principle Of opening the communication to all nations
the terms and of constituting alliances by nego
tation, not for political Objects but for purely
cal purposes equally interesting to all the navigating
nations of the world. ask the Secretary to read the
message:
q To The Senate Of the United STATES:
TO Senate advice with
lis ratification general treaty Of peace, amity navigation,
and between the United States Of America and the
republic Of New Granada concluded Bogota the twelfth
Of December last by benjamin A. Bdlaek Charge dAfares
the United States their part and by Manuel Maria Nal
arno Secretary of State and Foreign Relations the part
Of chat republic
1t viii be perceived by the hirtyf article Of this
that New Granada proposes guaranty the Government
and citizens Of the United States the right Of passage
the shmus Of Panama tn natural roads and over any
condition that the United States shall make similar
guaranty New Granada Of the neutrality of this portion Of
her territory, and her sovereignty the same.
The which caused the insertion of this important
stipulation in the treaty will be fully made known to the Sem
ate BY the accompanying documents From these il will ap
pear that our Charge Aaes acted in this particular upon
his responsibility and without instructions Under such
circumstances il became duty decide whether would
submit the treaty to the Senate and after mature consdera
ton, have determined 10 adopt this
The importance OF the concession to the commercial and
political interests Of the United States cannot easily be
rated The by the ishmus Of Panama is the shortest
between the aud, from the information herewith
communicated it would to be the most practicable for
railroad or canal.
The vast advantages which would result
from such communication not only with the west coast Of
America but with Asia and the islands Of the Pacific,
obvious require any detail Such passage would relieve
from long and dangerous navigation Of than nine
thousand miles around Cape Horn and render communica
ton with possessions the northwest coast Of Anne
RIGA comparatively easy and speedy.
The communication the isthmus has attracted the
attention Of the Government of the United States since
independence Of the South American republics On the
third Of March, eighteen hundred and thirty resolution
passed the Senate in the following Words
thn mt Of
spectuy consider the cxpedency ofopenng
eoations with Governments Of other naonf and pa
cury with Governments Of Central America and New
Granada for purpose Of eHectuay protecting by suitable
treaty spuaons with them such individuals companies
AZ may undertake open communication between the At
an Pacific oceans by the construction of ship canal
the smus which connects North and South America
and OF securing forever by such spuaton the free and
equal right Of navigating such canal al such nations
the Of such reasonable tolls be established
the capitalists who may engage in such undertake
ing and complete the work
No person be deeply sensible than myself Of
the danger OF enangng alliances with any foreign nation
That should avoid such alliances has become maxim Of
policy consecratcd by the yenerated which
history and sanctioned by the unanimous voice Of
American people, Our experience has taught the
ranty France Of her American possessionsn which
have entered into such alliance. IT, therefore the
very peculiar circumstances Of the present do not great
y impair IL altogether destroy the force Of this occ
ton, then ought not to enter into the stipulation what
may be its advantages. The general considerations
which have induced 70 transmit the treaty 70 the Senlte
for their advice may be summed up in the following par
cuars
foreign nation in which the United States win have
with that nation On the contrary,
deeply and directly interested the subject this guaranty
than New Granada herself or any other country