The Lamar register., 1903-12-09

these rights be exercised in a spirit be-
fitting the occasion and the wants ana
circumstances that have arisen. Sover-
eighty has its duties as well its rights.
and none of these local governments.
| even II administered with more regard to
the just demands of other nations than
| they have been. would be permitted, In
| spirit of eastern isolation. to close the
| gates of Intercourse on the great high
| ways of the world. and Justify the act by
| the pretension that these avenues OF
| trade and travel belong to them and that
| they choose to shut them. or. what Is
| almost equivalent. to cucumber them
| with such unjust relations as would pre-
| vent their general use.
| Seven years later. in 1865. Mr.. Seward
in different communications took the fol-
| lowing position:
| THE United States have taken and
| will take no interest in any question OF
| internal revolution in the State of Pan
| anna. any State of the United States of
| Colombia, but will maintain perfect
| neutrality in connection with such do
mestic alterations. The United States
| WILL nevertheless. hold themselves ready
| to protect the transit trade across the
isthmus against invasion OF either do
| nestle or foreign disturbers of the peace
| of the State of Panama Neither
| the text nor the spirit of the stipulation
| in that article by which the United States
engages to preserve the neutrality OF the
| Isthmus of Panama. imposes obliga-
| tion on this Government to comply with
the requisition lof the President of the
| United States of Colombia for force to
| protect the Isthmus of Panama from a
| body of insurgents Of that countryl. The
| purpose Of the stipulation was to guar
antee the isthmus against seizure or in
| vasion by foreign power only"
Attorney General Speed. under date of
| Nov. z. 1855. advised Secretary Seward
| follows:
From tins treaty 1t can not be sup
posed that New Granada invited the
| United States to become a party to the
| intestine troubles of that Government.
| nor did the United States become bound
to take sides in the domestic broils of
New Granada. The United States did
guarantee New Granada in the sovereign
| ty and property over the territory. This
was as against other and foreign govern
| ments."
For four hundred years, ever since
shortly after the discovery of this hem
isphere. the canal across the isthmus has
| been planned. For two score years 1t
has been worked at. When made 1t is to
| geography of continent and the trade
routes of the world. We have shown by
| every treaty We have negotiated at
| tempted to negotiate with the peoples in
| control of the isthmus and with foreign
nations In reference thereto our consis-
tent good faith in observing OUR obliga-
tions; on the one hand to the peoples OF
| the isthmus. and the other hand to
the civilized world whose commercial
| rights We are safeguarding and guaran-
teeing by our action. We have done
duty to others in letter and in spirit. and
| we have shown the utmost forbearance in
| exacting our own rights.
| Last spring, under the act above
| ferred to. treaty concluded between the
representatives of the Republic OF Co.
| lombia and of our Government was rati-
| fed by the Senate. This treaty was en-
| tered into at the urgent solicitation of
the people of Colombia and after n body
| OF experts appointed by our Government
especially to go into the matter of the
| routes across the isthmus had pronounced
| unanimously in favor of the 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 TO make ii a Sc
| rious question whether we had not gone
too far in their interest at the expense of
our own; for in our scrupuous desire to
pay all possible heed. not merely to the
real but even to the fancied rights of our
| weaker neighbor. who already owed so
much to our protection and forbearance,
| We yielded in all possible ways to her
| desires In drawing up the treaty. Never
theiess the Government of Colombia not
merely repudiated the treaty. but repu-
| dated II In such manner as to make II
| evident by the time the Colombian Con-
| gress adjourned that not the scantiest
| hope remained of ever getting a satis-
factory treaty from them. The Govern
| ment of Colombia made the treaty, and
yet when the Colombian Congress was
called to ratify II the vote against rati-
|
pear that the Government made any real
| effort to secure ratification.
Revolution in Panama.
| Immediately after the adjournment of
| the Congress revolution broke out in
| Panama. The people of Panama had
| long been discontented with the Republic
Of Colombia. and they had been kept quiet
| only by the prospect of the conclusion
of the treaty. which was to them a mat
| ter of vital concern. When II became
| evident that the treaty was hopeIessly
| lost. the people of Panama rose literally
as one man. Not shot fired by a
| single man on the isthmus in the interest
| of the Colombian Government. Not
| life was lost in the accomplishment of
| the revolution. The Colombian troops
stationed on the isthmus. who had long
| been unpaid. made common cause with
| the people of Panama. and with aston
lshing urnnmity the new republic was
| started. The duty of the United States
| In the premises was clear In strict ac-
| cordance with the principles laid down
| by Secretaries Cass and Seward in the of
| fetal documents above quoted. the United
| States gave notice that 1t would permit
| the landing of expeditionary force
| the arrival of which would mean chaos
and destruction along the line of the rail-
road and OF tho proposed canal. and an
| interruption of transit as inevitable
| consequence. The de facto Government
| of Panama was recognized in the follow
ing telegram to Mr.. Ehrman:
| THE people OF Panama have. by ap-
parently unanimous movement. dissolved
their political connection with the Re-
| public of Colombia and resumed their in
| dependence. When you are satisfied that
| de facto government. republican in
| form and without substantial opposition
| from its own people. has been established
| in the State of Panama, you will enter
into relations with it as the responsible
government of the territory and look to
1t for all due action to protect the per-
sons and property of citizens of the
United States and TO keep open the
| isthmian transit. in accordance with the
| obligations of existing treaties govern
| ing the relations of the United States to
| that territory"
| Disturbances on lsthmus Since 1S46.
When these events happened. ffty-seven
years had elapsed since the United States
| had entered into its treaty with New Gra-
NADIA. During that time the Governments
of New Granada and of its successor
Colombia, have been in a constant state
of flux.
A long list of the disturbances and
revolutions which have convulsed the
iSthmuS is given and the renort cop-