The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-12-09

consistent good faith in observing our
obligations. on the one hand to the pec-
piles Of the isthmus ;ind on the other
hand to the civilized world. whose CON-
mereial rights VIC are safeguarding anG
guaranteeing by our action We have
done our duty 10 others in letter and in
spirit. and we have shown the utmost
forbearance in eXacting our own rights
Reputation of Treaty by Colombia.
Last sprjn. treaty concluded be-
tween the representatives Of the re-
public Of Colombia and of our govern
ment was ratified by the senate. This
treaty was entered into at the urgent
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 the Panama route. In draw
ing up this treaty every concession was
made to the people and to the govern
ment of Colombia We were more
than just in dealing with them. Our
generosity was such as to make it .
serious question whether we had not
gone too far in their interest at the ex-
pense 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 our weaker neighbor.
who already owed so much to our pro-
lection and forbearance, we yielded il
all possible ways to her desires in
drawing up the treaty. Nevertheless.
| the government Of Colombia not mere
| ly repudiated the treaty, but repudi-
ated it in such manner as 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.
Revolution In Panama.
The people of Panama had long been
discoEtented with the republic of Co.
lombia, and they had been kept quiet
only by the prospect Of the conclusion
of the canal treaty, which was to them
a matter of vital concern. When it be-
came evident that the treaty was hope
lessIy lost the people of Panama rose
| literally as one man. Not shot was
fired by single man on the isthmus
| in the interest of the Colombian gov
ernment Not life was lost in the
accomplishment of the revolution. The
Colombian troops stationed on the 18TH
mus, who had long been unpaid, made
common cause with the people Of Pan
anna, and with astonishing unanlmlty
| the new republic was started. The;
duty of the United States in the prem
ises was clear In strict accordance
with the principles laid down by Sec
retaries Cass and Seward, the United
States gave notice that it would per-
nit the landing of no expeditionary
| force, the arrival of which would mean
chaos and destruction along the line OF
| the railroad and of the proposed canal
| and an interruption Of transit as an
| inevitable consequence. The de facto
government Of Panama was recog-
| nized.
! Under such circumstances the gov
ernment of the United States would
have been guilty of folly and weak
ness, amounting in their sum to crime
against the nation, had it acted other
| wise than it Gid when the revolution OF
Nov. 3 last took place in. Panama. This;
great enterprise of building the inter
| oceanic canal cannot be held up to-
crafty the whimS Or out Of respect to
the governmental impotence Or to the,
even more sinister and evil political
peculiarities of people who, though
they dwell afar off, yet. against the
wish of the actual dwellers on the 18th
! mus, assert an unreal supremacy over
the territory. The possession of 4 ter
ritcry fraught with such peculiar ca
pacities as the isthmus in question car
ries with it obligations to mankind
The course Of events has shown that
| this canal cannot be built by private
enterprise or by any other nation than
our own: therefore it must be built by
| the United States.
New Treaty With Panama. i:
Every effort has been made by the
! government of the United States to per-
suade Colombia to follow 4 course
which was essentially not only TO our
interests and to the interests Of the
world. but to the interests of Colon
bia itself. These efforts have failed
and Colombia. by her persistence in re-
pulsing the advances that have beer
made. has forced us for the sake Of
our own honor and of the interest and
we'll being. not merely Of our own peo-
pie. but Of the people of the isthmus OF
Panama and the people Of the civilized
countries Of the world. to take decisive
T steps to bring to an end 4 condition OF
affairs which had become intolerable.
The new republic of Panama lmmed!-
ately offered to negotiate treaty with
us. This treaty l herewith submit.
By it our interests are better safesuard-
cd than in the treaty with Colombia
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