The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1880-05-19
SENATOR BOOTH ON THE INTER
OCEANIC CANAL

Nj. Booth, last Monday, addressed
the senate on this important topic, in
which he said: at is possible that
there are NO difficulties In either OF
these enterprises which will not yield
to science the skin and determination
Of the IN OF the world. The
multiplying wants OF civilization de-
mand the completion Of this great
work, and OF all nations ours has the
deepest interest In II, and can least
afford to obstruct. Such q work, SO
grand In design, 70 universal In its ben
eHts, should never be committed TO a
joint stock company, with shares to be
handled In market, tho sport Of bulls
and bears and subject 10 secret pur-
chase by great premiers who may desire
to obtain control for the countries they
represent. The American people will
abate no jot or title Of the Monroe doc
trine In Its just and true meaning and
Interpretation. When that policy was
announced, 1t was hoped In the glow OF
enthusiasm that the people on this con-
tinent who achieved political independ-
ence would ut once enter upon a career
Of prosperity, liberty and order. The
hope has now been realized. Then we
were n people OF less than ten millions,
then our seaboard was nor than thirty
days removed from the nearest Euro
pean port, our combined exports and
imports less than one hundred and
twenty-eigh million dollars per year.
Now we are In instant and constant
communication with every portion OF
the civilized world. Our combined In
ternal imports and exports are twelve
hundred million dollars, and we are
fifty million strong. Our fathers had
visi ons Of a great future, but not even
the vision Of prophecy could reveal the
means by which It has been attained.
We are strong enoug to-day to main
tain any policy on this continent which
is right. l trust W are great enough to
not d esire that which is wrong. There
are two methods by which this canal
could be constructed, and by one OF
which It ought to be.
Let the great maritime powers Of the
world agree by international treaty &c
build It, guarantee It's neutrality for
ever, and make 1t q free gift to the
worlds commerce; why notp Why
should not the nations which annually
lavish hundreds Of millions on armies
and navies build one monument Ia
peace to commemorate the nineteenth
century, and to pe~rpetuate n high water
mark In the advancing tide OF civiliza-
tionp II this be impracticable or the
mere vision Of what ought to be, there
Is another way In which the honor shall
all be M own. Let this government
adopt the Nicaraguan route, which IL
pre- eminently the American, take the
necessary preliminary steps to acquire
the exclusive right to It, build the
canal, own 1t, make It free to the world
in time Of peace. In time Of war, II
such should unfortunately come, we
shall be strong enough to maintain the
right TO 1t which we indisputably pos
sess. We ought to rise TO the height
OF the occasion and do this, to repay
the debt we owe to history and TO the
memory Of the great admiral who,
seeking the nearest passage to the orr
ent by sailing to the west, revealed the
new world, in which 1t is our happiness
to live. | move the reference Of tho
memorial, with the accompanying re-
port to the committee on foreign rela'
TONS"
The motion was argued and the ordi'
nary business Of the morning hour pro
ceeded, while the senator took HE seat
and received numerous compliments or
the terseness and ~eloquence with which
he had spoken.