New-York tribune., 1882-09-28
THE PANAMA CANAL.

lish. speaking nationalities. An engine Ger OF
original genius and inexhaustlbie patience, he
has won the confidence of French lnve Stors by
the habit Of succeeding in whatever he under
takes. They intrlsted him with their savings,
although his project of cutting the Suez iSthmus
was pronounced impractcablc by English iinan-
ciers and engineers. In like manner they are
investing their surplus capital in tine Panama
Canal although the enterprise is diStrusted III
England and viewed with jealousy and alarm
in the United States. VI. de LcSscps has lie
voted his energies to the new project since his
return from Egypt, and has met with most
liberal response to his demand for financial sup
port. With $50, 100000 already invested IN
the enterprise and with applications for shares
showering upon him from all quarters 0i France
whenever he faces the market with n direct
proposal, he can now reckon with confidence
upon the resources required for so vast
scheme. He can get the money, and unques-
tionably he has the genius requisite for sur
mounting the engineering difficulties. English
men and Americans may as well reconcile
themselves to the situation. VI. de Lcs~eps, if
he lives. will undoubtedly cut his way through
the rocky buttresses Of the Panama isthlhus as
he did through the shifting sands of the Suez
~
explosives. There are no INLAND seas to bc
found in the hollow Of n desert as al IlmSah
and the Bitter Lakes and there Is 10 harbOr
to be first created and then protected against
the silt of the Nile. There is LITTLE that Is eX-
detrimental in the work. 1t is in the main solid
roc1 cutting, and probably as the work adj
vanccs facility acquired in blasting and i'm
proved machinery will diminish the labor,
precisely as 1t was reduced at suez
The attitude of the English people toward the
new inteToccanic canal Is characteristic. They
are unwilling to invest their capital III the en-
terprise, but they expect to use the canal rs
soon as it is built, and to derive greater adyan-
tages from trade with California, Spanish
America and China than any other Nation can
secure. They laugh at VI. dc Lessepss absurd
threat of avenging himself on rhe English III
Panama" They are willing to have the French
investors take the primary risks Ct the Under
taking. for they know that the calal must ulu-
matey depend upon British and American
shipping for its material success. The Suez
Canal was built by a French engineer with
French capital, but more than 80 per cent OF
the tonnage passing through it Is now under
the British flag. If the Panama Canal can lie
constructed in the same way without the aid OF
English capital, the susceptibilties OF Amerl-
cans will not be excited and the waterway will
he effectively used for the promotion of British
commercial interests. The practical results
would not be different if the Panama Canal
were to be built by an English engineer with
English money Accordingly very little in
terest is evlnced in the project. NJ de Les seps
has done many things of late to exasperate
= off of.
complishing great work which they had pro-
nounced impractcable and visionary hld been
condoned. As The Spec tdtor cOnlesses, they are
not pleased 10y his fresh success III raising money
and are inclined to exaggerate all the difficult
ties caused by climate, earthquakes aud want
of population. But they will not be slow 10
turn his ditch to good account, If he contrlyes
to overcome all obstacles and to open II shorter
waterway to the "Westen Americas aud
China.
From Americans so nOnchalant view of the
Panama question is not to be expected. This
is an easy going people, which dislkcs 10 be
harassed by complex international problems
and forced against its will to declare its lnten-
tions to the world. Unqucstionably the
Panama Canal will be built. The capital is
well in hand, and even if VI. de Lesscps, who
is now well stricken i'll yeaIs, does not live to
open it, he will have assistants on his stan OF
engineers who can complete 1t. The diplomatic
aspects Of the case must he faced first or last,
and much better first than last. The settle
mcnt of the Egyptian question may afford our
Government the very precedent which 1t re-
qurcs If Great Britain accepts the warden
ship of the Sucz Canal with the right of garri-
soning Port Said and Suez, our Government
can with equal proprety demand the same
privileges at Panama. This is "A precious oppOr-
tunity for forcing upon the British Foreign
Office the necessity of revising the Bulwer-
Clayton Treaty and determining the future re-