Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-04-17
THE PANAMA AFFAIR.


The San Francisco Bulletin. remarking
upon the fact that United States troops
bearing arms guard the trans-isthmianro route
in the State of Panama, says: No protest
has been received from Great Britain or
France in relation to that proceeding
The former nation processes to have inter-
est connected with transportation on the
Isthmus, because she has dependency be-
yond. France has an interest in the same
region, because her citizens are digging a
canal there. = : i No objection has
been urged against our taking military and
naval control, because, under the circum-
stances, that was the natural and appropri-
ate thing to do" And in another place
our contemporary speaks Of the assertion
of the paramount authority of the
United States in that region" Considera-
bic glorifcation is also INDUCED in that we
have done this thing and no one has bid
US to begone. According to the Bulletin,
in short, Brother Jonathan has ire
mendously big chip upon his shoulder. and
the nations of the earth respect its equi.
librium
Now the whole truth of the matter is
that we have done nothing unusually
brave, nor at all audacious We have
trespassed upon the right of no person or
nation. We have not asserted the para
mount authority of the United States in
that region" What we have done has
been done under treaty right guaranteed
Us by compact, which gives us the priv
ilege and binds us to enter and guard the
Panama route at any time when
instruction cripples the local au-
thority. We have not suppressed
any Instruction in Panama. nor have
we restored order to society there
We have simply done that which, by
treaty no nation can dispute, we are priyi-
legged to do-protected Americans and
their property, and incidentally foreign
residents of the State of Panama and their
property upon the line of the railroad,
against the depredations of robber rebels
We have not penetrated the country, fought
rebels, or taken any part in the local con-
tention for power between opposing fac
tions, of which there are three; the duly
constituted Government Of the State of
Panama, the rebels contesting the right of
that Government, and a second lot of
rebels who contest with the frst-named
insurrectionists the prior right to rule
when the legitimate Government shall bo
overthrow. This is the simple fact. and
there is nothing in our action beyond
that, or in any respect involving the con-
ditions of the Clayton Bulwer treaty.
Nevertheless, ge go 50 far with the BuLLe-
TN as to say that the natural thing for the
United States Government to do is to
claim precedence, as against the encroach-
ments Of other foreign powers upon the
Central States Of America or the Colon
bian States But just now there is no
basis for any complication, nor any reason
to boast about our sending an armed force
10 protect our own people. Had we done
less, we should have violated the pledge
given our citizens resident in Panama,
through the convention by which we have
the privilege, and agree to protect the
transit route in case of civil war or serious
insurrection. By becoming a party TO
that treaty we gave our people to under |
stand that if they went upon that transit |
route we would protect them against uu.