Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1903-12-17

|
knowing that revolution has already
! commenced in PanaI..a Ian eminent CO.
| lombianl says that If the government OF
| the United States will tand troops 10 pre-
| serve Colombian sove reignty, and the
| transit. II requested by Colombian charge
d'affaires, this government will declare
| stitutional authority, when public order
| is disturbed. will approve by decree the
ratification Of the canal treaty as signed;
or, If the government Of the United States
prefers, will call extra session of the con-
gress.with new and friendly members
nent Colombiani has the perfect confidence
of vice president he says and If 1t became
necessary vii & 70 to the isthmus or send
along above lines to the satisfaction of
the people there
This dispatch is noteworthy from two
standpoints. It's offer OF Immediately
guaranteeing the treaty to US is in sharp
contrast with the positive and contempt
uous refusal of the congress which has lust
closed its sessions to consider favorably
such a treaty: it shows that the govern
ment 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 or
der and secure Colombian supremacy in
the isthmus from which the Colombian gov
ernment has just BY it's action decided to
bar us by preventing tho construction Of
the canal.
Important to Us.
The control. in the interest of the com
merce and traffic of the whole civilized
world, of the means of undisturbed
transit across the isthmus of Panama
has become of transcendent Importance
to the United States. We have repeated
| ly exercised this control by Intervening
in the course of doIs2stic dssenson, and
, by protecting the territory from foreign
invasion. In 1853 Mr.. Everett assured the
Peruv!aA minister that we should not
hesitate to maintain the neutrality of the
and Colombia. In 1864 Colombia, which
has always been vigiant to avail itself
of its privileges conferred by the treaty,
expressed It's expectation that in the
event of war between Peru and Spain
the United States would carry into eff
feet the guaranty of neutrality. There
have been few administrations of the
state department. in which this treaty
has not either by the one side or the
other been used as a basis of more or
!esS important demands. 1t was said by
Mr.. Fish in 1871 that the department of
state mad reason to believe that at
tack upon Colombian sovereignty on the
isthmus had. on several occasions. been
aVerted by warning from this govern
nent. In 1856. when Colombia was under
the Cerruu case Mr. Bayard expressed
the serious concern that the United
States could not but feel. that Euro
pean power should resort to force against
a sister republic of this hemisphere. as
to the sovereign and uninterrupted use of
part OF whose territory we are guar
antorS under the solemn faith of treaty.
The above recital of facts establishes
beyond question: First that the United
otdItS mas IOE over nalf Il century pa
tently and in good faith carried out it's
obligations under the treaty of 1876; sec
ond, that when for the first time it be-
came possible for Colombia to do any7
thlnS in requital of the services thus re-
peatedly rendered to it for 81 years by
the United States. the Colombian gov
ernment peremptorily and extensively re-
FUSED mus to do it's part even though
to do 50 would have been to its adYan-
taSe and immeaSurably to the advantage
OF the state OF Panama, at that time un-
der its jurisdiction: third, that through
out this period revolutions, riots, and
factonal 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 unable
70 put them down or TO make peace with
the rebels: fourth that these disturb
ances instead of showing any sign OF
abating have tended 10 grow more
date past; fifth, that the control. of
Colombia over the Isthmus OF Panama
could not be maintained without the
armed intervention and assistance of the
United States. In other words, the gov
ernment Of Colombia though wholly un-
able to maintain order on the isthmus.
has nevertheless declined to ratity u
treaty the conclusion of which opened
the only chance to secure its own stabil-
across, the isthmus.
Under such circumstances the govern
ment of the United States would have been
suAty OF folly and weakness, amounting
in their sum TO crime against the nation.
had it acted otherwise than it did when
place in Panama. This great enterprise Of
building the interoceanic canal cannot be
held up to crafty the whims, or out Of
respect to the governmental Impotence.
or TO the even more sinister ana evil polit-
zeal peculiarlties, of people who, though
they dwell atar off. yet, against the wish
OF the actual dweiIers on the istrmus, as
sert an unreal supremacy over the terri
tory. The possession of "A territory traught
DgCl.lHT =
mus in question carries with ii obligations
to mankind. The course of events has
private enterprise. or by any other nation
than our own; therefore it must be built
by the United States.
Provisions of Panama Treaty.
Every effort has been made by the gov
ernment of the United States to persuade
Colombia to follow a course which was
essentially not only TO our interests and
to the Interests Of the world, but to the in
terests OF Colombia itself. These efforts
have failed; and Colombia, by her persist
ence in repuls!ng the advances that have
been made, has forced US for the sake of
our own honor, and of the interest and
well being not merely Of our own people,
but OF the people of the isthmus of Pam
anna and the people OF the civilized cour-
tries of the world, TO take decisive steps
TO bring to an end a condition OF affairs
which had become into!eraole. The new
republic OF Panama Immediately offered to
negotiate treaty with us. This treaty 1
herewith submit. BY it our interests are
better safeguarded than in the treaty with
Colombia which was ratified by the SEN
ate at its last session. It is better in its
terms than the treaties offered to Us by the
republics OF Nicaragua and Costa R!ca.
At last the right 10 begin this great UNDER
taking is made available. Panama has
done her part. All that remains is for the
American congress TO do its part and forth
with this republic will enter upon the exc
cutiOn OF project colossal in its size ard
OF well-nigh inca!culabie possibilities for
the good OF this country and the nations
of mankind
BY the provisions of the treaty the United
States guarantees and will maintain the
independence of the republic of Panama.
There is granted to the United States in
perpetuity the use, occupation and control
of a strip ten miles wide and extending
three nautical miles into the sea at either
terminal, with all lands lying outside OF
the zone necessary for the construction of
the canal for its auxiliary works and
with the islands in the bay of Panama.
The cities of Panama and Colon are not
embraced in the canal zone, but the United
States assumes their sanitation and in
case OF need. the maintenance OF order
therein; the United States enjoys within
the granted limits all the rights power and
authority which IL would DOsSess were IL