The Tupelo journal., 1903-12-11

During that time the governments of New
Granada and of its successor, Colombia,
have been in a turmoil. The experience Of
over half a century has shown Colombia
to be utterly incapable of keeping order
on the isthmus. Only the active inter-
ference of the United States has enabled
her to preserve so much as a semblance oil
sovereignty. Had it not been for the ex-
ercise by the United States Of the police
power in her interest, her connection with
the isthmus would have been sun
dered long ago. In 1856. in 1860, in 1873. in
1885, in 1901. and again In 1902, sailors and
marines from United States warships were
forced to land In order to patrol the 18TH
mus. to protect life and property and to
see that the tranSiH across the isthmus was
kept open. In 1861, in 1862. in 1885, and in 1900
the Colombian government asked that the
United States government would land
troops to protect it's interests and maintain
order on the isthmus. Perhaps the most
extraordinary request is that which has
just been received and which runs as fol-
lows:
COlombia's Latest Proposition.
Knowing that revolution has already
commenced in Panama Ian eminent CO.
lombianl SAYS hat If the government Of
the United States Will land troops to pre-
serve Colombian sovereignty, and the
transit. If requested by Colombian charge
d'affaires. this government will declare
martial law; and, by virtue of vested con-
stitutional authority, when public order
is disturbed. will approve by decree the
ratification Of the canal treaty as signed:
or, If the government of the United States
prefers. Will call extra session of the~con-
gress-with new and friendly members
next May to approve the treaty. IAN emf
nent Colombianl has the perfect confidence
of vice president, he says. and If it became
necessary will go 20 the isthmus or send
representative there to adjust matters
along above lines to the satisfaction of
the people there"
This dispatch is noteworthy from two
standpoints. It's offer of Immediately
contrast with the positive and contempt-
uous refusal of the congress which has Just
closed it's sessions to consider favorably
such a treaty; it shows thai the govern
ment which made the treaty really had alb
solute control over the Situation. but did
not choose to exercise this control. The
dispatch further calls on us to restore or
der and secure Colombian supremacy in
the iSthmus from which the Colombian gov
eminent has just by its action decided to
par US by preventing the construction of
the canal.
Important to Us.
The control, in the interest Of the COM
merce and traffic of the whole civilized
world. of the means of undisturbed
transit across the isthmus of Panama
to the United States. We nave repeated
ly exercised this control by Intervening
in the course of domestic d~issension, and
by protecting the territory from foreign
invasion. In 1858 Mr.. Everett assured the
Peruvian minister that we should not
hesitate to maintain the neutrality of the
isthmus in the case of war between Peru
and Colombia. In 1854 Colombia. which
has always been vigilant to avail itself
of its privileges conferred by the treaty,
expressed it's expectation that in the
the United States would carry into eff
feet the guaranty of neutrality. There
have been few administrations of the
state department in which this treaty
mas moi. elthPr hV the Cna side nr tho
other. been used as a basis of more or
less important demands. 1t was said by
Mr.. Fish in 1871 that the department of
state had reason to believe that an at
tack upon sovereignty on the
isthrnus had. on several occasions, been
averted by warning from this govern
The menace OF hostilitles from Italy in
the Cerruti case, Mr.. Bayard expressed
the serious concern that the United
States could not but feel, that a Euro
pean power should resort to force against
a sister republic of this hemisphere, as
to the sovereign and uninterrupted use of
a part OF whose territory we are guar
antors under the solemn faith of a treaty.
The above recital of facts establishes
beyond question:: First. that the United
states has for over half a century pa
tiently and in good faith carried out it's
obligations under the treaty of 1876; sec
oDd, that when for the first time it be-
came possible for Colombia to do any
thing in reuuital of the services thus re-
peatedly rendered to it for 81 years by
the United States. the Colombian gov
eminent peremptorily and extensively re-
to do so would have been to its advan-
tage and immeasurably to the advantage
OF the state of Panama, at hat time I'M
der its jurisdictions; third, that through
out this period revolutions, riots, and
factional disturbances of every kind nave
occurred one after the other in almost
uninterrupted succession. some of them
lastlng Tor months and even for years,
while the central government was unable
to put them down or TO make peace with
the rebels: fourth. that these disturb
anceS instead of showing any sign of
abating have tended to grow more
numerous and more serious in the imme-
date past; fifth, that the control of
Colombia over the Isthmus of Panama
could not be maintained without the
armed Intervention and assistance of the
United States. In other words, the gov
able to maintain order on the isthmus.
has nevertheless declined to ratify a
treaty the conclusion of which opened
the only chance to secure it's own stabil-
ity and TO guarantee permanent peace
on, and the construction of a canal
across, the sthmus.
Under such circumstances the govern
ment of the United States would have been
guilty of folly and weakness, amounting
in their sum to a crime against the nation.
had 1t acted otherwise than it did when
place in Panama. This great enterprise Of
building the interoceanic canal cannot be
held up to crafty the whims. or out OF
or to the even more sinister and evil polit-
ical peculiarities, of people who, though
they dwell afar off. yet, against the wish
sert an unreal supremacy over the terri
tory. The possession of a territory fraught
with such peculiar capacities as: the 18TH
mus in question carries with it obligations
to mankind. The curse of events has
shown that this canal cannot be built by
private enterprise, or by any other nation
than our own; therefore it must be built
by the United States.
Provisions of Panama Treaty. Il
Every effort has been made by the gov
Colombia to follow a course which was
essentially not only to our interests and
to the interests of the world, but to the in
have failed; and Colombia. by her persist
ence in repulsing the advances that nave
been made, has forced us, for the sake of
our own honor, and of the interest and
well being, not merely Of our own people,
but OF the people of the isthmus of Pam
anna and the people of the civilized coun-
tries of the world, to take decisive steps
to bring to an end a condition of affairs
which had become intolerable. The new
republic OF Panama Immediately offered to
negotiate a treaty with US. This treaty 1
herewith submit. BY it our interests are
better ~safeguarded than in the treaty with
Colombia which was ratified by the SEN
ate at its last session. It is better in its
terms than the treaties offered to us by the
republics of Nicaragua and Costa R:ca.
At last the right to begin this great under
taking is made available. Panama has
lone her part. All that remains is for the
American congress to do its part and forth.
with this republic will enter upon the exc
cution of a project colossal in its size and
of well-nigh incalculable possibilities for
the good of this country and the nations
of mankind.
BY the provisions of the treaty the United
States guarantees and will maintain the