The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-12-02

Interoccanic Cemmunicasioa at Panama.
There is considerable dispute between the
State OF Panama and the general government
Of New Granada as to which has the right to
make the concession for the ship canal across
the isthmus For some time the State govern
ment has claimed that even the Panama Rail-
way has illegally received the franchises under
which it was built and the term of its charter
extended. These disputes between province
and the nation to which it belongs threaten Sc
rious difficulties in the prosecution of the Pa
mama ship canal enterprise and lead capitalists
to ask what guarantee will be afforded in the
investment Of an enormous sum in the connect
ing of the two great oceans between which we
float. To wait for the dispute to be settled we
are, in common with all commercial Powers,
very little disposed, and 1t therefore
New Granada whether she will at once arrange
this question so detrimental to progress or
force the civilized world to take possession of
Panama and guarantee it's independence as
point neutral for the common good.
Our news from Panama yesterday is sicken-
ing in its accounts of the brutality which
characterized the transplanted African bar
barians who invaded Chiriqui and massacred
one hundred Of its people, dragging the
opposing leader to the tail of horse until life
cestors
Panama governed by niggers Who can
believe that in this half Of the nineteenth cen
fury the very key to the commerce of the
world is held by two or three hundred half
clad semi-savages, who are STEPPED to the
dregs in worse misery than that Which
characterizes the Mataco Indians Of the Gran
Chaco? New Granada should be invited to
declare this common worlds highway, or
else be forced to cede it to the COM
mercial nations who are willing to guar
antee its neutrality. There is half a
world to the west of it; half world to the
east of it and it is the double standard
which is the foundation Of both North and
South America. Why the traffic Of the earth
should pay tribute to single State or nation
we cannot understand. The fortuitous occupa-
ton Of the Isthmus of Darien by handful Of
degraded savages gives no right to them to
dictate to all nations or by any form Of reason
ing to obstruct their Advancement in the civili-
zation which proceeds from the common inter-
change of products. Solong as New Granada
existed and her own track interfered with none
other the world could afford to let her alone
let her develop her resources by the free exer-
else of those two mighty forces which, united
in Spanish hands, first made her accursed--re-
ligion and avarice. Now, however, the great
despots-steam and electricity-have become
80 dictatorial that no nation which has felt
their tread can resist their commands. They
sweep every old theory aside like chat
and bid every people mark their tread
and listen to their teachings Nations
like New Granada, the Central American
States and Mexico. stepped in glorious
dreams of what they are going to do
manana instead Of to-day, must join in the
march, be swept aside or be crushed out Of
existence. They are stumbling blocks to the
civilized world, and we cannot afford to drag
them along with us. These are practical mat
tiers, forced upon us by the age and its de-
mands. We cannot resist them any more
than New Granada and other retrograde States
can resist them through us. If there be wise
statesman in Bogota let him at once boldly adj
vocate that Panama be declared by the gene
raj government the common property of ma
tons for all purposes of interoceanic commu-
nicaton, and that commissioners from all the
great Powers be appointed to shape code Of
laws suited to its government for the benefit Of
the world. Such statesman will make a
greater mark in the history of his country than
he can by fifty years of petty qnarrels over the
national revenues.