Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1885-12-12

of their acts under the municipal Law
Of the. state against whose authority the
were in revolt,
The denial by this government of tn
Columbian proposition did not, howeve
! imply the admission of a belipkerer
state on the part of the insurgents. Th
Columbian government has expresse
its willingness to negotiate a conventio
for the adjustment by arbitration of tn
claims of foreign citizens arising out {
the destruction of the city of Aspinwa
by the insurrectionary forces.
THE NICARAGUA SHIP CANAL,
The interest of the United States in
practicable transit for ships across tn
strip of land separating the Atlantic fror
the Pacific, has been repeatedly mani
tested during the last half century. NJ
immediate predecessor caused to be ne
gotiated with Nicaragua treaty for tn
construction by and at the sole cost O
the United States, of a canal through
Nicaragua territory, and laid the SAM
before the senate, and pending tn,
action ofthat body thereon, withdrew
the treaty for determination. Attentive
consideration of It's provisions leads me
TO withhold it from Tesubmission to tn,
senate.
Maintaining as l do the tenets ola lint
of presidents from Washington's day
which preclude entangling alliances will
foreign states, do not favor policy o.
acquisition of distant territory, or the in
corporation of remote interests with oul
own. The laws of progress are vital
and we must be conservators of that ir-
resistible tide of commercial expansion
which is the concomitant of our active
civilization, and day by dav is being
urged onward by those increasing facili.
ties of production, transportation and
communication to which steam and cleo.
tiricity have given birth.
But our duty at present instructs us to
address ourselves mainly to the develop.
ment of the vast resources of the great
area committed to our charge, and to the
cultivation Of the arts of peace within
our border, alert on preventing the
American hemisphere from being in
volved in the political problems and
complications of distant governments.
am unable to recommend
any proposition involving paramount
privileges of ownership or right outside
of our territory, when compelled
with absolute and unlimited engage
ments to defend the territorial integrity
of the state where such interests de-
mand.
While the general project Of connect
ing the two oceans by means of canal
is to be encouraged. | am of the opinion
that any scheme to that end, to be con-
sidered with favor should be free from
the feature alluded to. The Tehuantepec
route is declared by engineers of the
highest repute and by competent scien-
Insists to afford an entirely practical
transit for vessels and cargoes by means
Of ship-rsilway from the Atlantic to the
Pacific. The obvious advantages of such
4 route, if feasible over others more re-
mote from the lines of traffic be-
.ween Europe and the Pacific and par
5icularly between the valley of the Mis-
,issippi and the western coast of North
md South America, are deserving Of con-
liberation.
Whatever highways may be construct
I'd across the barrier dividing the two
greatest maritime highways of the world
must be for the worlds benefits trust
or mankind-to be removed from the
nance of domination by any single
power, nor become point of invitation
or hostilities, or prize for warlike am
,ition.
An engagement combining tie con-
truction, ownership and operation of
UGH a work by this government, with
n offensive and defensive alliance tor its
with the foreign state, is
carcely desirable. The responsibilities
nd rights we would thus share is, in my
Judgment, inconsistent with such dedi-
alton to universal and neutral use; and
you'd, moreover, entail measures for its
ealization beyond the scope of our
ational politics or present means.
The lapse of years has abundantly
on6rmed the wisdom and forethought
f those earlier administrations which
ong before the conditions of maratime
Intercourse, changed and enlarged by the
rogress of the age, proclaimed the vital
eed of inter-oceanic transit across the
american isthmus, and consecrated it in
dvance to the common use of mankind.
By that positive declaration, and
through the formal obligation of treaties
oward such realization, the efforts of my
administration will be applied, ever
earring in mind the principles on which
t must rest, and which were declared in
10 uncertain words by Mr.. Case, who,
While secretary of state in 1858, an.
ounced that "what the United States
Tant in Central America, next to the
appiness of its people, is the security
nd neutrality of the intef-oceanic routes
which lead through it.
TRANS CONTINENTAL RAILROAD.
The construction of three trans-con-
mental lines Of railway, all in success
III operation wholly within our territory
nd uniting the Atlantic and the Pacific
ceans, has been accompanied by results
f a most interesting and impressive
Iature, and has created new condition
lot in the routes of commerce only, but
n political geography, which power
ully affects our relation toward, and ne |
increase our interests in any
ans-isthmus route which may be
pened and employed for the ends of
'eace and traffir, or in other contingent
les for uses inimical to both.
Transportation is factor in the cost
# commodities scarcely second to that
# theft production, and weigh heavily
Ipon the consumer. Our experience al
eady has proven the great Importance
# having the competitor between land
arriage and water carriage fully devel-
ped, as a protection to the public
gainst the tendencies of monopoly,
Which is inherent in the consolidation
f wealth and power in the hands of
asst corporations. These suggestions
nay serve to emphasize what I have al |
eady said on the score of the neutrali-
ation of any inter-oceanic transit; and
his can only be accomplished by making
ses on the route open to all nations and
ubject to the ambitions and warlike
ecessities of men.
The drawings and report Of a recent
IL al vNy1t a