Iron County register., 1903-12-10

| on the lStnmuS. Only tne active inter-
ference of the United States has enabled
| her TO preserve SO much as a semblance Of
| sovereignty. Had 1t not been for the ex-
| ercise by the United States OF the police
| power in her interest, her connection with
/ the isthmus would have been SUM-
| dered long ago. In 1856. in 1860 in 1873 in
| 1885, in 1901, and again in 1902. sailors and
marines from United States warships were
| forced to land in order to patrol the 18TH
mus, to protect life and property and to
| see that the transit across the isthmuswas
kept open. In 1861, in 1862. in 1885, and in 1890
| the Colombian government asked that the
| United States government would land
| troops to protect It's interests and maintain
| order on the isthmus. Perhaps the most
| extraordinary request is that which has
| just bsen received and which runs as fol-
| lows:
| COIOmbia's Latest Proposition.
KNOWING that revolution has already
| commenced in Panama Ian eminent CO.
| lomblanl SAYS that if the government Of
the United States will land troops to pre-
| serve Colombian sovereignty, and the
| transit, if requested by Colombian charge
| d'affaires, this government will declare
| martial law; and, by virtue of vested con-
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
next May to approve the treaty IAN emf
nent Colombianl has the perfect confidence
| of vice president he says, and IL 1t became
necessary will go to the isthmus or send
representative there to adjust matters
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 just
closed its sessions to consider favorably
such a treaty; it shows that the govern
ment which made the treaty really had ab-
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 its action decided tc
bar us by preventing the 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 domestic dissension, and
by protecting the territory from foreign
invasion. In 1858 Mr.. Everett assured the
Peruvian minister that we should not
hesitate to maintain the neutrality of the
isthmus in the case of war between Peru
and Colombia. In 1864 Colombia, which
has always been vigilant to avail itsel1
of its privileges conferred by the treaty
expressed its expectation that in ths
event of war between Peru and Spair
the United States would carry into eff
feet the guaranty of neutrality. There
: have been few administrations Of thu
) state department in which this treaty
has not, either by the one side or the
other, been used as basis of more ol
less important demands. 1t was said by
Mr.. Fish in 1871 that the department o.
; state had reason to believe that an at
tack upon Colombian sovereignty on thu
isthmus had, on several occasions. beer
averted by warning from, this govern
the menace of hostilities from Italy il
the Cerruti case, Mr. Bayard expressed
; the serious concern that the United
States could not but feel, that Euro
pean power should resort to force agains
= a sister republic of this hemisphere, a
to the sovereign and uninterrupted use o
a part of whose territory we are guar
: antors under the solemn faith of a treaty
The above recital of facts establishe
= beyond question: First, that the Unitet
2 States has for over half a century pa
tiently and in good faith carried out it
$ obligations under the treaty of 1886; sec
/ ond, that when for the first time it be
came possible for Colombia to do any
! thing in reQuital of the services thus re
peatedly rendered to it for 81 years b.
, the United States. the Colombian gov
l ernment peremptorily and extensively re
r fused thus to do it's part, even thoug
to do so would have been to its advan
> tage and immeasurably to the advantag
J of the state of Panama, at that time un
9 der its jurisdiction; third, that through
/ out this period revolutions, riots an
8 factional disturbances of every kind hav
4 occurred one after the other in almos
t uninterrupted succession some of ther
a lasting for months and even for years
|, while the central government was unabl
i to put them down or to make peace wit
the rebels: fourth that these disturb
/. ances instead of showing any sign G
r abating have tended to grow NOR
t numerous and more serious in the imme
diate past; fifth, that, the control @
Colombia over the Isthmus of Panam
= could not be maintained without tn
e armed Intervention and assistance of tn
= United States. In other words, the gov
ernment of Colombia. though wholly ur
a able to maintain order on the iSthmu
= has nevertheless declined to ratily
: tSeaty the conclusion of which opene
J. the only chance to secure its own stabi
O ity and to guarantee permanent peac
= on, and the construction of a cana
# across, the isthmus.
v Under such circumstances the govern
e ment of the United States would have bee
e guilty of folly and weakness, amountin
h in their sum to a crime against the natior
o had it acted otherwise than It did whe
q the revolution of November 3 last too
l. place. in Panama. This great enterprise {
n building the interoceanic canal cannot b
a held up to crafty the Whims, or out
q respect to the governmental impotence
/, or to the even more sinister and evil poll
r ical peculiarities, of people who, thoug
d they dwell afar off, yet, against the wis
n of the actual dwellers on the istEmus, as
e sert an unreal supremacy over the terr
v tory. The possession of a territory fraugf
il with such peculiar capacities as the istf
" mus in question carries with it obligation
! to mankind. The course of events ha
!, shown that this canal cannot be built b
v private enterprise, or by any other natio
= than our own; therefore it must be bui
:, n by the United States.
% Provisions of Panama Treaty.
. - Every effort has been made by the go,
!. ernment of the United States to .persuad
Colombia to follow a course which va
essentially not only to our interests an
to the interests Of the world, but to the il
If terests Of Colombia itself. These effor
n have failed; and Colombia, by her persis
d ence in repusing the advances that hay
lc been made, has forced US, for the sake
1T our own honor, and of the interest an
l. well being, not merely ,6f our own peopl
e- anna and the people of the civilized coul
D. tries of the world, to take decisive steI
'e to bring to an end a condition Of affail
Is which had become intolerable. The ne
N republic of Panama Immediately offered
l. negotiate treaty with us. This treaty
l. herewith submit BY it our interests al
l. better safeguarded than in the treaty wit
8, Colombia which was ratified by the sci
4 ate at its last session. 1t is better in /
a, terms than the treaties offered to us by II
W republics of Nicaragua and Costa Ric
lie At last the right to begin this great unde
r. taking Is made available. Panama hi
ss done her part All that remains is for Il
ID American congress to do its part and fortl
d, with this republic will enter upon the ex
It cuton of project colossal In its size al
l. of well-nigh incalculable possibilities f,
Id the good OF this country and the natiol
le of mankind.
I'd BY the provisions of the treaty the Unite
IS States guarantees and will maintain Il
to independence Of the republic of Panam
I'd Tharn 10 granted The United States
r perpetuity the use, occupation and contr
of a strip ten miles wide and extendir
r three nautical miles into the sea at eth
ir terminal with all lands lying outside
Of the zone necessary for the construction
e. the canal or for it's auxiliary works, al
v. with the islands in the bay of Panam
Ut The cities of Panama and Colon are n
o. ON bra God in the canal zone hut the Init
of Statae .ce,Innee THAR santa tinn and