Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-02-23
LEssEPS AND THE GOVERNMENT
A Secret Negotiation Between the
State Department and Colombian
Envoy.

A Washington special TO the New
York World says: Mr.. w. H. Prescott,
once Assistant Secretary of State under
President Buchanan. and recently one
of our Commissioners to China, from
which country he returned three weeks
ago, came back to Washington on the
morning of the 18th from New York,
whittier he was dispatched by the State
Department on Wednesday to settle with
General Santo Domingo Villa, Special
Envoy of Colombia, the basis of pro
tocol modifying the treaty of 1846 with
New Grenada. Mr.. Prescott is said to
have accomplished the purposes of the
Secretary of State, but letters received
in Washington Friday from the Colon.
biau envoy and from Lieutenant
Commander Napoleon Bonaparte-Wy
of the French navy, are of different
tenor. General Santo Domingo Villa,
of Bogota, and his secretary, Mr.. Julio
E. Perez, who came to the United
States on special mission, returned to
Colombia to-day on the steamer Athos,
of the Atlas line, for Cartagena. They
will be followed to Panama tomorrow
by Lieutenant Commander Bonaparte
Wyse, of the French navy, who has
been loudly asserting for some time
past to all who would listen to him that
the Lesseps enterprise will be carried
through whether the United States like
it or not. Lieutenant Commander Bona
parte Wyse has been taken up in New
York by the operators in Pacific Mail,
and it is understood that the materials
are now in the possession of leading
member of the Senate on which a thor
ough investigation of the whole story of
the relations of the State Department
with the Government of Colombia,
touching the Lesseps scheme and the
operations in Panama stock, will be un-
dertaken at very early day.
WHAT BoNAPARTE-wYsE SAYS OF IT ALL,
Lieutenant Commander Bonaparte-
Wyse was interviewed at the Brunswick
Hotel last evening by a World reporter,
and expressed himself in very eXultant
manner. He said that he believed the
protocol negotiated between Mr.. Prescott
and General Villa to he the practical
thing needed to carry out the provisions
of the treaty Of 1916, which were 50 ad-
vantageous to the United States. 1t
made him feel glad when he heard from
General Villa that the protocol was made,
its terms being so favorable to Colombia
and the canal He is satisfied with 1t
because it will not affect the national
pride of the people of Colombia, and
at the same time shows a legiti-
mate Difference to the principal
among the American nations, and guar
antees the protection of the United States
to her weaker sister in case of foreign
aggression. He claims that Colombia, in
spite of the treaty, is foreign State. and
the United States have no right to inter
fere in her constructing any public
works. He said he liked the protocol
because, while it provides that no for
eign power must have any control over
or connection with any interoceanic
canal, the treaty of 1916 is to be adhered
to, and the United States pledge them
selves even to protect Colombia in her
sovereignty and independence if threat
ened by any foreign power, which will
really make the United States the guar
antors of the Lesseps scheme and give
the advantage of the United States credit
to that scheme in the markets of London
and Paris