Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1903-12-10

Washington, Dec. 8.--The matters
Of paramount interest dealt with by
the president In his annual message
to congress yesterday related OF
course to the Panama revolution and
Isthman affairs. There Is to be no
back tack Panama has done its part,
now let us do ours, says the president,
Nearly one-thrd OF the entire message
Is consumed In the isthmian discus
sion, the president saying:
by the act of June %, 1902, congress au
thorlzed the president 10 enter into treaty
with Colombia for the building or the
canul across the lsthmus Of lnnumni Il
being provided that In the event Of fall
ure To secure such trenty after the lapse
Of reasonable time, recourse should be
had 10 building canal through Nicaragua.
II hnS not been necessary to consider THIS
alternative, us am enabled to lay before
the scnntc tre0ly providing for the build.
Ing Of the canal ucrDSs the islhlnls or
Panama. This was the route which com
mendcd Itself TO the deliberate Judgment
OF the congress, and we cnn now acquire
by tfenty the right 10 construct the canal
over this route The question now, there.
fore Is not by which route the isthmlan
canal shall he built, for thnt question has
been definitely aud lrrevOcnbly decided.
The question II simply whether or not we
shall have nm lslhmiun canal.
take the Panama route under treaty with
tOlOmhn, the essence of the condition. of
course referred not to the government
which controlled that route, but to the
route Itself TO the territory across which
tue route lny not TO the name which for
the moment the territory bore on the map.
The purpose Of the law was To authorize
the president to make Il treaty with the
power IN actual control of tho lsihmua OF
Pnnnmu. This purpose has been fulfilled.
In the yenr 1916 this government entered
toto
deceasOr upon tho lsthmus Of the republic
Of Colombia aud Of the present republic Of
Panama, by which treaty II WIS provided
that the government aud citizens Of the
United St0tcs should always have free aud
open right of way or transit across the
tstbmus Of Pnnnmn by any modes Of com
munic1ilon that might be constructed,
while ip return our government guaranteed
the perfect neutrality of the nbOve.mCn.
toned isthmus with the View that the free
transit frotu the one to the other sea might
treaty vested In the United States Il sub
stnnIhl property right carved out Of the
rights OF Sovereignty una property which
New GiHnhda hcn had ana possessed over
the snld territory, The name of New
Granada hns passed away aud ta terri.
tory has been divided Its successor, the
government of Colombia, has ceased to
own any property IN the lsthmus new
republic, that Of Panama, which WINS Mt
Que time sovereign state, ana nt another
time z mere department of the successive
considerations known rs New Granada ana
Colombia, has now succeeded to TIE rights
which llrst one ana then the other for
merlN exercised over the lsthmus, Hut az
long as the islhmus rndurCs tho mere
geographical fact of Its existence, and the
peculiar Interest therein which Is re-
Vnlirh ~ our position, pcrpetunlc the sol.
emh contract which hlnds the holders Of
ne territory 70 respect our right to free
dom of tmnslt across II, nud binds It's IN
return ~ snft guard for the lSthmus and
the world the exercise Of that ncatlmnblr
Int t,u AZ hn
oh.lEn Ions upon which the United States
entered IN this treaty Of 1916 has been
given repeatedly In the uttcrnncrs OF pros
ldents and aecrctNres of state, Secretary
t'nss In 1855 officially stated the position Of
ms government rs follows:
''lhr progress or CTrns has rendered the
lnteroccnnlc route across the narrow pOr-
ton of Centrnl America vastly important
20 the commercial world. and especially to
the United States whose possessions OK.
tend along the Atlantic ana pnclne coasts
and demand tho spcedicst ANA easiest
modes Of communication, While the rights
or sovereignty Of the states occupying this
region should always he respected, we
shall expect That these rights he exercised
IN n spirit bellttlng the occasion and the
wants and circumstances that have arisen,
Sovereignty has Its duties as well M It's
rights and none uf these local govern.
mcnts, even II administered with more re.
gard to the Just demands OF other nations
than they have been, would he permitted,
IN spirit OF eastern isolation, to close
the gates OF intercourse on the great high.
ways Of the world, ana Justify tho act by
the nretonsion that those avenues OF trade
aud travel belong To them nnd That they
choose to shut them, or, what Is almost
equivalent, to cucumber them with such
unjust, relations as would prevent their
general use"
Seven years later. In 1885, Mr. Seward in
different commune ntlons took the follow.
Ing positions; "Thc United States have
question OF Internal revolution In the state
OF Panama, or any state OF the United
States OF Colombia, but viii maintain n
perfect, neutrality in connection, with such
domestic alterations The United States
VIII, nevertheless, hold themselves ready
TO protect the transit trade across the 18th.
mus against Invasion OF either domestic OF
Of Panama Neither the text NOT
the spirit OF the stipulation In that nrti
Gle by which the United States engages e
preserve the neutrality OF the lsthmus OF
Panama, Imposes an obligation on this gov
ctnment Ia comply With the reuusitlan toi
the president OF the United states OF Co
lnmhn for n force 10 protect the lsthmps
OF Panama from n body of Insurgents OF
that country, The purpose Of the stipnln
tion WINS to guarantee the lsthmus against
seizure or Invasion by foreign power
only"
Attorney General Speed under date Of
November {, 1866, advised Secretary Sc
not he supposed that New Granada Invited
the United States 10 become party Il
the intestine troubles nf that government
nor ulu tue l|hllru StNteS hrCn'nN hnNnt
TO take Sides In tho domestic hroIis " %no
Granndn. The United States dla pnarnn
tee New Granada In tho snvcrcIgntv ant
property over tho territory This WINS a,
against other aud foreign governments "
For fnrr h"ndrcd wears nsn~ rtuc,
shortly after tho discovery Of this hrml
snherr. tho canal across the isthmus m,
henn planned For two Score wears II hr,
been worked nj when made II Is tn lnS
for the ages II Is 10 alter the geography
Of = continent ana the trade routes Of tn
NV pAnt,
we have negotiated or ATTEMPTED 10 negn
tlRte with the peoples In control ~ N,
isthmns mud with foreign nations In refer
encc thereto nnr consistent good faith /,
observing our obligations. on the one han,
20 the peoples or the Rthmus and on th
other hand to the civilized world who's