The Springfield herald., 1903-12-11

fitting the otcaskrs and the wants and
| circumstances that have arisen. Sover-
| eighty has Its duties as well as It's rights.
| and none of these local governments.
| even II administered with more regard to
! the Just demands of other nations than
| they have been. would be permitted. in a
| spirit of eastern isolation. to close the
| gates OF intercourse on the great high
| ways of the world. and Justify the act by
| the .pretension that these avenues of
trade and travel belong to them and that
| they choose to shut them. or. what Is
almost equivalent to cucumber them
| with such unjust relations as would pre-
| vent their general use.
| Seven years later. in 1865. Mr.. Seward
| In different communications took the fol-
| lowing positions:
| "The United States have taken and
| will take no interest in any question Of
| internal revolution in the State of Pam
| anna. any State of the United States OF
| Colombia, but will maintain perfect
| neutrality in connection with such do
| nestle alterations The United States
| will. nevertheless, hold themselves ready
| to protect the transit trade across the
| isthmus against invasion OF either do
| mestic foreign disturbers OF the peace
| of the State OF Panama. Neither
| the text nor the spirit of the stIpula tion
| in that article by which the United States
| engages to preserve the neutrality of the
Isthmus of Panama. imposes obliga-
| tion on this Government to comply with
the reauisition Iof the President of the
| United States OF Colombia for a force to
| protect the Isthmus of Panama from n
| body of insurgents of that countryl. The
| purpose of the stipula tion was to guar
| antee the isthmus against seizure or in
vasion by q foreign power only"
Attorney General Speed, under date OF
| Nov. Z. 1865. advised Secretary Seward as
| follows:
| posed that New Granada invited the
| United States to become n party to the
intestine troubles of that Government
nor did the United States become bound
| to take sides in the domestic broiIs 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 1t
has been worked at. When made 1t Is to
| last for the ages. 1t Is to alter the
geography of continent and the trade
routes of the world. We have shown by
every treaty we have negotiated or at
tempted to negotiate with the peoples in
control OF the isthmus and with foreign
| nations in reference thereto our conss-
| tent good faith In observing OUR obliga-
| tions: on the one hand to the peoples OF
| the isthmus, and the other hand to
| the civilized world whose commercial
I
| teeing 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-
| fled 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 go 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 to the people and
| to the Government OF Colombia. We were
more than just In dealing with them Our
| generosity was such to make 1t a Sc
| rious question whether we had not gone
| too far In 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 fanced rights of our
weaker neighbor. who already owed SO
much to our protection and forbearance
we yielded in all possible ways to her
| desires in drawing up the treaty. Never
| theless the Government of Colombia not
| merely repudiated the treaty, but repu-
dated 1t in such manner to make II
| 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
| yet when the Colombian Congress was
| called to ratify 1t the vote against rati-
| fcation was unanimous. 1t does not ap-
| pear that the Government made any real
effort TO secure ratification.
Revolution in Panama.
Immediately after the adjournment of
the Congress n revolution broke out In
Panama. The people OF Panama had
long been discontented with the Republic
of Colombia. and they had been kept quiet
only by the prospect of the conclusion
of the treaty, which to them a mat
ter of vital concern. When 1t became
evident that the treaty was hopclessly
lost. the people OF Panama rose literally
as one man Not shot was fired by
single man the isthmus in the interest
OF the Colombian Government Not a
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
ishing uranimity 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 it 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 as an 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 as the responsible
| government OF the territory and look to
| 1t for all due action to protect the per-
| sons and property of citizens of the
| United States and to keep open the
| isthmian transit. In accordance with the
| obligations of existing treaties govern
| ing the relations of the United States to
| that territory"
| Disturbances on Isthmus Since 1846.
When these events happened. fifty-seven
| years had elapsed since the United States
| had entered into its treaty with New Gra-
NADIA. During that time the Governments
of New Granada and of its successor.
| Colombia, have been in "a constant state
| OF fluX.
A long list of the disturbances and
revolutions which have convulsed the
isthmus is given, and the report con-
| cludes: