The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-03-23

told me that. finding themselves In New
York in midsummer. they have been
obliged to leave It quickly because OF the
intense heat. The fact Is that the heat
was greater in New York than they
were accustomed TO, and It was humid
heat. while theirs is dry. In my own
experience. have suffered more from
the heat here than in Colombia"
Being foreigner, how were you
treated on your journeys?"
with the greatest consideration. or
course, the Colombian officials received
me well, but I speak now more OF the
common people OF the country. and who
did not always know that was the
ment. Wherever I went. along the
road or in the cities and towns, met
the most marked Kindness and consId-
Grafton, and this Is Just the treatment
anyone else receives who minds his own
business, and is himself polite and con-
siderate. as always tried to be.
THE Celombiaas are a gentle, very
courteous. well disposed people, and
surely there can be none in the world
easier to get along with, always re-
membering that they are entitled to
due consideration. In all the travel
Ing have done In Colombia have
never needed, and never saw anyone
else need a revolver. Gold Is transport
ed long distances from the mines: the
days Of the month when 1t Is to be sent
are known, and yet the metal and those
transporting 1t are not molested. High
way robbery Is distinctly not Colom-
bian accomplishment"
The Late War.
How did the Colombians regard our
war with Spain?"
Opinion was divided. but think the
grent majority OF the people were with
US. An Incident OF the war was very
pleasing to me and seemed to be we'll
regarded by Colombians-the Spanish
minister and myself did not for q mo-
ment cease to have good personal rela-
tons; official relations, of course, we
could not have. In the nature of
things, the eyes Of Colombians, as OF
the whole world, We're opened by the
rapidity and decisiveness OF the move
ments Of our navy and army In far
away Bogota we read the criticisms on
the management OF affairs. What in
fact we saw was from the broader
point Of view, and we saw only the
great results. or course the war was
costly. In many homes there are va
cant places that will never be filled, but
1t seems to me that one feature Of the
war Is alone worth the whole cost of
the conflict. have read that one re-
suit OF the war Is the complete union
and solldfylng of the whole country.
l do not take this view Of it. 1t seems
to me, rather. that the war only pre-
scented as We had not seen II before a
condition which already eXistcd.Wc were
already united people Sectional
lines had been blotted out, and so had
all the bitterness that ever existed. We
were ready to stand shoulder to Shout
der. presenting solid front to any foe,
and when the time came this Is what we
did. The south was as ready as the
north TO carry the flag, and maintain 1t
wherever duty and honor called. The
veteran who wore the blue was
as eager as the veteran who
wore the gray to get to the
front, and when they got there they
were not northern or southern, but just
Americans, ready to shed their blood
for their country. This oneness of
us than all the money We have or could
have. 1t Is valuable not alone for its
instructive lesson to the world, but as
well for the lesson 1t teaches us Ameri-
cans. Now the world knows, and we
know, that we are nation, and not a
mere asglomeration of sections"
"Isuppose Colombia Is very much in
terested IN the inter-oceanlc canal ques-
tion?"
Deeply. Colombia wishes the Pan
anna canal completed. Not being an
engineer. cannot. OF course. say which
Is the better of the two routes. Nicara-
qua or Panama, nor whether either is
the best that could be found, but have
been over the Panama route. and I feel
free to say II Is worthy OF very serious
attention before we commit ourselves
irrevocahly to any other and Congress
did exactly the right thing to provide
for n thorough investigation before
reaching conclusion. BY treaty and
the good will of Colombia we are al
ready in an exceptional position with
regard to the Panama route, and II we
have any other reasonable thing to ask
OF Colombia, ] am sure 1t will be grant
ed for the asking. The Panama COM
pany is steadily ct work on It's great
ditch. 1t seems to have absolute conf
dance In the outcome. now more than
ever. since Congress took its recent ac-
ton. In New York, Representative OF
the Panama Canal Company. whom I
had met in Bogota, called on me, bring
ing with him two associates. They told
me they hoped to have rot only the
commission appointed by the President,