The National tribune., 1903-12-03
WHERE THE DIFFERENCE LIES.


PROSTATE country
WHERE THE DIFFERENCE LIES.
The Jacksonville Fla) TimcS-Unior
throws a fit over the Panama affair and
goes on in this Anticipated way:
The United States Government has
| recognized Panama as dc facto Govern
ment. The only change in the
telegram Of the State Department to Vice
Consul Ehrman was made By substitut
ing the words Southern States in tive
places for the words Republic of Panama
and the United States Of America for tht
Republic of Colombia. The right of q
people so secede and set up Government
of their own is recognized, and we do moi
think there are many intelligent men
North or South who will hold that, ether
circumstances being the same, the prin-
ciple of secession is affected by whether
the name of the seeding section is spelled
South or Panama.
The President has claimed to be both
Southern and Northern. and has shown
much pride in the fact that the blood OF
the two sections flows in equal parts in
his veins. His Northern blood must. III
some way, have escaped, for he is now
evidently SOutherner for the Southern
ers. There are few Southern men who
would have asked for such flat-footed in
dorsement of secession.
But now, since the South has cap
tured the United States, we feel generous
ly inclined. Of course. all histories will
hereafter make Davis and Lee and John
ston the patriots. We have insisted that
they were all the time, but while the Pres
ident has decided that Lincoln and Grant
and Sherman were wrong, we hope he
will not asperse their motives. They may
have thought they Were right. We do
not blame any Northern man for the
part he took in the civil war, provided be
was not inhuman. no matter how mis-
guided he may have been"
Malaria and earthquakes have evidently
bad effect upon the Florida intellect, pre-
venting it making distinctions which are
exceeding clear and obvious to healthy
minds. In the first place, the Panama
secessionists had, unlike the Southerners,
Il very distinct, palpable bill of grievances
sufficient to justify their action in the eyes
of the whole world. They had been most
ernment at Bogota, which had MIXED the
Isthmians of every peso that could be
wrung from them. and given nothing in re-
turn, promised nothing in return. Nearly
one century Of the most injurious misgov-
ernment,- had eliminated in the Bogota
ring permitting its greed to block the way
to an improvement of incalculable benefit
to the Province of Panama. The people
of the Province were deliberately, selfish
y and without reason completely dispos-
sessed, and sacrificed to the voracity of
the little ring of politicians at Bogota, who
had accidental possession of the reins of
power. The people of Panama had stood
this sort of thing without a single lucid
interval of decent Government ever since
they had become attached to Colombia.
Forbearance had ceased TO be a virtue.
They Withdrew from all connection with
the rascally Government, and the whole
civilized world, without dissenting voice,
approved of their action. zaz
On the other hand, the States which
attempted to withdraw from the United
States had no plea that the civilized world
for moment recognized as just when they
fired on the old Flag and tried to set up
a new Government. They had no wrongs
to complain of at the hands Of the Govern
ment, which had always treated them
more than justly, even generously.
They had themselves control Of the Gov
ernment during large portion of its ex-
istence. Their object in breaking up the
Union was. to quote the words of the Vice
President of the Southern Confederacy,
| l.,l, nc ,;,.l,
slavery should be the cornerstone" This
was so abhOrrent to the rising moral sense
of the whole world that It could not seek
recognition and find commendation any
where. Even effete, stupid old Spain was
so walked up to the evils of slavery that
she was on the point of abolishing ii
within her own dominions. Outside of
Spain i'll all Europe, everyone viewed
slavery, its continuance, and everything
pertaining to it, with horror. as a relic of
a barbarous, inexcusable past.
In the face Of all this, Jeff Davis, Bob
Toombs, and their fellow -cOnspirators at
tempted to set up a Government which
was in revolt against the enlightenment
Of the 18th century. They sacrificed the
lives of 100000 men to this insatiate Mo
loch of ambition and human bondage.
Much as England and France desired the
dismemberment of the United States, and
to break up this country into jarring frag,
ments, they could not get their own con.
sent nor would their people permit them
to recognize a Government the fundamen.
tai idea of which was so obnoxious to the
conscience of every civilized man.
Possibly the use of some tonic would
clear the Times Unions vision so that il
would be able to see the events of the
day in the light Of everyday common sense
-S-
GROVER cLEvELAND's ULTIMATUM.
As was expected, Ex-President Cleve-
L.. taff laGp tol, xn1-