Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1885-12-05

fcrca to f0lhll its guarantees under thu
thirty-fifth article of the treaty Of 1916, In
order TO keep the transit open across the
Isthmus Of Panama. DESTROYS Of exercising
only the powers expressly reserved to us by
the treaty, and mindful Of the rights
Of Colombia, the forces sent to the
Isthnus were instructed to confne their ac-
ton to positively and efficaciously prevent
ing the transit and its accessories from being
interrupted OF embarrassed. The execution
Of this delicate and responsible task necss-
sarily involved police control when the local
authority was temporarily powerless, but
always in aid Of the sovereignty OF Colom-
bia. The prompt and successful ful1linlent
Of its duty by this Governments was highly
appreciated by ths Government OF Colombia.
and has been followed by expression Of its
satisfaction. High praise is due to the Off
GERS and men engaged in the service. The
restoration Of peace on the Isthmus by the
establishment Of the constituted Govern
ment there, being thus accomplished, the
forces of the United States were Withdrawn.
Pending these occurrences question OF
much importance was presented by DEGREES
Of the Colombian Government, proclalmlng
the closure OF certain ports then IN the hands
OF insurgents, ana declaring vessels held by
the revolutiunisrs to pc piretlcal and liableito
capture by any power To neither Of these
propositions could the United States assent.
An effective closure of ports not in the pos
session of the GoverDnsnt, but held by hos
tile paTtissns, could not be recognized.
Neither could the vessels of insurgents against
the legitimate sovereignty be deemed hoStes
kuntdni geneTtS within the precepts of in
ternational law, whatever might be the
definition and penalty OF their acts under tho
municipal law OF the State against whose
authority they were in revolt. The denial by
this Government of the Colombian PROPOSE
tions did not, however, imply the admission
of belligerent status on the part Of the in
surge nts. The Colombian Government has
expressed its willingness 20 negotiate con-
ventions for the adjustment by arbitration
OF claims by foreign citlzens arising out of
the destruction of the city Of Aspinwall by
the iRsurrectionary forces.
THE EIcARAGUAN TREATY.
The interest of the United States in prac-
ticable transit for ships across the strip OF
land separating the Atlantic from tine Pa
cific has been repeatedly manifested during
the last half century. Ny immediate pre-
decessor caused to be negotiated with Mica
ragus treaty for the construction, by and
at the sole cost OF the United States, of a
canal through Nicaraguan Territory, and laid
before the Senate. Rending the action of
that body thereon l withdrew the treaty for
re-examinatiou. Attentive consideration of
its provisions leads me to withhold it from
resubmission to the Senate. Maintaining,
idsnts from Washineton's day which
prescribe entangiing alliances with foreign
States, do not favor q policy of acquisition
OF new and distant territory or the incor-
poratIon of remote interests with our own.
The laws of progress are vital aud organic,
and we must be conscious of that irresistible
tide of commercial expansion which, as the
concomitsnt Of our active civilization, day
by day, is being urged onward by those in
creSslng facilities of production, transpSrta-
ton and communication to which steam and
electricity have given birth. But cur duty
in the present insGructs US to address our
eelves mainly to the development Of the vast
resources of-Ihe great area committed to our
charge and to the cultivation OF the arts of
peace within our borders-though jealously
alert in preventing the American hem
iSphere from bsiHR involved in the
political problems and complications Of
distant governments. Therefore / am I'M
able TO recommend propositions involving
paramount privileges of ownership or right
outside of our own territory when coupled
with absolute aud unlimited engagements to
defend the territorial integrity Of the State
where such interests lie. While the general
project OF connecting the two oceans by
means of a canal is tc be encouraged, | am
of opinion that any scheme to that end to
be considered with favor should be free from
the features alluded to.
THE TEHUANTEPEo ROUTE
IL declared by engineers of the highest re-
pute, and by competent scientists, to afford
an entirely practicable transit for vessels
ana cargoes, by means Of q ship railway,
from the Atlantic 70 the Pacific. the obvi-
Gus advantages of such route, II feAxihle,
over others more remote from tina axial
lines of traffic between Europe anu the
Pacific, and particularly betu cen the valley
of the Mississippi and ths western coast Of
North and South AmsrlcA. are deserving of
Consideration. Whatever highway may be
Constructed across. the barrier dividing the
two greatest maritime areas OF the world
must be for the worlds benefit. A trust for
mankind, 0-be removed from the chance of
domination by any single power, nor become
a point OF invitation for hoStllities, or
q prize for warlike ambition. An en-
gagemept combining the construction,
ownership and Operation OF such work by
tins Government with an offensive and de-
fsnsiye alliance for its protection with the
foreign State, wboss responsibilities and
rights we would share, is, fanny Judgment,
inconsistent with such dedication to uni
versaI and neutral use, and would, more
over, entail measures for its realization bs--
youd the scope of our national policy and
present means.
The lapse of years has abundantly con-
hrmsd tie wisdom and foresight Of those
earlier Administrations which long before
the conditions of maritime intercourse were
changed aud enlarged by the progress OF the
age proclaimed the vital need of inter ocennio
transit across the A Nerican isthmus aud
conSecrated II in advance to the common use
of mankind by their positive declarations
and through the formal obligation of treat
les. Toward such realization tina efforts of
my Administration will be applied, over
bearing in mind the principles on which il
must rest, and which were declared in no
uncertain tones by Mr.. Cas-, who, while
Secretary of State, in 1858, announced that
"what the United States want in Central
America, next to the happiness of its peO-
pie, Is the security and neutrality of the in
ter-oceAnic routes which lead through it,"
The construction OF three transcontnental
lines OF railway, all in successful operation,
wholly within our territory and uniting the
Atlantic and the Pacific oceans, has been
accompanied by Tesulus-of almost interesting
and impressive nature and has crsated new
conditions, not IN the routes OF commerce
only, but in political geography, which
powerfully affect our relations toward and
necessarily increase our interests IN any
transisthmian route which may be opened
and employed for the ends of peace and
traffic, or in other contingencies for uses
inlmical TO both. Transportation IL
factor in the cost of commodities scarcely
second 70 that OF their production, and weighs
hs heavily upon the consumer. Our existence \
already has proven tbs great Importance of
having the competition between land carriage
ana water carriage fully developed, each
acting ms q protscuon % the public against
the tendencies of monopoly, which is inner
emit in the consolidation Of wealth and power
IN the handS of vast corporations. These
suggestions may serve to emphasize what l |
have already said on the score OF tie neceS-
sity OF naturalization Of any inter oceanic
transit, and this only he accomplished |
by making the uses of the route open to all |
nations and subject to the ambitions and