The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-11-10
TUESDAY. NOVEMBER 10. 1902.
Secession, Old and New.


.e=--------==-
Secession, Old and New.
In his statement explaining and justi-
flying the action OF President Roosevelt in
the Panama revolution, Secretary Hay
says:
This brings us to tho sudden and start
ling events which have so recently at
tracted the attention of this country and
of the world. Although there has been
no lack for many years past OF numerous
causes OF discomfort and anxiety among
the people OF Panama. 1t appears that the
failure Of tho canal treaty convinced them
that there was nothing moro to be hoped
for in their connection with the Colom-
biani Government. which had never proved
entirely satisfactory.
"They went to work with that talent
for prompt and secret organization TO
which there Is no parallel among people
Of Northern blood: they prepared the ma
chinery OF revolution in advance. and sud
denly In a single day. without the firing
ar shot, with the exception OF rev
shells that were thrown into. the city
from Colombian steamer In the harbor
Of Panama, they accomplished their In
dependence. A government consisting OF
leading citizens Of the State was at once
organized and proclaimed to the world.
N
revolution. The rest returned to Colom-
bia, and so far as we are able to judge,
{ the new republic begins Its career with
no organized opposition throughout the
entire extent of the Isthmus
This is, to ali intents and purposes.
s justification on the part of Secretary Hay
Of the actions of the citizens OF Pan
ANA Panama was a State IN the Repub-
lie OF Colombia, and tho construction OF
canal across the Isthmus of Panama Is
Sc vital Importance to the people OF that
Stale. The United States Government
had proposed a treaty with the Republic
OF Panama under which this canal was
to be constructed upon terms of liberality
to Colombia. The treaty was agreed to
by the representative III Washington OF
the Colombian Government, but tho Co
lombian Senate refused to ratify 1t, i'm
posing terms which tho United States
could not entertain. The people Of Pan
ANA, seeing that this great enterprise, IN
which they were so deeply concerned, was
!, about to come to naught through the ava
rice or stupidity or what not of the CO.
lombian Senate took matters into their
own hands. They seeded from the Union
eminent Of their own. Whether or not
I they had right under their ARTICLES of
Confederation to secedc. we do not know.
but they had the divine right of revolu-
ton" and theyh acted..upon it, and Sec
rotary Hay and President Roosevelt evil
IDENTIFY justified them in their course.
And be 1t remembered that this revolt
was for business reasons only. The peo-
pie OF Panama wanted the canal. the gov
eminent Of Colombia was standing in the
way, and the people Of Panama rebelled
and set up a government OF their own.
It was secession. pure and simple. and as
Eoon as Panama seeded 1t was recog-
nized as a new republic by the President
OF the United States.
Naturally and necessarily this turns
Che thoughts OF the Southern people to
a somewhat similar event which occurred
In the early sixtles. Certain States of tho
South, being dissatisfied with the manner
in which they We're treated by the United
States Government, exercised their rights
as sovereign States. exercised the rights
which they reserved to themselves when
they entered into the Union. seeded from
the United States and set UP the Southern
Confederacy ION tho part of these
States" said Mr. Stephens, (which had
allied themselves In common cause, war
was maintained and carried on purely in
defense OF this great right claimed by
them of State sovereignty and self-gov-
eminent, which they. with their associ.
ates. had achieved In their common strug'
xle with Great Britain. under the decla'
ration of l7J6, and which, In their judy
ment. lay at the foundation OF the whole
structure of Americas free institution
,fhe Southern States did not make wal
upon the United States; they seeded, bu
ali that they asked was 10 be let alone
They did not propose to interfere will
other States which remained In the Union
They did not propose to coerce any State
into the confederacy nor to lift thei
hand against the United States of thu
North They proposed simply to with
draw from the Union. which had becom'
si distasteful and oppressive to them. ant
they took this course In the interest o
peace II they had been let alone. Their,
had been no war. The war was no
brought on by the South, but by the North
The President of tho United States a
that time thought that secession was
thing not TO be tolerated. and he called
Tor troops to whip the South back into In
Union.
But sentiment In Washington ma
changed since that day. President Roose
Welt and his Secretary Of State and III
members Of his Cabinet evidently thin