The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1881-11-08
ENGLAND AND THE PANAMA
CANAL. @

Mr.. Blaine's letter to Minister Lowell, IN
which he defines the position taken by our
government on the Panama Canal question,
has brought out from the London Times an
emphatic and strongly-worjed dissent from
The conclusions reached by the Secretary. If
the Times reflects the views of the British
government upon the matter there can be but
one way to settle peacefully the issue between
the two nations, which now presents itself,
and that is by the backing Town of one or the
other power. The United States government
holds that no foreign power can be per-
mitted TO join this Nation in guaranteeing
the neutrality of the canal save that of Co.
lombia itself. 1t says that "we cannot consent
to England aud France becoming parties to
the neutrality coRtract because they maintain
powerful fleets and armies, which we cannot
maintain in time of peace without doing vio-
lence 10 IDEAS Of public policy and TO our
views of the true functions of a free Republic
can government" Mr.. Blaine also gave
other lessons why the canal should be en-
tirely free from foleign political control, to
which reference has already been made by
tie MINER.
In answer TO these reasons the London
Times advances the following Arguments why
England should also be a party to the pen-
trality contract:
nc one will question the right of The mi
ted STATES 70 take precautions so that the can
al shall lot be used il any manner hostile to
them. So fer as Nr. Blaine's letter is an ar
gument for the neutrality Of the canal. it is
unanswegable, but we fail to see why there
should be any repugnance to allow England
Or France TO join in asgnarantee and why it
should be commended that an eficaciously per-
feet neutrality was provided by the treaty
with Colombia. Mr.. Blaine's assumption
that The American possessions On the Pacific
coast would supply the larger part ofthe tlat-
tic which would seek advantage of the canal
is very questionable. Indeed, it scarcely adj
mits of "a doubt that the great bulk of the yes
sells which for some years to come would pass
through the canal would be English. At all
events the dues paid by the American mer-
chantile marine in its present unhealthy state
are not likely to form at an early date a con-
siderable part of the shareholders receipts.
Great though the interests of America are in
this matter, and necessary though it is for her
that there should be free communication be-
tween her Atlantic and Pacific States, this
does not efface the fact that England also is
at once an Atlantic and Pacific pow
er and that she is bound TO have
regard to the welfare Of her subjects
in British Columbia and to think of secur-
ing free access to her Australian colonies.
The neutralizing Of the canal would be for
the benefit of all the states of the world, and
we fail to gather from this communication
any solid objection to allowing European
powers 70 join in q work universally desir-
able. Every additional guarantor would
sire ngthen the guarantee. Every new party
to the treaty would be a fresh security that
the canal would not be biockaGed or used as
a basis for hostile operations in time of war,
and it seems a little inconsistent in one and
The Same breath To argue for a guarantee and
to insist that the bill shall not be backed BY
more than two names. Were England to
conceGe formally that size had no locus standi
in regard 10 IL a guarantee it would be dit
ticult fer her to reply to any American states
mali vino might choose to say hereafter: The
governments of the two republics are alone
parties to the treaty; what they have made
they can tear up; the neutrality of the anal is
for the time suspended 1t seems, to say the
least, to be an unhappy use OF language to de-
scr be the sincere cooperation OF the European
government in a common object as ofthe ma
ture of an alliance against the United States.
Any statement hereafter made by Mir. Lowell
OF the views of his government in regard TO
the matter, which has almost ceased to be pure.
ly a matter Of abstrac, politics, will demand
attention, but he must expect 70 find English
men quite unpr"pared to see any difference
between the position OF Nicarauga and That of
Panama, and at a loss 10 conceive what in
jury American interests should suffer from a
general compact to secure the neutrality of a
pathway which, in the interest Of the whole
world, should be placed outside of the region
of warfare
The appointment of TX Govelnor Deyer-
agp-Stalwart-in the place of hr. Frank
II s II.ls --