The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-12-22

| ran treaty should fail of ratification
| at Bogota blow should be struck for
Panamaian independence.
This decision reached, the plan pro-
crossed rapidly. Needing assistance in
working out their plan, the original
| trio of conspirators carefully selected
| four other gentlemen who might be
| taken into their confidence. These four
were Constantine Arosemena, a civil
engineer; Ricardo Arias, brother of
Tomas Arias; Frederick Boyd and N.
| A. de Obarrio, the last three named
being merchants in this city and men
| OF wealth and substance. The circle
| of conspirators included these seven
men as long ago as the first of July.
| They met frequently, but in secret,
holding their meetings in the private
residence of one or the other of their
: number, with an occasional gathering
in the office of the electric light COM
pany, which is principally owned by
Tomas Arias. All of the plans of these
conspirators were predicated upon the
rejection of the canal treaty, an hy-
pothesis which had resolved itself into
a certainty before the middle of August
standing back of the conSpirators, as
advisers and counselors, were four
Americans: Col ]. S. Shaler, superin-
tendent of the Panama Railroad: H.
G. Prescott, assistant Superintendent
ma end; Capt. John R. Beers, super
! intendent of the Panama Railroad ter
mtnals at La Boca, the Pacific ternni-
nus of the proposed canal, and Col.
William M. Black, U. S. A., the engi-
neer who represents the United States
government in the work now in prog
ress at the great Culebra cut.
Sounding This Government.
! These four Americans were never
present at a meeting of the conspira-
tors, which meetings were held as Of
! ten as two and three times a week;
but they were kept fully advised as
to all that was done by Senior Arrange,
! who reported in his capacity as spe-
! cial agent of the railroad company.
/ TheyN also advised, communicating
! through Senior Arrange, as to the diff
ferent steps to be taken, and it was
stated to me last evening by one of
| the seven that not a single thing was
J done by them or decided upon except
I it was first given the sanction of the
four Americans who were privy to the
! scheme. 1t was under these condi-
| tions that the plan for Panamaian in
| dependence progressed up to the mid
| die of August. The moment for de-
cisive action being then in sight, it
was agreed by the conspirators and
! their counselors that to insure the
! success of the project it was necessary
| to sound the United States govern
| ment and learn what attitude it would
, assume.
With that object in view, DIR. Anna
dor sailed from Colon in September,
going first to Jamaica, and thence to
Boston. From Boston he journeyed
to Washington without passing
through New York, so that neither his
presence in the states nor his visit
to Washington might be known to the
Colombian consul at New York. DIR.
Amador's visit to Washington was for
the purpose of comforting with Secre-
tary Hay, but that official was in New
Hampshire on his annual vacation, and
DR.. Amador left Washington without
acquainting the State Department of
what the isthmians (seven in number
at that time) proposed doing. About
the same time ]. Gabriel Duque, a
native of Cuba, but a naturalized
American, now domiciled in this city,
editor of the Star and Herald of Pan
anna, and principal owner of the
Loteria de Panama, the chartered lot
terry of the isthmus, also visited Wash
ington. Mr.. Duque saw Secretary Hay
and discussed with him the idea of
Panamaian independence, but it can
be accepted as an indisputable fact
that his visit was wholly unofficial and
made upon his own responsibility, as
he was not at that time in the secret
of what Amador, Arrange, Arias and
| others proposed.
VaFiIla in the Game.
DR.. Amador's visit to Washington
| having proved fruitless, and there be-
/ ing no longer any necessity for secrecy
he went to New York and took apart
! tents at the Waldorf Astoria. There
he fell in with M. Philippe Bunau-
| Varilla, who had resided on the isthmus
as a canal engineer, and with whom
! he was acquainted. Varilla was then
in the States in the interest of the New
Panama Canal Company, and their SEN
timents being more or less the same,
DR.. Amador unfolded to Vanilla the
plans of the conspirators at Panama.
From this point the project progressed
rapidly DR.. Amador returned to the
isthmus early in October, and at a
meeting of the seven conspirators, who
gathered in the office of the electric
i lighting company in Panama, he re-
4 lated the result of his visit to the
/ States. He had received no assurances
from any official of support, but COM
nlunicated to his fellows the fact that
Varilla had assured him in the most
positive terms that any stroke in favor
! of independence, having as its primary
/ object the grant to the American re-
/ public of a canal concession, would be
supported by the United States govern
ment So elated was DR.. Amador over
/ Varilla's assurances, and so great was
his confidence in the French engineer S
ability to influence the government at
/ Washington, that he was liable to see
/ any further difficulties in the way of
executing the project. arrange, Arias,
/ Arosemena and the others were slow to
! accept Dr. Amador's assurances, how
ever. Varilla had not talked wi h them,
and realizing that death for each would
/ be the penalty should they attempt and
/ fail. and that their only hope of sue
cess lay in support to be given them by
J the United States, they counseled eau
i ton and further delay.
Proceeding Carefully.
Their views prevailed to such an ex-
tent that II was decided to defer the
launching of the movement until after
the Colombian Congress should nave
| finally adjourned. Adjournment
would. they argued, sound the death
knell over the canal treaty and stimuli
taneously give to the United states
AN incentive 10 support the independ-
ence of a republic on the isthmus. The
project was accordingly held In abey-
| ance, although there was no cessation
| in the matter Of working out the de-
tails. Realizing that II II should be-
come necessary 10 deliver the blow, a
commission would have 10 be sent 20
the states, the cOnsplratora late In Oc-
tober. took into their confidence Senior
Manuel EspanOza, with the Idea OF
substituting him for FREDERICK Boyd
as a member Of the provisional govern
Ing lunta which would have 70 be ere