The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-11-17
THE PLOT INCUBArING SINCE
LAST AUGUST.

attitude of this government toward the
plan to establish the Republic of Panama.
The organs of the administration throw no
| light upon the events that preceded the
secession at Panama. 1t is as certain as
that Hanna and Aldrich represent the
trusts in the Senate that men close to the
administration engineered the whole revo-
luton. 1t was the inspiration of Secs
sion and, of course, was prompt to recog-
nize the Republic into which it had caused
the breath of life to be blown.
AS far back as August, when the treaty
was pending in the Colombian Congress
Mr.. Walter Wellman wrote to the Chicago
Record-Herald that Mr.. Roosevelt had no
sympathy whatever with the Nicaraguan
idea and no intention of having recourse
to that route" He added that ''if the
pending treaty finally and completely
failed Mr.. Roosevelt would LOOK
ABOUT FOR SOME OTHER MEANS
OF ACQUIRING THE NECESSARY
RIGHTS OF PANAMA and number of
the presidents advisers were urging him
bluntly TO TAKE WHAT WE NEED
Mr. Wellman said that probably there is
not another first-class nation in the world
that would hesitate for a moment to seize
The isthmus for the purpose of comforting
upon it and the world the boon of a canal
connecting the two principal oceans of the
world; and then Mr.. Wellman explained
that "only mawkisk sentiment and fine
spun moral considerations stand in the
way of the United States, and these OBJ
stacles are likely to be swept away if the
little band of boodlers at Bogota continue
to block the path of progress"
Mr.. Wellman went on to say-bear in
mind this was in August:
I'm this connection it is interesting to
know that for several years Mr.. Roosevelt
has believed the United States must ulti-
mately take possession of the isthmus, as a
sort of trustee for civilization. According
to his philosophy the owners of great cor
porations have not the right to do as they
like with their property regardless of the
interests of the people, nor have the rulers
of States the right to do whatever they
please with their territory irrespective of
the worlds needs, or, as our forefathers
put it, without a decent regard for the
opinions of mankind These rulers of the
State are directly trustees for the people
of that country, but indirectly they are
trustees for the worlds interests that may
be affected. They must stand or fall ac
cording as they meet their responsibility.
Spain's regime in Cuba, China and the
South African republics are recent exam
pes of the working of the higher law of
accountability beyond the frontiers. The
Colombians stand in grave danger of add
ing their country to the list
After incubating the idea of Secession
for three months, the President seems to
have needed the advice of those who said:
Take what we need" Having indirectly
done so, the administrations defenders are
fulfilling Mr.. Wellmans predictions by
abusing all who denounce the dishonorable
conspiracy and saying that "only mawkish
sentimentality and fine spun moral consid
erations'' are invoked against this crime of
this republic When strong men steal
from the weak they rarely have the cour
age of their dishonesty, and invent some
other reason than that they grabbed the
possession of the weak because they want
ed it. But that is nearly always the rea-
son. There was no other reason why this
country was the wet nurse of the infant
republic of Panama.
| But we are told by some editors Calm
| ing to be Democrats that it will be bad
politics for the Democrats to hold up the
against the contamination of the stain
upon our national honor. Almost every
manly independent and Demscratic paper
| in America has denounced the conspiracy
in the severest terms. The conscience of
that portion of the country that still has
a conscience revolts at this rape of Column
bia. High-minded men of all parties and
all sections cry out against this sacrifice of
national honor and good faith. They agree
with the feeling Of Hon. NJ. C. Butler, of
South Carolina, who says:
MY judgment is if Congress has the
courage TO investigate this Panama bust
ness, it will unearth a cesspool OF corrup-
| ton, discreditable intrigue and bad faith,
without parallel in our history
The isthmian canal will be of great adj
vantage to this country and to the com
merce of the world generally, but we can
not afford to have it at the sacrifice of
our good faith and national honor toward
our sister republic of the United States of
Colombia
IF Congress has the courage" That is
| it exactly. If the majority in Congress
lacks the courage, there ought to be no
doubt of the course the Democratic minor
| ity will pursue. If it has the moral cour-
age and the right devotion to correct prin
ciples, the minority will turn deaf ear to
those who demand that it keep sident
while the land grabbers drag the national