Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1903-12-10

territory has been divided. Its successor
the Government of Colombia. has ceased
I to own any property In the 1stnr1us- 4
new republic, that OF Panama. which was
at one time a sovereign state. and at
another time n mere department of the
successive considerations known as New
Granada and Colombia, has now sue
| ceeded TO the rights which first one and
| then the other formerly exercised over
| the isthinus. But as long as the isthmus
| eT.durs7. the moro geographical fact OF lis
| existence; aid tie peculiar interest there
| in which is required by our position.
! perpetuate the solemn contract which
bids the holders of the territory to re-
| spect our Fight IS freedom of transit
across 1t, and binds Us III return to safe
| guard for the isthmus and the w5rld the
| exercise of that ineStfInable privilege.
| The true Interpretation OF the obl;ga-
| tons upon which the United States en-
tered in this treaty of 1876 has been given
| repeatedly in the utterances of Presi-
| dents and Secretaries of State. Secretary
| Gass IN 1888 officially stated the position
| of this Government as fsflaws.
| THE progress of events has rendered
the interoceanicS route across the narrow
portion of Central America vastly impor-
| tant to the commercial world, and espe-
cially to the United States, whose pos
sessions extend along the Atlantic and
| Pacific coasts. and demand the speediest
| and easiest modes of communication.
| While the rights of sovereignty of the
| states occupying TINS region SnOuIu al
| why's be respected. we shall expect that
| these rights Sc exercised in d spirit be-
fitting the occasion ana the wants and
| circumstances that have arisen; S6ver-
eighty has its duties as well its rights.
| and none of these local governments.
| even if administered with more regard to
| the just demands of other nations than
| they have been. would be permitted. in
| spirit of eastern isolation. to close the
| gates of intercourse on the great high
| nf he y-prl1 iuStif he
the pretehsion that these avenues of
trade and travel belong to them and that
they choose TO shut them or. what is
almost equivalent 10 cucumber them
| with such unjust relations as would pre-
vent their general use"
Sereh yesrs later In 1865, Mr.. Seward
In different comIndnieations took the fol
lowing position:
THE United States have taken Shd
| will take no interest in any question OF
internal revolution in the State of Pan
anna, any State of the United States of
Colombia. but will maintain a rcFfec:
neutrality III connection with such do
! nestle alterations. The United States
WILL nevertheless. hold themselves ready
to protect the trtnsit 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
engages to preserve the neutrality of the
Isthmus OF Panama, imposes an oblga-
ton on this Government to comply with
the requisition [of the President of the
United States of Colombia for force to
protect the Isthmus of Panama from
body Of insurgents of that country. The
purpose Of the stipulation was to guar
antee the isthmhs against seizure or in
vasion by foreign power only"
| Attorney General Speed, under date OF
Nov: 7, 1855; advised Secretary Seward as
follows:
From TINS treaty it can not be sup
i posed that New Granada invited the
United States to become a party to the
Intestine troubles of that Government.
nor did the United States become bound
to take sides in the domestic broils of
New Granada. The United States did
guarantee New Granada in the sovereign
ty and property over the territory. This
was as. against other and foreign govern
ments.'
For four hundred years. ever since
shortly after the discovery of this hem
isphere, the canal across the isthmus has
been planned. For two score years it
has been worked at. When made 1t is to
last for the ages. 1t is to alter the
geography OF continent and tie trade
routes Of the world We have shown l,y
every treaty we have Negotiated or at
tempted to negotiate with the peoples in
control OF the isthfnhs and with foreign
nations in reference thereto our cOnsis-
tent good faith in Observing otir cbliga-
lions; on the one hand to the peoples OF
the isthmus. and on the other hand to
the civilized world whose commercial
rights we are safeguarding and guaran-
teefng by our action. We have done our
duty to others in letter and in spirit and
we have shown the utmost forbearance in
eXacting Our own rights.
| Last spring, under the act above re-
ferred to. a treaty concluded between the
representatives of the Republic of Co.
lombia and of our Government was rati-
fed by the Senate. This treaty was en-
tered into at the urgent solicitation of
the people of Colombia and after a body
of experts appointed by our Government
especially to so into the matter of the
routes across the isthmus had pronounced
unanimously in favor of the Panama
route. In drawing up this treaty every
concession was made 20 the people and
to the Government of Colombia. We
more than just In dealing with them. Our
generosity was such as to make ii a Sc
| ricus question whether we had not gone
too far iii their interest at the expense OF
our own: for in Our scrupulous desire to
| pay all possible heed. not merely to the
real but even to the fancied rights of ouI
weaker neighbor. who already owed sc
much to our protection and forbearance.
we yielded in all possible ways to he!
desires in drawing up the treaty. Never
theless the Government of Colombia not
merely repudiated the treaty. but repu
dated it in such manner to make it
evident by the time the Colombian Con-
gress adjourned that not the scantiest
| hope remained of ever getting a salts
factory treaty from them. The Govern
ment of Colombia made the treaty and
yet when the Colombian Congress was
called to ratify it the vote against rati
fication unanimous. 1t does not APP
pear that the Government made any real
effort to secure ratification.
Revolution in Panama.
Immediately after the adjournment o:
| the Congress a revolution broke out in
Panama. The people of Panama had
long been disconnected with the Republic
of Colombia. and they had been kept quiet
only by the prospect of the conclusion
of the treaty, which was to them mat
ter of vital concern. When 1t became
evident that the treaty was hopelessly
lost the people of Panama rose literally
| as one man. Not a shot was fired by a
| single man on the isthmus in the interest
of the Colombian Government. Not
| life was lost in the accomplishment of
the revolution. The Colombian troops
stationed on the isthmus, who had long
been unpaid. made common cause with
the people of Panama. and with aston
shing unan!mity the new republic was
started. The duty of the United States
in the premises was clear. In strict ac-
| cordance with the principles laid down
by Secretaries Cass and Seward in the Of
| fetal documents above quoted. the United
States gave notice that 1t would permit
| the landing of no expeditionary 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 inevitable
| consequence. The de facto Government
| of Panama was recognized in the follow
ing telegram to Mr.. Ehrman:
1.-The people of Panama have. by ap-
parently unanimous movement. dissolved
their political connection with the Re-
| public of Colombia and resumed their in
dependence When you are satisfied that
a de facto government republican in
| form and without substantial opposition
from its own people. has been established
in the State of Panama. you will enter
| into relations with it the responsible
government OF the territory and look to
it for all due action 10 protect the per-