Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1903-12-07

terances of presidents and secretaries
of state. Secretary Cass in 1858 ofii-
cially stated the position of this gov
eminent as follows:
1.-THE progress of events has rendered
the interoceanic route across the mar
row portion of Central America vastly
important to the commercial world, and
especially to the United States, who sc
possessions extend along the Atlantic
and Pacific coasts, and demand the
speediest and easiest modes of COM
munication. While the rights of SOW
ereignty of the states occupying this
region should always be respected, we
shall expect that these rights be exer-
cised in a spirit BETTING the occasion
and the wants and circumstances that
have arisen. Sovereignty has it's duties
as we'll as it's rights, and none of these
local governments. even If administered
with more regard to the just demands
of other nations than they have been,
would be permitted. in a spirit of east
ern isolation, to close the gates of in
tercourse on the great highways of the
world. and justify the act by the pre-
tension that these avenues of trade
and travel belong to them and that
they choose to shut them, or. what is
almost equivalent, to cucumber them
with such unjust relations as would
prevent their general USE"
Seven years later, in 1865, Mr.. Sew
ard in different communica tons took
fha follouv;pu rasition.
The United States have taken and
Will take no interest in any question
of internal revolution in the state of
Panama, or any state of the United
States of Colombia, but will maintain
a perfect neutrality in connection with
such domestic alterations The
United States will, nevertheless. hold
themselves ready to protect the transit
trade across the isthmus against in
vasion of either domestic or foreign
disturbers of the peace of the state of
Panama. Neither the text
nor the spirit Of the stipulation in that
article by which the United States
engages to preserve the neutrality Of
the Isthmus of Panama imposes an OBJ
legation on this government to comply
with the requisition (of the president
of the United States of Colombia for a
force to protect the Isthmus of Pan
anna from body of insurgents of that
country) The purpose of the stipula-
ton was to guarantee the isthmus
against seizure or invasion by foreign
power only"
Attorney General Speed, under date
of November Z, 1865, advised Secretary
Seward as follows:
From this treaty 1t can not be sup
posed that New Granada invited the
United States to become a party to the
intestine troubles of that government,
nor did the United States become
bound to take sides in the domestic
broils of New Granada. The United
States did guarantee New Granada in
the sovereignty and property over the
territory. This was as against other
and foreign governments"
For four hundred years, ever since
shortly after the discovery of this hem
isphere, the canal across the isthmus
has been planned. For two score
years 1t has been worked at. When
made 1t is to last for the ages. 1t is
to alter the geography of a continent
and the trade routes of the world. We
have shown by every treaty We have
negotiated or attempted to negotiate
with the peoples in control of the 18TH
mus and with foreign nations in ref
60
in observing our obligations; on the
one hand to the peoples of the isthmus,
and on the other hand to the civilized
world whose commercial rights we are
and guaranteeing by our
action. We have done our duty to
others in letter and in spirit, and we
have shown the utmost forbearance in
exacting our own rights.
Reputation of Treaty by Colombia
Last spring, under the act above re-
ferred to. treaty concluded between
the representatives of the republic OF
Colombia and of our government was
ratified by the senate. This treaty was
into at the urgent solicitation
Of the people of Colombia and after a
body of experts appointed by our gov
especially to go into the mat
ter of the routes across the isthmus
had pronounced unanimously in favor
Of the Panama route. In drawing up
this treaty every concession was made
to the people and to the government of
Colombia. We were more than just in
dealing with them. Our generosity was
such as to make it a serious question
we had not gone too far in
their interest at the expense of our
own; for in our scrupulous desire to
pay all possible heed, not merely to the
real but even to the fancied rights of
our weaker neighbor, who already
owed so much to our protection and
we yielded in all possible
ways to her desires in drawing up the
treaty. Nevertheless the government
IF Colombia not merely repudiated the
treaty, but repudiated 1t in such man
ler as to make 1t evident by the time
he Colombian congress adjourned that
1nt fha Snanfiacf bona of a,,a,-