The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-17
coNcLUpEp FROM FIRST PAGE.)


weakness of the present government, It's
lack of purpose and indecision are, there
fore. excusable In a measure.
The real revolutionists know that they
nave to deal with a good-siZed company or
Colombian Benedict ArnOlds, and they deal
cautiously and suspiciously. All they now
hope for Is that they can keep things going
as they now are until the canal treaty will
be signed by the members of the junta.
That act OF ratification accomplished, the
revolutionists will have little interest left
in the republic; and just here enters into
this consideration an element which must,
perforce, be little understood In the States.
That element Is the bland and childlike faith
of the revolutionists I'm the government Of
the great American republic.
IL matters not what statements may be
made at Washington or what stories may
be current in the States, all Panama be-
heves that the revolution was made posi-
BILE by W~ashington's f~oreknowledge of what
was proposed and an expressed determine
ton by the government at Washington to
give moral and physical support TO the rev.
olutionists. There Is reason for this belief,
Tor II was not actually decided to attempt
the coup which resulted in the creation of
the republic until advices were received
from the States to the effect that IL it
should be attempted the United States
would back 1T up. These advices were not
Official, so far as the administration was
concerned, but they were of such a char
acter, as will be shown in subsequent let
tiers, as to convince the revolutionists that
all they had to do was to take the initia-
tive and then rely upon the United States
to insure the success Of the project. This
they did, and their earlier confidence in the
support to be afforded by our government
was justified by the occurrences of the
Sd and 4th of November at Colon, when
marines were landed from the Nashville
and employed to prevent Colombia'S mill
tary interference for the suppression OF the
revolution.
THE CANAL ALL THEY WANT.
Having. therefore, had ample proof that
the United States stands ready to guaran-
tee the independence OF the republic, the
revolutionists now place all their trust in
America. For themselves. they are help
less in their ignorance of ways and means
and in their distrust of their own people.
To no other reason is attributable the deci-
sion to permit ratification of the cana
treaty by the Junta instead OF waiting the
election of a Congress and the formal crea-
ton or a republican government. Upon
such a contingency as an election the revo-
lutionists dare not wait. The treaty will,
therefore be ratified by the Junta, which
has no existence in fact so far as the Re-
public of Panama is concerned, and the
anamanian ratification will have been de
posted at Washington by the time this let
ter is published. Why such haste? Simply
because the revolutionists look forward to
only one thing beyond what they have al
ready accomplished, n hat one thing
is to get the United States so bound by
contract that it will be compelled through
self-interest to protect the republic against
invasion from without and against interior
disturbances.
So keen Is this desire that 1t is not stretch
ing fact in the slightest to say that once the
treaty is ratified, and contractual relations
with the United States assumed, the revolu-
tionlsts will practically lose interest In the
fate of Panama. They will. as a matter OF
course, be compelled to proceed with the
election OF a regular government, but that
duty will be one in which they will have
little enthusiasm. The treaty will insure
the canal; the canal is all that Panama
wants, and with ii assured. the Panamaians
would be content To drift along for an in
definite period without proceeding further
toward realizing the fruits Of independence,
Proof Of this lackadaisical interest in the
republic itself is nowhere concealed. Every
body in Panama, including the members
OF the Junta and the Cabinet, will declare II
Intercepted upon the point, that Panama
wants nothing except the canal; that the
United States can have anything IL wishes
IL IL will only construct that waterway. 81
free are admissions of this nature that
nave had ii from those high up in the gov
ernment, that had the United States DE-
| manded sovereignty over the entire republic
ii would nave been coded without question
AS q matter of fact, the would
very gladly have relinquished the duty OF
organizing a government and attempting Ii: