The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-11-21
RECOGNIZING SECESSION.

An excellent gentleman in North Caro-
lima. now independent in politics, says
he is standing by Mr.. Roosevelt IN the
Panama policy because it commits the
President to the recognition of Secession
and l believe in it now,' he writes, ''and
l am so glad to see Republican Presi-
dent virtually admit forty years after
that my position in 1861 was right that
1 will forgive him any irregularities IL
the Panama natter
This paper has not criticized any recog-
and set up government of its own. Sc
cession has been honorable in the past
and it will be honorable in the future if
actuated by right principles. The colo
MES had a right to secede from Great
Britain. The world applauds because il
was successful The South had right
secession was even then disputed. The
world does not applaud because it failed.
The fact that Mr.. Roosevelt recognizes Sc
cession in Panama does not affect the
dead question of the right of secession
at all, except to show that the Republi-
can party is guided by present advantages
and not by principles.
But-and this is the crux of the mat
ter in the Panama case-Panama did not
secede. The whole transaction was in
spired by holders of stock in the Pan
ANA Canal who wished to sell out to
this country for forty million dollars. The
people of Panama did not rise up against
the Colombian government because they
claimed they were denied their just con-
stitutional rights. There was no popu
lar movement such as swept the South
in 1860. The people had no wrongs to
right, no grievances to redress. They did
nothing. Panama Canal schemes and poll
ticians in America pulled all the strings
and the people of Panama were but pup
pets They established no government.
Weak as it is, the Colombian government
could have secured their unconditional
surrender within ten days if this couL-
try had not become the protector of
Panama. After having by ways that
are dark and tricks that are vain" indi-
rectly engineered the whole paper revo
luton, this government of course sent
its war ships to terrify Colombia and to
keep by force what had been obtained
by fraud
So far nobody has defended the action
upon any basis consistent with our ma
tional honor. In the South some sentl-
mental people favor it because they say
it is tardy recognition of the Southern
Confederacys right to secede in 1860. In
the North some partisans and business
men defend it by frankly saying: I'VE
needed the canal in our business. Colon
bia was in our way. We took what we
wanted. 1t is the way of the world. The
strong have always robbed the weak.
They always will. We are not worse
than others" There is refreshing candor
in this frank and morally blunted de-
tense.
1t was not necessary to violate our good
faith with Colombia and recede from our
honorable national policy to build the
canal. In the first place, the Nicaragua
route is the best route. Even if Old Man
Morgan (and the rest of US who are fol
lowing him) is wrong and the Panama
Canal is the best route, it would have
been better to pay larger sum to Colon
bia than was at first offered than to set
up a republic in violation of our treaty
with Colombia and our past relations
with the South and Central American
States. Some understanding could have
been reached-anything in the way of
paying money would have been better
than to join the lawgrabbing nations
No, no. 1t never pays man or ma
ton to forget to do right. 1t may pay In
dollars and in cents. We may get the
canal a little sooner but the transac-
tion Is shady and has lowered the high
and honorable career of diplomacy that
has been the glory of this Republic from
the day that Jefferson, though desiring
Cuba, would not treat for it because of
treaty obligations, and chose rather to
buy Louisiana than to take it by force
"a course that would have been as easy
as setting up the Republic of Panama
But it is a far cry from the statesman
ship of Jefferson to the slap dash of Roose-
Welt.