National Republican., 1882-12-26

you VIII see that they stopped ut nOtnlng-
was the publication in the Paris papers of
half u column of unreserved culogy of the
canal scheme, purporting to be copied from
the Paris correspondence Of Il leading New
York paper, and this correspondence never
appeared in that paper, and was probably
never written by its Paris correspondent.
On the night of the first day of the loan
Dec y, the message of President Hayes nr-
rived in Paris and this message, us every one
will rccollcct, took strong grounds against the
scheme. The next morning, the company,
knowing that but few persons would see the
London papers which contained the message,
announced with cXultation in hand bills and
in all the journals of Paris that the presidents
message had arrived and was all in favor ofthc
Panama scheme! This was one of the examples
of that daring and barefacCd misrCprcscnta-
ton of the truth which | characterized in
another part of this letter as being so trans
parent and so bold as to he beyond criticism.
1t disarms one completely and provokcs
laugh rather than criticism. II had the
effect of producing great enthusiasm for the
loan, for but few people, u hundred or two
probably, read the London papers, and hun
dreds more that were hesitating now rushed
on the strength of this statement and placed
their names on the subscription books. one
word of authoritative denial from the Ameri-
can government, from the French govern
mcnt, or from any leading French paper,
would have stopped this rush, ii would have
even stopped the loan. But no such authori-
tative denial was made, and no sum of money,
even if the denial should have come from the
American government, would have procured
its insertion in any French paper.
The third and last day of the loan (the
ninth of DeCcmber) still another most effective
trick was printed and posted up over the town
and published in the thirty papers. The an
nounccment was made with tremendous
If nf hn
officers of the American government, II cabinet
minister, Mr. Thompson, had accepted the
post of president to the American section of
the Panama canal company Now, Mr..
Thompson had not yet accepted the post
offered him, and did not accept it till after
resigning the position of secretary of the
navy, "a month later. The gravity of this de-
ccpton lies in this, that the canal company
asserted that the fact of gentleman accept
ing such position while still Il cabinet min
lister was proof that the government to which
he belonged was in favor of the scheme.
This eleventh hour mancuver also greatly
aided in swelling the subscription list.
Since the loan was taken, the necessity for
obtaining the payment of the moneys sub
scribed, and in general way, for maintains
ing the reputation of the operation, has
forced the company to persist in its system of
and to this day not one
word of anything but praise has appeared in
any French paper of any Importance what
ever Notwithstanding the large number of
deaths among the forGmen sent out by the
Notwithstanding that but little pro-
gress in the execution of the work has been
made and that the money is fast melting
away, the entire press continues to assert
daily that the health of the men is excellent
and that the work is progressing rapidly.
There has been no such example in the his
tory of journalism of complete two years
,lNntu e
creeping in anywhere. The
fact is most extraordinary one, look at it in
any light we may.
l will give you but one more example of the
in which the company maintains the
delusions of its stockholders. 1t was known
to some banker that Gen. Grant favored an
other route than that at Panama. After an
with exultation that NJ. De Lesseps
had converted the president and people of the
United States to the support of his canal
scheme, it would not do to leave Gen. Grant
in the opposition. So an article that was pub
lished by the general in an American review
on the general subject of an interoceanic canal,
but which argued against the De Lesseps
scheme, was seized upon by the company and
so trimmed and remodeled as to InakeGit ap-
pear, without, however. saying so in 90 many
words, as being in favor of the Panama rdtfte,
and in this form was printed in the official
paper of the canal company.
During the emission of the last loan, the
one for the purchase of the Panama railway,
the Canal company made officially the follow
ing astonishing statements 1t has been pre-
tended that the United States would never
permit foreign company to establish itself
in America. But this question has been
settled. The legal consent of the
American authorities has been obtained. 1t
is entire and inevocable."
And therefore simple minded people rush
rd uhsnr hn hnir ny,l tbar 10
nobody, no government, no official parsonage,
allowed to say that it is not true
Now, then, when the final crash comes, as
sooner or later it must the ruined stock
holders will, as | have said before, turn to
their government for relief, for it is the habit
Of the country, in like cases, to do so. But is
it not evident to every fair-minded man that
no government no official body, can indorse
in any shape or manner whatever an enter
prise organized on such a basis of dishonesty
rs this? Would it not be unfair to allow it |
to go on with exposure, and by a continual
tion of its trickery manage to borrow from
its government a cloak of respectability, to
which it is in no way entitled, and thus,
to cause the blame to fall where it |
does not belong?
And here is an important point to which ]
wish also to direct especial attention--that
whether it stands or falls, scheme which
could only be organized by the practice of
such gross impositions on the public, is not
entitled to nor should be permitted to receive
The aid or protection of any government
but should be left to stand ON such
merits and claims as NJ De Lesseps his bank
ng syndicate. and his hired press can give it, |
Finally, is it not the most astounding fact
in the history of American. politics, that at |
line when there were peace and prosperity in |
the land, and Il perfect freedom from veXa- |
tious questions of any kind the people of the |
United States, so watchful and so hostile TO |
any foreign invasion Of their rights, should |
quietly and without a single movement of OPP |
position, without any sort of official protest, |
allow foreign company, acting under the |
avs of foreign government to disembark |
IN what President Hayes so aptly calls their |
coast-line," and there plant an enterprise |
which can never be anything else than an
lhrOnt an enemy, an eyC5Ore, standing pre-
ext for war?
Who could have believed that the American
people, so sensitive to all foreign movements
IN the western continent, could have ever
without even murmur to this |
most dangerous of all violations of the inter
NATIONAL principles which they have always |
defended with so much energy?
Cannot every one see the influence eXer-
Used on the eastern question by the Sucz
anal from the moment the English govern
rights therein by the portion |
If its stock Even before the late campaign |
n Egypt, no schemes, no policy, no interna-
ional combinations, no plans of campaign,
ould be adopted by the European states in
egard to what is called the eastern question,
Without first stopping to debate the all pre-
dominating question, " But what will England |
10 ~
SO, too, a canal at Panama, owned in France |
nd directed by French company under |
french law, would soon become to us the same |