The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-20
Recognition of the Republic
 Has Been Premature
MAKES 4 POWERFUL TALK
Colombia Should Be Paid Part of the Money He Says, But He Fears This Will Not Be Done.
 An IndefensibIe Act.

Washington. December l9-After session of two and d quarter hours ths senate today adjourned until January {. Todays sitting was devoted largely to speech by MT. Pettus of Alabama on the situation in Panama on which he took the position that the recognition of the republic of Panama by the United States had been premature and Of such a character as to render it of doubtful appearance.
 Senator German sought but saiied to secure an order upon the postmaster gen. eral directing him 10 send to the senate the full record of the posloffiee depart ment inquiry His resolution to this ef- feet was defeated for the time by an objection from Mir. Quay.
 The resolution directed the postmaster general to send to the senate the reports of Fourth Assistant Postmaster General Bristow and Holmes Conrad and Charles j. Bonaparte special commissioners for the government. He said the reports all ready had been sent to the house and had been printed.
 
 document be reprinted. but Mir. German said that document had only been pub lished by a house committee and that he preferred to have the information correct from the head of the postoffice depart ment
 Mir Quay made objection and asked for the postponement of the resolution for a day. This objection had the effect of postponing consideration ndl after tho holidays
 Senator Pettus Speaks. IThe Morgan resolution offefSd yester- bay was then laid before the sdAale MT. fettus said that if Panama was as inde- .bendent nation it was iYpogtant to hn-gw Whether 1t was legitm5tely such. Was 'it, he asked, "legitimitey brought Into being. or was it unlawfnily and untimeiN ripped from thn rnothsr's wombs. He sad it vas imporfant to know whether the participation of the United States in the birth of the nation had been of Q character to tarnish the honor of this country. God forbid. he exclaimed, that this giant republic of ours should ever become too great to maintain it's honor"
 MT. Pettus announced it to be his pur- pose to eondne his consideration 10 the legal aspects of the case. adding that if the recital should prove severe renec- ton upon the administration the fault must be attributed to the law and not to himself. He quoted authorities to show that de facto governments should be recognized when established. and deelar- ed that this law was a severe commen- tary upon what the United States had been doing in Panama.
 An lndefensible Act.
 No logic, he said could be sufficient to defend an lndefensible act He contended that the United States should not be aetu- ated by selfish motives and urged that national honor should always be consult ed, rather than commercial success. After quoting General Jackson In support of this theory he turned to some utteranees of President Mckinley, saying whatever you may say of Jackson. l have never seen the dastard who could utter a word against the honor of this great states man. who has gone to his reward"
 MT. Pettus contonded that if the United States should take the canal property in Panama we should pay part of ColombIa's public debt Yet he feared that this would not be done even though demand cd by common law and ordinary decency. He also declared that Colombia had a right to reject it's treaty with the United States if it so desired. He asserted that one brigade of regular United States troops would be sufficient to cope with the entire force of Colombia. but surely he said, the great power given us by the Master was not to be used by us like a bully.
 "Whenever." he added. t'he nation gets too large to be just 1t will be too large to be respected by it's own citizens"
 He declared that war against Colombia had already been practically waged, but argued that no other authority than con- gross could assume this responsibility.
 When MT. Pettus concluded the senate at 1 40 D. m. went into executive session. The senate at 2:15 adjourned until Janu- ary 1, 1904.