The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-08-30
THE NICARAGUACA CANAL COMMISSION.
Frs REPORT

slSAN anu H'tFA itet 80 VI '4+'f N''~-'N'
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THE NICARAGUA CANAL COMNI-SION-
Frs REPORT.
II Is given out, and with reason, we
believe, that the commission Of engi-
ncers sent by our Government to Mica
ragua to examine and report upon the
possibility OF constructing the Nicara-
qua canal have filed repor. declaring
the feasibility Of constructing it 1t is
said they estimate the cost Of the work
as sll5. 10000, with 1000 men at work
six years.
There ought not to be another hours
delay, after Congress meets. in provid-
ing for the construction Of this inter
national highway. This is an entirely
competent and impartial board Of ex-
ports and We accept their judgment
without, hesitation. Congress should at
once provide for the Government en-
dors.ng the bonds Of the company 20
the extent Of sll5.ooo,OOo upon the canal
and its management being turned over
to the Government as security against
liability on the endorsement.
Hon Chaurcey +. Black, Of Pennsylva-
MIA. has published very interesting let
ter upon the pretension OF the st. James
Gazette that England should be jointly
interested with the United States in
the control Of the canal, from which
we make the following extracts. lie
says:
If there ever was any crisis or any
occasion for one. it has passed long ago.
The British Government has seen the
growth Of irresistible public sentiment
in this country in favor Of the canal as
an exclusively American affair. 1t has
seen Congress establish a purely Ameri-
can CORPORATION 20 undertake II. It has
seen bill after bill brought into Congress
to lend TO IT the credit of the United
States. il has seen our government au-
thorizc surveys. appoint commissions,
and take other steps looking necessarily
to the exclusive control of the canal,
which were notorious throughout the
world. were unconcealed and open and
could not be misinterpreted. TO none
or any OF these has she offered any OBJ
lection or entered any protest. She u.s.
therefore. by every principle Of equity
| and every canon of honest diplomacy
| precluded from objection or protest now
! that after these many years the Ameri-
can mind has been resolved the American
government largely committed, Ameri-
can capital extensively expended. and
the work is, one way or another either
with or without government credit
about to be put under way. II is impos-
sible that the article in the 81. James
Gazette can have had any official In
fs vic g.
" TO be entertained by the present or
any future English ministry. rude IN
sistance by that government upon an
equal participation with the United
States in the benefits. military and COM
mercial, OF this purely American canal
would produce a very serious an dan
gcrous situatiOr-a situation injurious
to both countries and threatening -
the best interests Of the civilized wcrld.
After arguing ;hat the Claytcn-Bulwer
treaty is a dead instrument. Mr.. Black
insists that Great Britain can have no
hare IN the canal, aud he does not be-
lieve she viii ever ask il. lie then ads;
our manufactures demand new mar
kets and as recent events have amply
shown. not only the South and Central
Americas. but something like a thousand
millions Of Asiatics, 70 whom We can 80
most conveniently by this route are
waiting 10 trade with US or with the
English. az circumstances may deter
mine. We have. therefore, right "a
insist that this American canal shall he
under American control-that OF the
United States, Nicaragua and Costa Ri
ca-and that while we DO not propose the
barbaiity Of excluding tie peaceful COM
mercc of any nation, We 10 propose that
there shall be no possibility Of any Eu-
rOpcan nation excluding ours.
"But the military view Of the matter
| is even more impressive. Since the sign
ing of the treaty our Pacific states have
grown into an empire. threatened only
by the naval and military ornaments OF
that country which. according ITO the
st. James Gazette. insists upon an
equal possession with us in this Ameri-
can canal. With the canal the efficiency
Of our fleets. passing rapidly between
the two oceans would be more than
doubled as against the fleets Of any
other power Shall we share this adj
vantage with Great Britain. whose ma
val and military posts bristle I'm peculiar
menace 10 us in the Caribbean Sea, along
the Canadian frontier and on the North
Pacific? In this view Of the case alone
81 seems 10 me that no expenditure 81
money would be too great for the Amer
lean people to make IN order 10 secure
this enormous naval and military ad-
vantage which naturally and justly be-
LONGS n uc -