The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1900-12-22

mere part of general scheme OF "nense
why NOT and defense s
4 The discovery of this continent was
Il "Io'"H but an accident of the attempted achleVe
4 1T? ment of a great commercial project, the
4 seeking of u western trade route 10 lhoia
Trom the proposition of Gavao 1850, down to the last
canal BILL through every effort to pierce Tue
narrow strip of land that baked the progress OF ooiu
huh has practically the same great commeroia pu
nose The possible to which such passage lhsn'
ba put time of have been merely ancary 10 'ne
central idea. Were not the American people lnoueo
Nth the conviction that the Nicaragua canal wouo prove
payng enterprise, either in toll returns or through inc
sprDentio Of foreign commerce. political party "ouo
gara commit the government to such undertaking.
But viewed from any possible standpoint thefe can
III urged good for American opposltloh 70 tn
complete naturalization of the canal, or Tor te oeS'le "
some Americans to fortfy it, The only argument that
can be advanced by this latter class, is that IN war 10
which this country party the passage through VI
Ire enem, S ships might thereby beprevened But when
ii Il considered that fortified nonneutralzed canal IS as
mich an object Of legitimate attack, by land or sea- as
fortified city when we reflect how easily the efficiency OF
canal iii uaed as this will be could be absolutely oe
sroyed through the wreckage of locks and dams wheh
we eaz The great time and vast amount OF money 10 DC
expended III its building and what the destruction woulo
mean to American commerce it little short OF amazing
that such policies should be urged Aneutrazed canal is
an the Great maritime powers; fortified canal becomes
in wars4he prime object of an eneny's attack
IA ATTEMPTED justification of the amendment to the
treaty recently adopted by the senate,
tter from its author, the late Senator DAVIS has been
made public. Senator Davis says:
The amendment has especial advantage that it was
nearly as possible the tenth article OF the treaty of
rtantnone Therefore amendment adjusted to the
treaty of the British in the posi-
~ where it either the treaty OF Consanunope
which Great Britain herself proposed fatty say that the lines
Of that treaty. which of advantage to Great Britain snail
stand in our treaty. and that the lines in that treaty which are TO
and may sadvantageous to Great Britain shall
10 ohliterated from treaty the committee had framed
amendment on different lines different terms, Great
could have said had departed from the treaty
fnsannope and introduced new principles She would not
have been correct saying but she would have said it, My
own object hold her as closely as possible to her
That his argument is specious and his language disln
the best friends of the dead senator will not deny
That the foreign relations committee based its amend
,,,n certain provisions of the Consannople con
venton Is matter of common knowledge; that in doing
90 thew utterly ignored most important modifying arti
Gle Of that treaty is not, perhaps, generally known
nor does Senator Davis letter disclose it.
The eleventh article of the Constantnople treaty i'm
edatey follows that from which the committee drew it
;nspraon and upon which it SO complacenty relies TO
recedent vet snguary enough, the distinguished ger
temen composing that important committee to hav
entirely overlooked IT, 1Hat aItice expressly nulUC
~ ectioh Of permanent Notifications dominating tn
sz canal Insistence upon Notifications and opposto
I, naturalization 90 hand in hand, and the Monroe do
,,,ne L made to do duty contemplated by its
,b,, Even Mr. Bryan's fantastic proposition to exten
he drne to his Qnixotic protecorate the PHILIP
,n. stands was no more absurd than is the contentic
h, there can be- any possible nfracon of its prime
Mes involved in pledglng the powers Of Europe Il
naturalization of an Isthmlan canal However, it wou
robabv be idle to argue with anyone ignorant of tt
history Of that canon of American policy not to kno
that i was purely and solely measure of self lefens
Nothino more was dreamed of b. those who form
lated ii; nothing more is defensibe upon any tenat
ground. 49,
This question resolves itself INTO one of simple ext
dencv We have no rights at stake IN it's conside
ton. The American people are physically table, to
az thew please in the premIsesbu that is not at iss
4 i merely whether our own ends would be best 81
carved by investing 0OO,oOO,eOO and certainly mt
more If Notifications s. added in great commercial
rnr;se. and undertaking to defend it singy against
ossible hostile combination of world powers or by gu
sntae;n0 It's unnofoated existence through all time
edoing those powers to its protection, along lines eas
entable to the yet looking peculiarly to the conse
zion Of 6py interests
The JS s1uncefote treaty, amended, has b
.4;ad hv the Aenate With its expression of desire
.s-ssarve and maintain the general principles of n
.sizat6n AS established by the Clayton-Bulwer trea
;sl tIa yrovlsion-essentia to such preservation
s;.ssnancar sthe canal shall be free and open,
tsre a war q in time of peace coupled with the
;v;iaga Of 1tsreoarding it at pleasure, the trea