The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-07-24

Thomas, will leave pier Al North river at nine A. N.
tomorrow Saturday for Liverpool, calling at
Queenstown to land passengers.
The steamship General Meade, Captain Sampson,
Of the Merchants line, will sail from pier IL North
river at three N. on Saturday, 25th inst, for New
Orleans direct. ~. --
The stock market was steady yesterday. Govern.
ment securities were dull. Gold closed at 143x.
Tho Isthmus Of Panama-Its Present and
Future.
Our specIal correspondence from Panama
gives interesting yet melancholy details Of
the progress of the revolution lately inaugu-
rated on the Isthmus by the installation of a
provisional government and the concession of
seizure of the Executive by the Battalion San
lander. The movement has effected nothing
of consequence, and we hear that symptoms of
q reaction are already apparent. When we say
nothing of consequence, we mean that nothing
has been effected for the public good, but must
by the fact of recurrent revolution to bring
the confederation of Colombia still nearer to
that complete anarchy which seems to be the
destiny of all the Spanish American peoples, and
which invariably results from their intestine
broils and political coruptions. General
Ponce had marched to the interior at the head
Of division of soldiers In order to put down
his enemies, and severe fighting was antici-
pated.
The peculiar position of the Isthmus and it's
intimate relationship with the commerce of the
United States, Great Britain and France de-
mand that one or all Of these governments
should take prompt and efficient steps to pre-
vent the repetition Of these political disturb
ances. Aside from what benefits have been
forced upon it by foreigners-such as the open
ing of the transit from ocean to ocean, the
building of the railroad, the establishing of
ton of commerce with foreign ports and the
Improvement of property by foreign capital
the Isthmus is virtually, in all that pertains to
its internal prosperity or welfare, the same
that it was half century ago. The people or
the government have profted nothing by the
ferred upon them the former remain as igno-
rant and indolent and the latter as poverty
stricken and helpless as ever, the great am
bition Of the one being to get into politics and
Of the other to boast of miserable band of
music and horde Of badly drilled and worse
fed barefooted soldiers.
Socially the people of the Isthmus are not
bad race. On the contrary, they have ever
been kind and hospitabe to strangers, and
there certainly is no country in the world
where foreigners are allowed such perfect free
dom in every respect 1t is only a pity they
are so helplessly unable to take care of
themselves and so unfit to do anything
to advance the prosperity Of their country.
Some conception of their position may be
formed from the following facts:-Foreigners
pay nine-tenths of the commercial taxes, and
consequently do nine-tenths of the business !;
foreigners own the best property in Panama
and Aspinwall foreigners live in the best
houses; foreigners own the railroad, there
not being more than two or three, If one,
among the natives who possess single share
in IL foreigners own all the steamship lines !:
foreigners do nearly all the coasting trade !;
foreigners buy all their cattle and produce not
needed for their own immediate consumption ;
foreigners import all their merchandise !;
foreigners carry their MAILS free from port to
port; their newspapers are owned and con-
Quoted by foreigners; their rivers are navi-
gated by foreigners and foreign built vessels I;
their schools are foreign their hospitals are
foreign their hotels are foreign; In fact,
everything except their government is foreign,
and it would soon be If the foreigners thought il
worth having.
Isolated as Panama is from the capital of the
republic, from which II is distant nearly three
weeks travel and with which It keeps up only
monthly communication, at all times subject
to interruption from revolution in intervening
States, it is not strange that little sympathy
should exist between that State and the gen.
eral government-that the former should be
left entirely to Its own management or that the
latter should have no control over IL. In fact
the only interest that Bogotd feels in Panama
consists in the subsidy il derives from the
Panama Railroads beyond this it might az well
be in the interior Of China. In fact, the CEN
trail government would willingly part with the
Isthmus If it were not for this subsidy, and the
State would willingly part from the central
government to obtain the subsidy if II only had
the power. Such is the position Of the Isthmus,
at the present moment one of the most i'm
portant points Of transit on the globe.
What its future may be depends entirely
upon the changes that must sooner or later
take place in its government. If IL is to
remain under the control of the present
inhabitants there is little hope of its adj
vancement; but If, as should and natu-
rally must be the case before very long,
. foreign element should take charge Of n