The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1903-11-13
Edir0rioI o07nen+ t.
The Panama Question.

III is SAID democrats nave NJ last lOuuu
an issue for the campaign of 1904, and
that they will make a fight on President
Roosevelt for his promptness and vigor
in recognizing the republic of Panama
With all its aptitude for doing the
wrong thing at the wrong time, it hardly
seems credible that the democracy
under the leadership of such astute pol
iticians, not to say statesmen, as Senator
German and Representative Williams in
the house, could possibly fall into such
an error.
Under treaty arrangements with Col
ombia, the United States has been prac.
tically responsible for the preservation
of order on the isthmus of Panama and
the protection of traffic across it, and
Uncle Sans marines have been fire.
quently landed to quell disturbances.
Colombia has proven herself entirely
unable to exercise the functions of gov
eminent over the isthmus, and the peo-
pie of Panama have refused to longer
submit to an authority which they
believe has been unfair with them.
Residents of Panama realize that their
progress and prosperity depend largely
upon the construction of the inter oceanic
canal by the United States, using the
Panama route. They feel, and with JUS
tice, that Colombia pursued a course
detrimental to the best interests of Pan
ANA in failing to ratify the canal treaty,
and this action was no doubt the final
one that led to the revolution, although
there is not the slightest basis for the
idea that the revolution was fomented
or encouraged by the United States.
Naturally, when the revolution became
fact, President Roosevelt was not
blind to our national interests, and
promptly exercised the executive pre-
rogative of recognizing the new republic,
and all talk of congress revoking his ac-
ton is mere talk, as congress has no
more to do with the recognition of new
governments than it has to do with the
government of Mexico. 1t will be remem-
bered that in Mr.. Cleveland's last ad-
minstration this subject was thoroughly
threshed out, when the Cuban party in
both houses of congress was urging the
president to recognize the independence
of the island, and the senate finally de-
clared that Cuba ought to be recog-
nized. Secretary Olney very aptly and
truly said that 1.-The opinion of the SEN
ate is of no greater consequence than
the opinion Of any other body of emf
nently respectable gentlemen'-and Mr..
Cleveland refused TO be moved and lost
the opportunity to redeem the popular
approval that his administration had
lost-but he acted clearly withiu his eX-
ecutive rights, Just as Mr.. Roosevelt is
now doing, with the essential difference
that Mr.. Roosevelt has public approval
with him.
Had it been a European nation instead
of the United States that had so i'm
portant a project as the Panama canal
under way, no little nation like Colon
ba, with its handful of soldiers and toy
navy, would have been permitted to
block the wheels of an enterprise so i'm
portant to the progress of the worlds
commerce. The necessary strip of land
would have been appropriated, and Col
ombia would have been helpless. But
this is not your Uncle Samuel's way He
does not appropriate the territory oil
other nations under such circumstances
However, the people of Panama wanted
their independence, and were as much
entitled to it as were the l3 colonies
which became the United States, the
recognition of whose independence by
France did much toI turn the tide in
Americas favor.
President Roosevelt has acted wisely
and time will vindicate his judgment
even as it is now indicated in the opin.
ion of his countrymen, and with the ev.
ident approval of the nations of the
world except Colombia.
The recognition of the independence
of Panama. marks an epoch in CONNER
cial progress, and its fruition will come
in the completion of the great canal by
the most feasible route.