The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1903-12-11

10
By the act OF Pune l9oz, the congress.
authorised the president to enter into
treaty. with Colombia for the building of
the canal across the Isthmus OF Panama:
failure . secure .uoh II axent
lapse of reasonable time, recourse
should be had to building a.canal through.
consider this alternative, q Il am enabled
to lay before the senate O. treaty provid-s
ing for the building Of the canal across
the Isthmus Of Panama. This was the.
liberate Judgment Of the congress, and
to construct the canal over this route
which route the nox :thmsa
II and irrevocably decided. The question
IS simply whether or not we shall have,
When the congress directed that we
should take the Panama route under
treaty with Colombia. the essence Of the
which Controlled nat route 1ae
but to the route itself; to the territory
across which the route lay, not to the
name which for the moment the territory
bore on the map. The purpose Of the law
waste authorize the president to make
a treaty with the power In actual con-
troll Of the Isthmus Of Panama, This
purpose has been fulfilled.
1sthnian Treaty 0bligations.
In the year 1916 this government en-
tered into treaty with New Granada,
the predecessor upon the Isthmus Of the
Republic Of Colombia and OF the present
Republic Of Panama. by which treaty It
citizens Of the United States should al
ways have free and open right OF way
or transit across the Isthmus Of Panama
by any modes Of communication that
government guaranteed the perfect neu-
trality Of the above-named isthmus with
the; view that the free transit from the
rupted or embarrassed. The treaty vest
ed In the United States substantial
sovereignty and property which New
Granada then had and possessed over the
said territory. The name OF New Gran
ada has passed away and its territory
has been divided. It's successor, the gov
any property in the isthmus. a new
republic, that Of Panama, which was at
one time a sovereign state. and at an
other time mere department OF the sue.
Granada and Colombia, has now succeed
ed to the rights which first one and then
the other formerly exercised over the
isthmus; But as long as the isthmus en-
existence, and the peculiar interest there
in which is required by our position,
pernetuate the solemn contract which
spect our right to freedom 81 transit
across 1t. and binds us in return to safe
guard for the isthmus and the world the
exercise Of that inestimable privilege.
upon which, the United States entered in
this treaty of 1886 has been given repeat
eddy in the utterances Of presidents and,
secretaries Of state. $3.50 a7 s
For 400 years, ever since shortly after the
discovery Of this hemisphere, the canal
across the isthmus has been planned For
ts.s SC years = 4 has been worked q.
to alter. the geography OF q continent and
the trade routes Of the world. We have
shown by every treaty we have negotiated
in control of the isthmus and with foreign
nations in reference thereto our consistent
good faith in observing our obligations; on
and the Other the evzed Word
whose commercial rights we are SAFE
guarding and guaranteeing by our action.
We have have. done our duty to Others in letter
forbearance In exacting our own rights.
COlombia's Reputation Of Treaty.
Last spring, under the act above re-
ferred to, treaty concluded between the
representatives of the Republic of Colon
by the senate This treaty was entered
into at the urgent solicitation Of the peo-
pie of Colombia and after q body of ex-;
pecially to go into the matter Of the
routes across the isthmus had pro-
nounced unanimously in favor of
Panama route. In drawing Up this treaty
and to the government of Colombia We
were more than just in dealing with
them. Our generosity was such as to
had 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 fancied rights of our weaker neigh
Dor, who already owed so much IN EOI,r