Mexico weekly ledger., 1903-12-10

marksmanship Is being steadily raised.
but the highest duty OF a naval officer IL
to exercise command at sea
Il Is cminently desirable, however. that
there SHOULD Be provided a naval general
stan on lines similar TO those Of the general
stan lately created for the army. Within
the navy department itself the needs of
the service have brought about a system
are partially psrformed: Tor ~ sH bureau naa Of
navigation has under Its direction the war
college. the oftlce OF navalfrtelliEence and
the board Of inspection. and has been IN
navy. But though under the excellent ofi-
eers at their head. these boarde and bureaus
DO good Work, they have not the authority
of q general stan. and have not s<iacient
scope to insure a proper readiness for
emergencies. We need the establlshment
by law Of a body OF trained officers. who
shan exercise a systematic control o. the
szsS Eavisers OF the secretary concerning II.
The Isthmfan Canal.
by the act Of June =, 1863 the congress
authorised the president 10 enter into
treaty with Colombia for the building OF
y ana across the lsthmus OF Panama;
4 being provided that In the event Of
failure 70 secure such treaty after the
lapse OF q reasonable time. recourse
should be had TO building a canal through
Nicaragua. II has not been necessary 10
tolrNAtN tNtn 8tttI UdtAtt. rs L am tu1bltQ
20 lay before the senate a treaty provid-
ing for the building Of the canal across
the lsthmus OF Panama. This was the
route which commended itself to the de-
iberate Judgment OF the congress. and
We can now acquire by treaty the right
20 construct the canal over this route.
The question now, therefore, Is not by
which route the isthmian canal shall be
built, for that question has been definite
" and ~irrevocably decided. The question
Is simply whether or not we shall have
an isthmian canal.
When the congress directed hat We
should take the Panama route under
treaty with Colombia. the essence Of the
condition. OF course. referred not 10 the
government which controlled that route
but % rs route itself; to The territory
across which the route lay, not 10 the
name which for the moment the territory
bore on the map. Thu purpose Of the law
wan to authorize the president to make
= treaty with the power In actual con
purpose has been fulfilled.
Isthmian Treaty Obligations.
In the year iSss this government en-
tered into a treaty with New Granada
the predecessor upon the Isthmus OF the
Republic OF Colombia and Of the present
Republic OF Panama. by which treaty II
was provided tina the government and
citizens Of the United States should al
ways have free n open right of way
or transit across the lsthmus Of Panama
~ 8AI " VI communication tAat
might be constructed, while in return our
government guaranteed the perfect neu-
traity Of the above-named isthmus with
the view that the free transit from the
one TO the other sea might not be inter-
rupted or embarrassed. The treaty vest
ed In the United States a substantial
property right carved out OF the rights Of
sovereignty and property which New
ina then had and possessed over the
said territory. The name Of New Gran
ada has passed away and Its territory
has been divided. Its successor, the gov
ms OF Colombia, has ceased to W
republic, hat Of Panama. which was at
one time a sovereign state, and at an
other time a mere department of the sue
e~essive considerations known as New
ed to the rights which first one and then
the other formerly exercised over the
isthmus, But as long as the isthmus en-
dures. the mere geographical fact Of its
existence. and the peculiar interest there |
In which Is required by our position.
perpetuate the solemn contract which
binds the holders OF the territory to re- /
spect our right to freedom of transit
across il. and binds us In return to safe
guard for the isthmus and the world the
exercise Of that inestimable privilege.
The true Interpretation Of the obligations |
D which the United States entered I'm
this treaty OF 1876 has been given repeat |
ediy IN the utterances of presidents and |
Of state.
TOT IU years. ever giNce HI0fffN AIfpT the I
discovery Of this hemisphere, the canal
across the lsthmus has been planned. For |
years II has been worked at.
When made Il is TO last for the ages. II Is |
10 alter the geography OF a continent and |
the trade routes Of the world. We have
by every treaty We have negotiated |
Or attempted 10 negotiate with the peoples |
In control Of the lsthIaus and with foreign
nations IN reference thereto our consistent
good faith il observing our obligations. on |
the one hand 10 the peoples OF the fsthmus. |
and on the other hand TO the civilized world |
whose commercial rights we are safe-
guarding and guaranteeing by our action. |
We have done our duty to others In letter
and spirit. and we have shown the utmost
~forbearanee In exactlng our owl rights.
C~oiombia's Reputation of Treaty.
Last spring, under the act above re-
ferred 70, a treaty concluded between the
representatives Of the Republic of Coiom-
bia and Of our government was ratified
by the senate. This treaty was entered
into at the urgent solicitation o. the peo-
pie OF Colombia and after a body Of ex-
perts appointed by our government es-
to go into the matter Of tho
across the isthmus had pro-
nounced unanimously In favor of
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 as to
make il a serious uIestion whether we
mad not gone too far in their in
terest 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 faacied Rights OF our weaker neigh
Dor, who already owed so much to our
protection and forbedrance. we yielded
IN all possible ways to her desires in
drawing up the treaty. Nevertheless the
of Colombia not merely
Fepudiated the treaty, but ~repudiated II
In such manner as TO max 1t evident by
the time the Colombian congress ad.
that not the scantiest hope re.
NAMED of ever getting a satisfactory
treaty from them. The government OF
Colombia made the treaty. and yet when
the congress was called to
ratify II the vote against ratification was
unanimous. II does not appear that the
government made any real effort to Sc
ratification
Revolution I'm Panama.
Immediately after the adjournment OF
the congress a revolution broke out In
Panama The people OF Panama had
long been Disconnected with the Repubiic
Of Colombia, and they had been kent
quiet emily BY the prospect Of the con
clusion Of the treaty. which was 10 them
a matter OF vital concern. When ii be,
ans evident that the treaty was hone.
lessly lost. the people Of Panama rose
nred by a single man on the isthmus In
the Interest Of the Colombian govern
Not a life was lost in the accom-.
plishment Of the revolution. The Colon.
"a LARtAE aAnAA9lEA OH " NAIUn1Ia 4
had long been unpaid, made com.
mon cause with the people OF Panama. ,
and with astonishing unanimity the new
republic was started. The duty Of the
States in the premlse was clear
In strict accordance with the principles J
aid down by Secretaries Cass and Seward !
= the official documents above quoted.
permit the landing Of no expedI.
lionary force, the arrival Of which would !
mean chaos and destruction along the /
line Of the railroad and Of the proposed
anal. and an interruption Of transit az
an inevitable consequence.
Previous Isthmfan Disturbances.
When these events happened. 81 years
rad elapsed since the United States had
inferred into It's treaty with New Granada /
During that time the governments OF New
Granada n Of its successor. Colombia, 4
ave been In a turmoil The experience OF
,ver half a century has shown Colombia
o be utterly. Incapable OF keeping order {
m the isthmus. Only the active inter. (
ierence OF the United States has enabled !
Ter 10 preserve 50 much as a sembiance of I
,overeignty. Had 1t not been for the en- {
ircise BY the United States Of the police 0
IN her interest, her connection with e
he isthmus would have been sun /
Tered long age. In 1856. In 1860 In 1872 In I
$50. in 1901, and again In 1902, sailors and /
Marines from United States warships were 4
orccd to land in order to patrol the 18th. /
nus, to protect life and property and "a r
zee that the transit across the lsthmusw was O
.ept open. In isel, In 1851. in 1855. and In 1870 &
he Colombian government asked that the 9
United states government would land c
roops 10 protect Its interests and maintain
on the isthmusr Perhaps the mos