Rocky Ford enterprise., 1903-12-11

these rights be exercised In a spirit be-
| fitting the occasion and the wants and
| circumstances that have arisen. Soyer-
eighty has Its duties as well as Its rights.
| and none of these local governments.
| even II administered with more regard TO
| the Just demands OF other nations than
they have been. would be- permitted. In a
| spirit of eastern isolation, to close the
| gates of intercourse on the great nigh
| ways of the world. and Justify the act by
| the pretension' that these avenues OF
| trade and travel belong to them and that
they choose to shut them. or. what Is
almost equivalent to cucumber them
with such unjust relations az would pre-
| vent their general USE
Seven years later. In 1865. Mr.. Seward
In different communications took the fol-
lowing position:
THE United States have taken and
| will take no interest In any question OF
Internal revolution In the State of Pan
anna. or any State Of the United States of
| Colombia. but will maintain a perfect
| neutrality In connection with such do
nestle alterations. The United States
will. nevertheless. hold themselves ready
| to protect the transit trade across the
isthmus against invasion Of either do
nestle or foreign disturbers OF the peace
OF the State of Panama. Neither
the text nor the spirit OF the stipulation
| In that article by which the United States
| engnses to preserve the neutrality of the
lsthmus OF Panama. imposes an oblisa-
1
the requisition Iof the President of the
| United States OF Colombia for a force to
| protect the isthmus OF Panama from a
| body OF insurgents OF that countryl. The
purpose of the stipulation Was to guar
antee the isthmus against seizure or In
| Sasion by foreign power only"
| Attorney General Speed. under date of
Nov. :. 1865. advised Secretary Seward as
| follows:
From tL,s treaty II can not be sup
posed thft New Granada invited the
United States to become a party to the
| intestine troubles OF that Government.
to take sides In the domestic broiis of
New Granada. The United States did
guarantee New Granada In the sovereign
| ~ and property over the territory. Thb
Was as against other and foreign sovern-
| m~nts."
For four hundred years. ever since
shortly after the discovery of this hon
ispherc. tho canal across the Irthmus has
been planned. For two score years II
| has been worked at When made II Is to
last for the ages II Is to alter tho
| geography Of u continent and tue trade
routes OF tho world We have shown by
every treaty We have negotiated or at
tempted to negotiate with the peoples In
control of the isthmu, and with foreign
nations In reference thereto our consis-
tent good faith In observing OUR oblisa.
tons: on the one hand to the peoples OF
| tho trthmus. and on the other hand To
tho civilized world whose commercial
| rights wc arc safeguarding and suaran.
trrins by our action. We have done our
duty to oihrrs In letter and In spirit. and
| we have shown the utmost sorb~arunce In
esactins our own rights.
Last spring. under the act above re.
| f-fred TO. a treaty concluded between the
| representatives OF the Krpubilo OF Co.
| lombia and Of our Government was Ya,i.
ned by the Senate. This ,f-aty was en-.
| tered Into at the urHvnt solicitation Of
the people of Colombia and after a body
OF experts appointed by our Government
especially to go Into the matter of the
routes across the isthmus had pronounced
unanimously In favor OF tho ranama
route. In drawing up this treaty every
eoncrssion was made 10 the people and
TO the Government OF Colombia. We were
NOR, than lust In dealing with them. Our
generosity ~as such to make 70 a 80.
fious question whether Nc had not gone
too far In their Interest at the expense Of
our own: for In our scrppuious desire to
pay all possible heed. not merely to the
real but even to the fanei-d rights Of our
weaker nrixhbor. Who already owed so
much TO our protection aud forb-aranc~.
40 yielded In all possible ways to her
desires In drawing W the treaty. Never.
theiess the Government of Colombia not
merely rcpudiltsd the treaty. but r-pu.
dated u In such manner as to make ;,
evident by the time the Colombian Con.
Ervns adjourned that not the s-anti-at
hope remained of .y.r setting a salts.
factory treaty from th-tn. Tho Govern.
rncnt Of Colombia made tho treaty. and
yet when tho Colombian Congress was
called to ratify u the Ne,. against fati.
heaiion Was unanimous. u do.s not ap.
pear tina; the Government made any real
effort 20 secure ratification.
Revolution In Panama.
Immediately after the adjournment o'
the Congress a revolution brok. out In
Panama. The p-opi- of Panama had
long been di.rort-et-d with the Republic
OF Colombia. and they had been kcp, aui,,
only by the prospect OF the conclusion
Of the treaty. which vas 10 them a mat.
ter OF vital concern. when u became
evident that the treaty was hop-I.ssi,
lost. tho people OF Panama rus. literally
as one man. Not shot was fired by q
single man on the isthn,us in the intcfcs,
Of the Colombian Government. Not q
life was Lost In the accomplishment o,
the revolution. The Colombian troops
stationed on the Isihmus. who had Ions
been unpaid. made common cause with
| the people uf Panama. and with aston.
ishIng uranirnity the new republic va.
started. Tho duty OF the United States
In the premises was clear. In strict ac.
coTdAncc with the principles laid down
by Secretaries Csss and Seward In the Of.
fetal documon nts above quoted. the United
States gave notice that IL would prrmI,
the landing OF no cspsiitIonary force
the arrival of which would mean chaos
and destruction along the line OF the rail-.
road and OF the proposed canal. and an
Interruption OF transit as an inevitable
consequence. The dc fscto Government,
| Of Panama was recognized in the follow.
ing telegram to Air. Ehrman:
"Thc people OF Panama have. by an.
| parcnty unanimous movement. dissolved
their political connection with tho Re.
public OF Colombia and resumed their In.
dependence. When you are satisfied tina,
do fac,o government. republican In
form and without substantial opposition
from its own people. has been established
in the State of Panama. you will cntci
into relations with II the responsible
government Of the territory and look tc
II Tor all due action TO protect the per.
sons and property OF citizens Of th.
United States and to keep open th,
| isthmian transit. in accordance with the
obligations Of existing treaties govern.
ing the relations OF the United States Il
that territory
Disturbances on isthrus Since is46
When these events happened. ffty-sever
years had elapsed since the United State.
had entered into its treaty with New Ora.
nndn. During that time the Government.
Of New Granada and Of Its successor
Colombia. have been In a constant stats
OF luN.
A long list of the disturbances and
revolutions which have convulsed tn,
isthmus is given, and the report con
cludes:
The above is only a partial list OF IN,
I "a