The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1903-12-05
SUPPRESSED PANAMA MESSAGE

SUPPRESSED PANAMA MESSAGE
A renewed discussion Of President
Icosevelt's ~propensities is aroused by
the news that, prior to the development
of Panama's revolution. he had made
ND his mind to advise Congress that
I'VE must forthwith take the matter
into our own hands" and build an 18TH
milan canal by any route that might
seem good to us, without waiting for
the consent of ''those whom the acct
dent of position has placed in temporary
control of the ground through which
the route must pass" Such was the
message, already written, that he was
intending to send to Congress. when
the Panama revolution changed the
whole aspect Of affairs. The message Is
now made public as proof that the Ad-
ministration had no hand in abetting
the secession Of Panama. But while il
may prove that, it also proves some
thing else equally important. declare
the opposition papers. 1t proves, says
the Atlanta Journal tDem.l, that we
have an unsafe President; it proves,
says the Philadelphia Record lind
Dem. J. that we have a President who
considers himself above laws and
treaties; it proves. says the Springfield
Republican Qnd.). that we have a Pres
ident who, in international affairs. dis
regards the moral law.
After informing Congress that Colon
bia has refused to ratify the canal
treaty, the President said in this sup
pressed message:
I'm my Judgment. it is time to de-
clare that the beginning of the canal
can not be much longer delayed. This
nation does not desire to be unreason-
able or impatient, but it can not and
will not permit any body of men per-
manently to obstruct one Of the great
world highways of traffic; and refusal
to permit the building of the canal
amounts to such obstruction. OF course
to insist upon unreasonable terms is
equivalent to a refusal. I.
ut seems evident that in a matter
such as this we should finally decide
which is the best route, and if the advan-
tages of this route over any other posi-
BILE route are sufficiently marked, we
should then give notice that we can no
longer submit to trifing or insincere
dealing on the part of those whom the
accident of position has placed in tempo
rary control of the ground through
which the route must pass; that if they
will come to agreement with us in
straightforward fashion we shall in re-
turn act not only with justice but with
generosity; and that if they fail to
come to such agreement with us, we
must forwith take the matter into our
own hands,"
These are Astounding WORDS de-
clares the New York Evening Post
Qnd.), and ''they viii revive the acute
hat many had when President
Mckinley was assassinated, lest a fire.
brand type of man succeed to the Presi.
dency." 1t continues: .This is obvious
~ to throw law, treaties, and decency
to the winds. Under such a robber
we should be entitled to
seize any land on earth which we hap
pened to want, and which we thought
ourselves possessed of sufficient brute
force to take. 1t is a declaration of
stark and lawless absolutism, tempered
only by land-hunger, which we have
lived to see made by an American Presi-
1t is unprecedented in inter-
national law" and "indefensible in
morals" declares the New York Times
Qnd.); and the Springfield Republican
(Ind.) fears for the effect upon our ma
tional character. The Louisville Cour-
Ter Journal Dem.) calls it cowboy
Literary Digest.