Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-12-13
s5th CONGRESS.
Continued from page ~

lie man has credited that part of the
decision until within the last SIX
months when the craze of expansion
seems to have taken possession of the
| American people,.
Vest thought it was the purpose of
the expansionists to adopt the Euro
pean system of colonization. He
pointed out that Great Britain had in
the mother country 1879 square miles
| of territory and in her colonies 49,
| 66I,O7l square miles. The disposition
of population was about the same.
/ Vest said Il know not what may be
/ done with The glamor of foreign con-
quest and greed of the money making
| classes of this country. For myself
would rather quit public life this rnin-
| ute--nay. l would be willing to yield
life itself, rather than give my consent
to this fantastic and wicked attempt to
revoutionize our government and TO
substitute the principles of our leredi-
tary enemy for the teachings of Wash
lington and his associates"
| Platt Conn, said, in expressing
The hope that Vest would not ask for
| immediate action upon his resolution,
he desired to offer some remarks upon
1t, but was net prepared, today, TO do
-. He did not. he said acquiesce in
the law as stated by the Missouri sena-
tor. He believed that the power to ac-
quire territory was inherent in the ma
ton and was not subject to limitation
In the remarks he proposed to submit
| he would endeavor to establish this be-
| lief He thought it perfectly evident
| That If the United States in fighting
war came into possession of territory
| could not be stopped until the consti-
tuted authorities should declare whath-
er ii was the purpose of the govern.
ment to hold the acquired territory
with the ultimate Intention of confer
ring statehood upon it's inhabitants
In response to an inquiry by Hoar,
Platt declared that the power of the
| government TO acquire territory was
full plenary. To this proposition I'M
less ii We're accompanied by declara-
tons as 10 the purpose of the govern
ment with respect to the territory ac-
quired, which purpose should be within
the power of the constitution to confer.
Hoar said he desired to enter his EN-
phatic dissent.
Morgan called up the Nicaraguan
canal bill. which was read in extenso
Morgan offered the amendments agreed
upon by the committee. Turpie sug-
gasted the advisability of poStponing
the consideration of the bill until after
Jan. l. He stated that the President
in his message had suggested thai
| matters should remain in statu quo UNI
til the report of the canal commission
was made. 1t was an open secret. h
said. that the commission would report
by the first of the new year The re.
port would deal With timely and vi
tally important questions in connection
with the bill. 1t would officially report
upon the feasibility of the enterprise.
the practicability of routes and the es.
timated expenditure. The work of the
commission had cost a quarter of
million. Why not wait? Why so ii
blind?"
Morgan replied that the country had
reached a conclusion upon this ques-
ton and would not be satisfied, he
thought, to see this session pass with
out the enactment of legislation which
would secure the building of the canal
Morgan said Nicaragua and Costa Rica
recognized what was the universal.
opinion of mankind that the canal
across the isthmus must be built under
the protection, control and manage
ment of some great maritime power.
The terms of the Menocal- Cardenas
concessions proved this. The two SOW
ereign republics became party to stock
in the company when organized, Mic
araSua retaining 6 per cent. of the PAID
up stock and Costa Rica u percent
| They had waived their sovereign
rights in favor of the Congress of the
| United States. They had waived them
| for the benefit of their own countries
! in order to accomplish that without
| which they were the most minute
| microscopic dots on the map of the
world. We stood pledged by that trea-
| ~ with Nicaragua, to protect the ca
| nal. Our armies must go there if the
| rights of the canal We're invaded. The
| rights of an exclusive character pos
sessed under the treaty of 1867, were in
violation of the Clayton-B ulwer trea-
ty. But seven years before Great Brit
ain had procured q treaty with Near
agua identical in terms, so that the
Clayton Bulwer treaty had vanished
into thin air by Great Bmtain's act.
The question of British intervention
was very remote. 1t was only conjured
in the minds of those who doubted the
wisdom of a canal. If the sense of the
Senate We're taken he had no doubt it
would be in favor of declaration that
the Clayton Bulwer treaty WAS abro-
gated. The main difficulty which con-
fronted us arose out of the fact that
when Cleveland withdrew the Freyling-
husen- Cabillo treaty, he expressly
took the ground that ii esta blished an
Ientangling alliance and violated ths
Clayton BulWer treaty.
ut could not violate a treaty that
was dead said Morgan.
so that Mr.. Cleveland. by his first
diplomatic act against the judgment
of Congress gave vitality ITO a treaty
that was dead"
A question was raised IS to the lam
guage of the bill guaranteeing the neu-
trality Of the canal in case the United
States were at war with any country.
Morgan said that the language of the
bill specifically expected such a case.
Hoar differed with Mr.. Morgan. "If
the United States he asked. were at
war with England and England should
dispatch hostile fleet to San Francis
co. could that fleet pass through with
out Interruption? Did the statement