The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1872-01-27
WESTMINSTER, Md SATURDAY MORNING. JANUARY 81 1872

treasure across the isthmus to Porto.
bello, by paved road, Of which remains
are yet visible. Its merchants had
large trade with Onto and Peru, aud
gave employment.to many artisans and
skillful mechanics. Notifications pro.
tected the land side of the city, and the
ebb tide left il beyond the reach of at.
tack from the sea. Plantations and
gardens surround it. 1t was here that
Pizarro had built bis ships and recruited
his army for the cong uest Of Peru and
many of its citizens were the descen.
dants Of those men who had explored
the Pacific ocean, conquered Mexico and
added the Indian en pires Of South
America to the dominion Of Spain.
In January, 1871, Morgan's men,
after march Of nine days from Cha.
gres, emerged from the forest and saw
below them the sea, and the steeples
aud gardens Of Panama. The landscape
surprised them, as it surprises stranger
now, to whose eye it unft,lds many Of
the same entertainments that il possessed
two hundred years ago. This panorama
Of mountain, Forest, city and sea, when
seen from n commanding position, in
the early or latter part of the day, is
one OF the most enchanting pictures |
have ever looked upon. 1t is said that
when Morgan's men first saw il, they
were so captiyated that they were with
difficulty induced to pitch their camp
and prepare for an attack on the city.
The next day the attack was made, six
thousand Spaniards were slain, the city
was plundered aud burned. Those who
escaped from the buccaneers foun ded the
present city of Panama two years after.
wards, and built all the houses of stone
to prevent another destruction by fire.
The ruins of the old city still exist.
From our anchorage | can see the
square tower of one Of its catht drals,
standing alone and going down to its
site in boat, saw the remains of walls.
bridges, pavemcnts aud cisterns, now
overgrowu by pepper bushes aud fow-
ing vines, and haunted by noxious ia.
sects and reptiles.
Long ago, the power and people of
old Spain become entirely extinct on
this coast, which Balboa discovered,
aud Pizarro aud Cortes made famous
THE MONOPOLY.
The ouly Importance that it now pos
sesses has been given TO it by the COM
merciai enterprises Of the English speak
ing race. And these enterprises are
now declining owing, in measure, TO
the autocratic policy pursued by the
railroad company; which stands on the
lsthmus, like the castle at ElsinOre,
levying whatever tribute il will on
whatever passes. The prosperous days
OF the company have passed Like the
man in the fable, whose impatieuce aud
greed killed the goose that laid the
golden eggs, its demands on customers
have caused a new road to be contracted
for across Costa Rica and another across
Honduras, aud have driven from Pan
anna TO Callao the headquarters Of the
English steamship company which now
carries its European freighls down the
coast to Valparaiso aud thence, by a
new line OF steamers, through the
Straits Of Magellan, to England If the
monopoly which the railroad has pur.
chased from the Columbian government,
were abolished by international treaty,
as the monopoly Of Elsinore was abol.
ished, We should soon see ship canal
through the isthmus, on the belt which
the franchise Of the railroad covers;
through which II canal eau be made.
IL seems to me that this canal would
place the United States in the centre Of
the commercial world.