The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1903-12-10

spirit, and we must have shown tho
Utmost forbearance in exacting our
own rights.
Reputation of Treaty by Colombia.
Last spring, under the act above re-
Ierreu TO, treaty concluded between
1ne representatives of the Republic of
moiainDla and of our government was
a.iueu py the Senate. The treaty was
entered into at the urgent solicitation
OF the people of Colombia and after a
oouy OF experts appointed by our gov
ernment especially to go into the mat
yer Oh the routes across the isthmus
nau pronounced unanimously in favor
VI the Panama route. In drawing IN
TINS treaty every concession was made
10 the people and to the government of
SoionDla. We were more than lust in
uedilhg with them. Our generosity was
sucn as TO make it a serious question
Mnelner we had not gone too far in
thelr interest at the expense of our
own; for in our scrupuIous desire to
pay all possible heed, not merely to
tne real but even to the fancied rights
Oh our weaker neighbor, who already
oWeu SO much to our protection and
Iorpearance, we yielded in all possible
ways TO her desires in drawing up the
treaty. Nevertheless the government
OF Colombia not merely repudiated the
treaty, but repudiated it in such a man.
ner as to make it evident by the time
the colombian Congress adjourned
that not the scantiest hope remained
of ever getting a satisfactory treaty
from them. The government of CO.
lombia made the treaty and yet when
the colombian Congress was called to
ratlIy 1t the vote against ratification
was unanimous. 1t does not appear
Inat the government made any real eff
fort to secure ratification.
Revolution in Panama.
Immediately after the adjournment
of Congress a revolution broke out in
Panama. The people of Panama had
long been discontinued with the Re-
public of Colombia, and they had been
kept quiet only by the prospect of the
conclusion of the treaty, which was to
them matter of vital concern. When
1T became evident that the treaty was
hopelessly lost, the people of Panama
rose literally as one man. Not a shot
was fired by single man on the 18TH
mus in the interest of the Colombian
government. Not a 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 astonishing unani-
nifty the new republic was started. The
duty of the United States in the prem
ises was clear. In strict accordance
with the principles laid down by Secre-
taries Cass and Seward, the United
States gave notice that it would per-
NIT the landing of no expeditionary
force, the arrival Of which would mean
chaos and destruction along the line
of the railroad and of the proposed
canal, and an interruption of transit
a n a
The recognition of the Republic of
Panama is next detailed, the dispatch
to the Colombian government being
given in full. The President continues:
Commerce and Traffic.
The control, in the interest Of the
commerce and traffic of the whole civil
lied world, of the means of undisturbed
transit across the Isthmus of Panama
has become of transcendent Importance
to the United States. We have repeat
eddy exercised this control by interven-
ing in the course of domestic dissen-
sion, and by protecting the territory
| from foreign invasion. In 1858 Md. Ev-
erett assured the Peruvian minister
! that we should not hesitate to maintain
the neutrality of the isthmus in the
case Of war between Peru and Colom-
bit. In 1864 Colombia, which has al
ways been vigilant to avail itself OF
its privileges conferred by the treaty,
expressed it's expectation that in the
event of war between Peru and Spain
the United States would carry into
effect the guaranty of neutrality. There
have been few administrations of the
state department in which this treaty
| has not, either by the one side or the
other, been used as basis or more or
| less important demands. 1t was said
| by Mr.. Fish in 1871 that the depart
ment of state had reason to believe
| that an attack upon Colombian soVer-
eighty on the isthmus had. on severai
| occasions, been averted by warning
from this government. In 1850, whel.
| colombia was under the menace or
hostilities from Italy in the Cerruti
case, Mr.. Bayard expressed the serious
concern that the United States couid
not but feel that European power
should resort to force against a sister
republic of this hemisphere, as to the
sovereign and uninterrupted use or
part of whose territory we are guaran-
tors under the solemn faith of a treaty
Established Facts.
The above recital of facts establishes
bevond question: First, that the united
states has for over half century pa
tiently and in good faith carried out its
obligations under the treaty OF 1870,
second. that when for the first time IL
became possible for Colombia to DO
anything in requital of the services
thus repeatedly rendered to 1t Tor nrty-
| seven wears by the United States, the
| columbian government peremptorlly
and extensively refused thus TO 90 its
part. even though to do so would nave
been to its advantage and immeasur
ably to the advantage of the state OF
panama, at that time under its 1urls-
diction: third, that throughout this
period revolutions. riots and factionai
disturbances of every kind have oc-
Cured one after the other in almost un-
interrupted succession, some OF tnem
lasting for months and even ror years
ahia to nut them down or to make peace
with the rebels; fourth, that the dis-
turbances instead of showing any sign
vi haua tended to grow more