Arizona republican., 1903-12-12

purpose to impute dishonorable or inn
proper motives to the officers of the
government.
Mr. Hit said there was nothing
hasty or unique in the recognition of
the new republic, as it occurred five
days after the PRONUNCIATION of the in
dependence of the republic. He made
vigorous defense of the administra-
tion in connection with the republic
OF Panama.
The president, said Mr.. Hit. had
not been precipitate but had waited a
reasonable time. But" he added, 'he
did not waste time; he never does"
Ordinarily MIR. Hit went on,
when a ship is in port and a dis
turbance occurs we land troops to pro-
tect Americans from being killed or
robbed. We have done that in France
and we would do it anywhere.
In the case of Panama our situa-
tion was different from that of any
spot on earth. We had solemn and
binding engagement which had been
Impressed upon us by all the years.
Often we were called upon by the
Colombian government, often by the
events to enforce the obligation to
keep that path open from sea to sea;
not to aid or to suppress rebellion,
but to keep the path open; and when
we landed troops at Colon under the
treaty It was our plan to let no armed
men disturb the open, free course Of
commerce or of movement in the path
way across the isthmus
Now, it so happened in the course
of human events, which we do not
an all-wise providence watches and di
rects, that in this case our duty in
good faith under the treaty to keep
that highway open, fell in with and
brought about u consequence which
was grave to Colombia. She had in
voked that interference before. but it
so happened that always heretofore
it Injured to her benefit. In this case,
that which we have done we did for
motive of the highest obligation of
the national faith.
1t was done carefully but it did not
result in making livery difficult for
troops to come from BOgota. Our
government viii not permit anybody
on the line of that railway or the
crossing of the isthmus which would
disturb free transit and it is because
the two things coincided that men
who do not look or the matter calmly
will say that we did what we did to
njure Bogota, when the act was done
in good faith, though it has injured
Bogota.'
The whole world, he said, had been
in favor of n canal and, added MT.
Hit I'VE have got a man to work on
it, who will cut it through
Mr.. Williams interrupting, said he
wanted to take the burden of saying
yes to the question as to whether the
government had been virtually guilty
of moral obliquity in it's international
relations in its action concerning the
republic OF Panama.
Mr.. Williams charged that this was
the first time that this government had
interfered in the domestic affairs of a
South American country.
He said that the minority side could
not be made to make the mistake
which the majority desired it to make.
The democrats want a canal, he said.
They wanted the Nicaraguan canal but
if they could not get the canal where
they thought it ought to be they would
take It where they could get it and
take it as they might get it. He
thought possibly the Nicaraguan route
was regarded as too great a competitor
of the transcontinental railways.
He said the democrats arc not proud
of the part this government has
taken, but they recognize a fact as a
fact.
He said that virtually it had been
confessed that il Colombia darc5 TO
land soldier in the new born republic
of Panama-new born with tho birth
foreseen and aided as l believe. from
Paris and from Washington-the Uni
ted States viii treat it Us an act of
war.
After some further remarks on the
same line, Mr.. Williams closed as fol-
lows:
IF the president refuses TO obey the
plain words of the Spooner act ap-
proved by him perhaps suggested by
him; if he is going to override the
law; if. after having waited a reason
able time to enter into treaty with
Colombia, he now refuses TO obey the
language of that law and proceed to
try and negotiate treaty with Costa