The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-04-14

denied that 1t was In any respect responsible,
under the existing treaty stipulssions, for
the occurrences at Panama, although
il was expressly provided in that instrument
that the interoceanic route should be kept open
special Minister, Mr.. Morse was then sent by
our government to Bogota, but his mission was
productive of no moro satisfactory results.
Meantime change took place in the govern
ment fNew Grar ada; aud their Minister, Gen.
Hcrran, was directed to open negotiations d.
rectly with the State Department at Washington.
After some weeks delay the treaty, which it is
now stated has been ratified by the New Grsna-
dian Congress, was duly signed
The treaty in question does not by any means
cover all the matters in dispute-but limited ss
it Ii, it met with the most serious opposition on
the part of the opposition in New Granada. It
provides for the appointment Of joint commits
sion to investigate all the claims of citizens of
the United States against New Granada from
1915 to the present time, including the claims
growing out of the Panama riots. The amount
awarded in each case is to be paid by
New Granada, the convention declaring that
.New Granada acknowledges its RESPONSE
ton of maintaining the interoceanic route
in peace and good order" 1t is also
agreed that inasmuch as the government Of the
United States may require to possess in one of
the islands adjacent to Panama sufficient land,
not exceeding hundred acres, for landing
uba Go E,~au linn
government grants the privilege of buying or
renting such lands, the authorities of the 18th
mus not having the right to tax them or in any
other way interfere with their works. And in
order to make provision for the payment of the
indemnity to our citizens for their claims, New
Granada assigns one-hslf of the amount annually
received from the railroad company, and guar
antees to make provisions to meet the residue.
In addition to these stipulations, General Her
ran, in the name of his government, expressed
its regret at the occurrences which took place
at the riots, and promised that the offenders
should be prosecuted aud punished.
This treaty is very well as far as it goes, and,
under all the circumstances, it no doubt was
advisable to close the questions included in il
as speedily as possible. But we expect Gene
raj Cass will now proceed to insist upon
an adjustment of the remaining questions
without further delay. The New Granadiau
government has been notified that if any at
mage tax which she has directed to be imposed
on goods and passengers going over the Pana-
ma Railroad that it will be resisted by the
United States. Thus there is daily dam
ger of an interruption of the intercourse across
the Isthmus dependent wholly upon the fear
which New Granada may entertain of our gov
eminent. Nothing can be more unjust than the
attempt on the part of New Granada to estab-
lish such an imposition as taxing persons and
goods merely passing across the Isthmus. 1t is
in violation of the spirit and letter of the treaty
by which this interoceanic route was establish
ed, and 1t is in direct opposition to the princi-
pie which governs New Granada in regard to
her own imports, which are duty free. If this
free trade works in such way as to bring no
revenue into the New Granadian treasury, it
would be more honorable in that government
TO endeavor to rcplenish it in some other way
than by taxing our citizens in violation of cx-
listing treaty stipulasions or any civilized CON-
mercial precedent At all events our govern
ment has given notice that il will not submit to
any such exactions and if the question is left
open il is very probable il may lead to the most
unpleasant results.
Meantime we hope the news Of the rati6ca-
ton of the Cass-Herran treaty is correct, and
that justice is at length to be done TO our citi-
zeDs who have suffered from the outrages Of the
Panama rioters.