Durango semi-weekly herald., 1903-12-10

| is In sharp contrast with the positive
and contemptuous refusal OF the con.
gress which has Just closed its ses.
sions to consider iayorabiy such a
treaty; II shows that the government
| which made the treaty really had alb
solute control over the situation. but
did not choose to exercise this control.
The dispatch further calls ON us to
restore order and secure Colombian
supremacy in the isthmus from which
the Colombian government has Just
by It's action decided to bar us by pre-
venting the construction OF the canal.
lmpo rtance TO United States Of Control
of Means Of Undisturbed Transit
Across isthmus.
The control. In the interest of the
commerce and traffic of the whole civ
ilized world. of the means of undis.
turbed transit across the isthmus OF
| Panama has become OF transcendent
Importance to the United States. We
have repeat edly exercised this control
by intervening in the course of do
nestle dissensioD, and by protecting
The territory from foreign invasion.
IN 1855 Mr.. Everett assured the Peru
Wan minister that We should not hes
ltate to maintain the neutrality of the
isthmus In the case OF war between
Peru and Colombia. In 1864 Coiom,
bla, which has always been vigilant to
avail itself Of ITS privileges conferred
by the treaty, expressed ITS expecta.
ilon that in the event OF war between
Peru and Spain the United States
would carry into effect the guaranty oi
neutrality There have been few ad,
ministrations OF the state department
in which this treaty has not, either
by the one side or the other, been used
as n basis of more or less important
demands. II was said by Mr. Fish In
1871 that the departmen of state had
reason TO believe that an ataclI upon
Colombian sovereignty on the isthmus
had, on several occasions, been avert
ed by warning from this gov ernment.
In 1886, when Colombia was under the
menace OF hostilities from Italy in the
Cerruti case. Mr. Bayard expressed the
serious concern that the United States
could not but feel. that European
power should resort to force ag iinst a
sister republic in this hemisphere, as
to the sovereign and uninterrupted use
of part OF whose territory we are
guarantors under the solemn faith OF
treaty.
The above recital Of facts establish.
es beyond question: First that the
United States has for over half cen
tury patiently and in good faith car.
ried out it's obligations under the trea-
| to nf u 10
first time II became possible for Co
lombia TO do anything In requital OF
The services thus repeatedly rendered
to 1t for 81 years by the United States,
The Columbian government peremp-
torily and offensiyely refused thus TO
do its part. even though to do So would
have been TO its advantage and i'm
measnrably to the advantage of the
state of Panama, at that Time under
Its jurisdiction; third. that throughout
this period revolutions, riots and fac
tional disturbances OF every kind have
occurred one after the other in almost
uninterrupted succession, some OF
them lasting for months and even for
years, while the central government
was unable to put them down or to
make pence with the rebels: fourth
that these disturbances instead OF
showing any sign OF abating have
tended to grow more numerous and
| more serious in the Immediate past
fifth that the control Of Colombia over
the lsthmus OF Panama could not be
maintained without the army inter
yention and assistance of the United
, |
ment OF Colombia. though wholly uD.
= able to maintain order on the isthmus
has nevertheless declined TO ratify a
treaty the conclusion oi which opened
the only chance TO secure It's own sta
bility and TO guarantee permanent
peace on. and the conseruction OF a
canal across, the isthmus
Under such circumstances the gov
ernment of the United States would
? have been gully OF folly and weakness
amounting in their sum TO a crime
against the nation. had II acted other
I wise than ii did when the revolution
+ OF November last took place in Pan
| anna This great enterprise of build
> ing the interoceanic canal cannot b'
9 held up to crafty the whims. or GU
I of respect to the governmental impo
: tence. or TO the oven more sinister
! and evil political peculiarities. of peo
I pie who. though they dwell afar OFF
+ yet. against the wish OF the actua
8 dwellers on the isthr1us, assert an i'm
Q real supremacy over The territory. Tn
$ possession of territory fraught wit
a such peculiar capacities as the 18TH
i mus in question carries with II obi
d cations to mankind. The course o
l. events hes shown that this canal car
!. not be built by private enterprise. o
8 b. pny other nation than our own
}, therefore il must be built by the Uni
d ed States.
i Submission Of Treaty with Kew r,
= public Of Panama.
IS Every effort has been made by tn
|. government Of the United States I
D persuade Colombia to follow cours
e which was essentially not only to ou
d interests and to the interests OF tn
d world. but to the interests of Colombl
r. itgalf These efforts laya failed an