The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1873-01-28
South American Republics.

South American Republics.
The international Gazette and Span
ISL american RcgieD, Of Brussels, of the
oath Of November last, gives place to
the propagation of new idea regarding
the politics and future prospects Of the re-
publics along the Pacific coast of South
America. 1t is nothing more nor less
thn that the security of these republics
from European aggression and conquest
depends upon the integrity Of the lsthmus
Of Panama and Daricn. The Gaceto
quot,s from the La Sociedad. of Lima, to
show hat anything like serious attempt
to open an intcr-oceanic canal across the
lsthmus must, and in fact has created q
certain amount Of alarm in Peru, and the
Socica1d, with its characteristic patriot.
ism, has called the attention of the gov.
ernme,t o. its own country as well as
those cf Chilli, Bolivia, and Ecuador tc
the danger that threatens them from thi:
quarter.
We have always understood that al
the world, the said republics included, re.
garded the union of the two great ocean;
by canal across the lsthmus as a com.
summation devoutly to be desired. Ev'
erything in this sublunary world, it is
true, has its right and wrong side. There
is nothing, however good, but may be
turned into an instrument Of evil, is also
equally true. Even tho S0ciedad, useful
in many respects in its day and genera.
ton: evidently has little faith in civiliza.
ton and Christianity unless fashioned
according to its own peculiar religious,
political, and social views. 1t has now
found out that however much the rest.
less world OF commerce and trade may
desire to see shorter way opened for its
ships. goods, and cmigrants than by the
Straits of Magellan, such is not to the in.
terest of Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and
Chilli
Upon the integrity of the Rocky 18TH
mus with which nature has firmly united
the northern and southern continents oi
America, depends the safety of the four
growing republics aforesaid. To cut a
channel across it would convert this sub
stantial guaranty of their safety into one
of the paper protocols, and subject to all
the yicissitudes and uncertainties of di.
plomacy. At present they can make
themselves respected, and an equilibrium
is produced and maintained by tho diff
icuty with which the superiority Of for
cign powers can be brought to bear upon
them. This saddening view of the bad
faith of natiens, however, elevates Co.
lombia into the Keystone State Of Spanish
America independence and liberty by the
possession of the Isthmus having fallen
to her lot. 1t becomes her duty, then
according to the Scciedad at least), to
preserve intact the Isthmus from all canal
Spectators as soon as speculation ceases
and bona fde attempt is to be made to
divide oy canal the continents that God
has united. She must put her veto on
any such divorce, and if she will not
then the law Of sclfprescrvaton ought
necessarily to combine the four republic;
to oblige her to DO so by treaty. We
are sorry our cotcmporary has so little
faith in human nature, at least non-Cath'
olic human nature. rs seriously to prn-
mulgate doctrine of the kind under con
sideration 1t is, however, in accordance
with its views on most of the foreign re.
lations Of Peru.
On the subject Of promoting immigra'
tion from abroad, it held up warning
finger to the Peruvian Government Of
the necessity of ascertaining the religion;
convictions Of the immigrants as SiRt
qua non and now at the bare proposition
unfortunately nothing more than prop
osition) to open canal into the Pacific
from the Atlantic, it again sounds its
alarm.bell of danger to the Church and
liberty Of Peru. For ourselves we re-
grct to have to confess that we believe the
present "tall talk" about a canal to be q
mere scarecrow, set up in the fields Of po'
litcal speculation to bring about and
keep the Isthmus in its original integrity
from the spade and level of the engineer
If, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Chill
have no other enemies to their tranquility
and liberty than the realization of the
Darien Canal they have . long period ot
repose before them. AS for Columbia
whose faith in human nature, we are hap
py to say, is of noblcr and more cheer
iul nature than that Of our theoretic con.
temporary, we are sure she will do the
duty she owes to herself, her sister repub
! lies, and the rest OF the world on the sub
| iect of the canal or any other. without