The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-10-25
THE CANAL.
Government Takes n Decided
Stand on the subject.


| Washington, pa The Presi-
dent, to-day, sent to the Senate
the report of the secretary of
state in answer to the resolution
of October 14th, regarding wkat
steps government had taken to pro-
tect the rights of the United States
in the Panama Canal. Secretary
Blaine, in his communication to the
President, reports that, having
learned since the adjourn
ment of Congress of the rejec-
ton by Columbia of the protocol
negotiated by representatives of the
United States and that repub-
lie, which it was hoped would secure
a treaty satisfactory to both, and
being informed by the minister of
OF the United States in Colombia
that the government of Colombia,
by its public act, was avoWing its
desire to terminate the treaty Of
1916, and appeal to the powers of
Europe for joint guarantee of the
neutrality of the Isthmus and the
sovereignty of Colombia, the de-
partment addressed long letter of
instructions to the United States
minister at London. An Identical
note was sent to each of the Ameri-
can ministers in Europe. Blaine's
letter is dated January oath last; in
| it he says: The United States
recognizes proper guaranty
of neutrality as essential to the
construction and successful oper-
alton of any highway across the
IsthmuS of Panama; and more
than a third of a century ago, this
government took every step that it
deemed requisite in the premises.
In the judgment of the President,
| this guaranty, given by the United
States of America, does not require
reinforcement, or accession, or assent
> from any other power. In more
than one instance this government
has been called upon to Vindicate
the neutrality, thus guaranteed, and
there is no contingency now fore
seen or apprehended in which such
Yindication would not be within the
power of this nation. If the fore
Swallowed action ofEuropean powers
should assume tangible shape, it
would be well for you to bring to
the notice of Lord Granville the
provision of the treaty of 1916, and
especially of its thirty-ffth article,
and to intimate to him, how any
, movement in the sense Of sup
planting the guarantee contained
, therein would necessarily be re-
garded by this government. In con-
lStructing a canal for Inter-Ocean
purposes, the local and general inter-
ests of the United States Of Americ
must be considered before these OF
any other power. The President
deems it due to frankness to be
still more explicit on this subject,
, and to elucidate the views of the
United States government with
. somewhat of detail, to the end that
no uncertainty shall exist as to
the integrity of our motives or the
distinctness of our aims. 1t would
+ be our earnest desire and eXpecta-
+ tion to see the worlds peaceful COM
, merce enjoy the same just, liberal
and national treatment as ours. 1t
is regarding the political control OF
: such a canal, as distinguished
from its merely administrative OF
commercial regulation, that the Pre-
sident feels called upon to speak
with directness and with emphasis
During any war in which the
United States of America or the
United States of Colombia might
be a party to, the passage Of armed
vessels Of hostile nations through
the canal at Panama would be no
more admissible than would the
: passage of armed forces of a nation
over the railway lines joining the
Atlantic and Pacific shores of the
. United States or of Colombia and
the United States Of America will
insist upon her right to take all
needful precautions against the pos
sibility Of the isthmus transit being,
in any event, used Extensively
against her interests upon the land
or upon the sea. The possessions
of the United States upon the Pa
cific Coast are unparalleled in extent
and of extraordinary growth. Even
at their present stage of develop
ment they would supply larger
part of the traffic which would seek
the advantage of the canal The
states of California and Oregon and
the Territory of Washington are
larger in area than England and
France, produce for export mere
than ton of wheat fer each inhab-
liant, and the entire freight de-
mands water transportation east
ward. Already enormous crops are
augmenting each year with accel-
lerating ratio. While the. popula-
ton and products Of the Pacific
!. slope are thus increasing upon a
vast scale, the railway system con-
Meeting the Gulf of Mexico with the
interior is being rapidly extended,
thus affording additional facilities
for the enlarging of the
commerce that must seek the
coast line to the Pacific,
Of which the projected canal at Pan
anna will form a part and be as truly
| a channel of communication be-
TWEEN. eastern and western states as
our own trans-continental railways.
1t is the perception of this domestic
function of the long sought water
way between the two seas that Dor