The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1903-11-12

The United States government on FRI
day instructed its eL oys to recognize
the new republic of Panama. The fol
| lowing telegram was sent by the State
Department to Mr.. Ehrman, the acting
Consul General of the United States at
Panama.
''The people of Panama have by an
apparently unanimous movement dis
solved their political relations with the
republic of Colombia and assumed their
independence. When you are satisfied
that n de facto government. republican
in form and without substantial opposi-
tiop from its own people, has been es-
tab!ished in the State of Panama, you
will enter into relations with it as the
responsible government of the territory
| and look to it for all due action TO pro-
tect the persons and property of citi-
zens of the United States, and to keep
open the isthmian transit in accordance
with the obligations of existing treaties
governing the relations of the United
States to that territory"
Immediately aftcrward an instruction
| was sent by telegram to Mr.. Beaupre,
the United States Minister at Bogota.
Colon Join. Panama.
The Colombian troops have evacuated
Colon and the flag of the new republic
of Panama is now flying over every part
of the isthmus.
Col. Torres. the Colombian command
er, after a conference with the revolu-
tionary leaders, seeing that the situation
was hopeless, agreed to embark his force
on the royal mail steamer Orinoco for
arfo 81
ANA brought Gen. Tovar, who also sail
ed on the Orinoco.
Half an hour after the sailing of the
Orinoco the United States auxiliary
cruiser Dixie. having on board battalion
of $50 marines. arrived in the harbor.
The people Of Colon are jubiant. The
flag of the new republic flies from the
railway stations at Gatun and Bohio Sol
dado. near Colon. The municipal coun-
Gil of Colon has notified the provisional
government at Panama Of its adherence
to the new republic.
Gen. II. o. Jeffries, a graduate of
West Point, has been appointed COM
mander of the Pacific flotilla by the pro-
visional government.
1t was arranged Wednesday that the
government troops should withdraw to
the outskirts of the town and they did so
during the night. Thursday morning,
however, Col. Torres marched the troops
to the center of the town, which caused
landing of American bluejackets. The
bluejackets were barricaded behind bales
of cotton in front of the bank and the
railroad building. The commander of the
Nashville distributed about fifty rifles
% % Ia H. l. tbN -,
jackets guarded the barricades.
Much anxiety prevailed all day until
Col. Torres agreed to embark his troops
for Cartagena. 1t was recognized that
the crew Of the Nashville would be quite
inadequate to cope with the situation
ashore should, serious disturbances occur
and the arrival OF the Dixie was anxious
ly awaited.
AS soon as he arrived Commander De.
lano landed an adequate force of ma
rines from the Dixie and the bluejackets
who landed from the Nashville re-em.
barked.
Recognizing Panama.
In deciding upon the course taken
with regard to the new republic of Pan
anna the president and his advisers are
ilOt WiluOut tuC VI hhstohiN ptS
cedents. The question of granting recog
milton to new nations created by insur
rection and secession has come up sew
eral times. especially in connection with
South and Central American affairs, and
the principles followed in these cases are
fairly well defined.
So long ago as 1916 Secretary Adams
of the State Department laid down the
general principle that a nation founded
by revolution is entitled to recognition
when its independence is established as
matter of fact, so as to leave the
chance Of the opposite party to recover
their dominion utterly desperate" The
same principle has been elaborated by
various American Secretaries of State,
one of the clearest expressions on the
subject being that OF Secretary Living.
ston in 1888. 1T has been the principle
and the invariable practice of the United
States" he wrote, Ito recognize that as
the legal government of another nation
which by its establishment in the actual
exercise of political power might be sup
posed to have received the express or i'm.
piled assent of the people," Similarly
writing as to the recognition of Texas in
1901. CtSIcldfs tE AhC iiuO
pendencc of other nations has always
been regarded by the United States as
a question of fact merely and that of ev
cry people has been invariably recognized
by them whenever the actual enjoyment
of it was accompanied by satisfactory
evidence of their power and determina-
ton permanently and effectually to main
tain it." Afflrmations to the same ef-
feet may be found in the public docu.
ments of a considerable number of the
Secretaries of State down to the time OF
Evarts, Blaine and Frelinghuysen.
The Panama insurgents have proclaim
ed a new government and are in posses
sion in the cities of Panama and Colon.
From the latter city the Colombian
troops sailed away after clash with the
American marines landed from the Nash
Vile had been narrowly averted. Appar-
emily the revolutionists are now in full
possession of the territory Of the new
republic. The Panama people seem to
have set up an actual government, exer
cising powers of sovereignty with the
consent Of the people.