The New York herald., 1870-04-07
THE DARlEN IsTHMUs CANAL.
HnsIish OpInl6n Of the Work and It's Re-
suhs-The Revolutionary Current OF the
Commerce Of tho East.


RnsIIsh OpInldn Of tho Work and It's Re-
sulss-The Revolutionary Current OF the
Commerce or tho East.
From the London Times, Marcn 25l
,n On inc 1otn OF January last q treaty was signed
Wn.cn puts, peinaps, lnto shape for commencement
anu complexion one OF the most famous projects or
history. Tne Red Sea aud the Mediterranean have
!ust Oeen united by an ARTIFICIAL canal but II the
soon discover that the Islhnus Of Suez ofIered no
sucn barrier 10 the intercourse OF nations as Is
The cutting through me former OF these necks Of
land saves, It IL true Q vast AMI tedious circuit
ionnc lie continent OF Africa, bas u does not a6er
a. a.. give straight route Or direct voyage from
Enrope 10 INDIA, whereas II water way could be
iound or constructed between the TWO American
Asia, Australia and lae P0ynesian Islands
wouid seem To be completed at once. How long
1act. ever SINCE the successful execution o N. de
Lesseps' enterprise-=the Ainericans have appeared
engineers done for the Old. They nave resolved
III short, to connect tine Atlantic and Pacific by ship
canal and tile convention now before makes the
requisite provisions l0r the accomplishment OF the
project in fts successive stages. We ought perhaps
to premise tnat though this treaty ha Deen actually
signed, tt mas yet 10 be ratiieu, and the Gong ress
Of the United States has shown sef OF late rather
teiuctant To undertake obligations of this descrip.
tion. However If the project should carried into
execution we may expect TO see the designs for this
lneroceanic canal maturcd III lhree years, put III
nand within I'VE, and actually accomplished within
The preamble OF this instrument is worth notice.
IL declares tnat 1.-THE construction OF q canal be-
istamus that unItes tho two Americas and situated
witlln the jurisdiction Of the United States Of Co.
iae Of bosn the united s,s9ss a9a Ms
aud the United States OF America an0 likewise
TO the commercial interests end civilization Of
the world" These terms Tx within certain limits
the position ana direction OF the proposed cuttlng;
out the public Will hardly require to be reminded
that the Isthmus OF Panama, though the narrowest
ptlJ OF Central America. WAS faVOrtA
spot t0r the enterprise in question. twenty years
ago the Nicaragua route WAS III fashion, and Hon
duras had been surveyed for an interOceanic rail.
way. Now, however, the isIhmns Is actually tray.
ersed at Panama, and the addition Of q canal TO
operations IT. suez. but in America everything re-
mains to be done. Even the line OF the canal Is un-
Ges.aln Inc country mas sthi TO be explored the
pared. The first clause, therefore, Of the treaty
s.lpuates for the execution OF these preliminary
worAs- The United States Will send an exploring
party, hm'ted IN numbers TO decide upon the route
and three years. we have SAID, is allowed for the
completion Of the designs. Assuming then, THAI
the scheme pr nounced practcaDle Tie question is
BY whom, and on what terms u IS to he executed.
Tue experience oi the Soez project VIII hep us to
shape our inquiries on these points. Who Is TO find
the money Tor the Darlen Canal9 Who IL To execute
the w0rkss 10 whom Will the waterway bel0ugs
ON what terms win 1t be Open for trairici
We may say. then, thet the United states under.
take to meet the charges OF the work and 10 provide
nance but they reserve to themselves the right Of
legally establlshed oil sucn 'rgnts, privileges i'm
munities, duties, properties and 0bitgati0nS'
treaty will convey TO them, 50 that the concern may
possibly pass into the hands Of q company after all
Of course tns American government, after being at
che cost of the work, viii have the right to dx the
price OF passage, anu accordingly the tarln OF du-
ties IS Jeff to its regulation. Saving indeed the po
ntcal rights OF sovereignty and jurisdiction, the
canal viii be the property OF the United States but
with certain reservations Its Will be 'free To ali
tion." Tne exceptions are Iese:-Tnat while the
canal shall be open NJ all times. free Of datIes, 70
ships and munitions OF war OF the TWO contracting
war against the nag OF any nation being at
war with either or these governments. It Ia
further stipulated that tho United States SHALL at
their own expense guarantce the canal, win all Its
appurlenaccs, from foreign attack or invasion, aud
shall 0e ored between the two contracting States.
limited or conditional monopoly Is secured to the
Americans pending these proceedings. The Col0m-
blaD government Is not expected to forbid or impede
any rival surveys or operations undertaken by way
OF exploration or discovery; but 1t is restrained from
granting any actual concession or permission tor
any competing project until the Americans have de-
cined the work themselves. There IL only one more
clause IN the instrument which need he noticed and
II runs as nations that by treaties with
the contracting parties bind themselves to grant the
guarantee Of Neutrality Of The canal and 0i the
conceded by the United states or America, VIII he
exempted from tonnage ard other cues upon their
war vessels going through the canal eithcr IN the
whole or Ia the part that may be expressed IN the
respective treaty.o
We have said that this agreement remains to be
are lett Tor the completion and exchange Oi such
ratcatloas; but The neg0, aton has aa af OF bust.
ness about II, and the American exploring expedi-
ton actually landed on the tsthmus last MONTH It
appears TO De doupted whether ali the authorities OF
those republics are equally well disposed towards
the project, and as will Aave been seen The Ameri-
can government has provided itself with sufficient
facilities for withdrawing from the work II 1t should
seem advisable AT the same time 1t Is hardly to be
expected that any material OBSTACLES TO the enter
prise VIII be encountered. Tie Indians OF coun-
Try are regarded as peculiarly formidable but the
"a a ANN Sffor
would probably suffice to overcome their opposi.
ton. The climate is said to be deadly. but that
dagger Is already c0nironGed by the passengers
across tho isthIus. Tnere remains, however,
have been discussed before. Of the saez Cana Inc
world asked "Can y be 0penedY Can 1t be kept
open9 VIII II pay ~ The two former OF these in.
quiries are now, perhaps, disposed Of out the third
remains unanswerab .. what Is to be said OF the
prospect in the case OF the Darien Canalp we may
reply by observing that If the United States govern
ment resolves rom any motives or any views OF Its
own, TO accomplish tnlS work With The public money,
tue value OF The speculation Is OF little consequence.
M dc Lesleps had TO raiso money DJ shares and
SUBSCRIPTIONS, but the American treasury Will need
no such agency, or late years the American people
have shown remarkable unwiingness 10 spend
money even upon what would be thought attrac.
tive purchases, and perhaps when the estimates for
tue tnteroceanc canal have been framed they
may object TO- the expenditure proposed. Except
doubt about the practicabiily or prospects Of tue
enterprise. The exploring party WILL make It's re.
port, and II the government OF Washington chooses
that oil the three great schemes for bringing the
different regions Of the earth into communication
with each otner this-perhaps the least favored Of
ai--should actually be taken up wien the two
others have been already accomplished. TIE ydi2-
tcGv across tie american Continent, rom schich
for tGGc, and the neto route 10 the East Is adrer-
tases fa oar columns. The isthmus OF SUez, again,
has been pierced or passage, and the advantages OF
the new waterway appear to ne growing III the
estimate OF tue werld. IL is at this cOnjuncture,
with some OF the novelty anu some OF the oppOrtu-
proposal for cutting through the American Isthnus
Is seriously revived. That the project can De accom-
plshed by those who have taken it ID hand Is
beyond dispute, but whether the results Will DC
worth the cost II question tnat cannot yet be
solved
OLD WORLD ITEMS.