Durango semi-weekly herald., 1903-12-10
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
Review of Relations Of United States
Government to Matter of Transit
Across ,stkmus OF Panama.

tered intO treaty with new Granada,
the predecessor upon the lsthmus OF
the Republic OF Colombia, and OF the
present Republic OF Panama, by which
treaty it was provided that. the gov
ernment and citizens of the United
States should always have free and
open right of way or transit across
the fsthmus oil Panama by any modes
of communication that might be con
strucreI. While in return cur govern
ment guaranteed the perfect neutrality
OF the above-fiientuned isthmus with
the view that the free transit from
the one to the other sea might not be
Interrupted or embarrassed. The
treaty vested in the United States
substantial property right carved odi
OF the rights of sovereignty and pro
perty which New Granada then had
and possessed over the said territory.
The name of New Granada has passed
away and its territory has been divid-
ell. Its successor. the government OF
Colombia has ceased to own any pro
perry in the isthmus. A new Repub-
lie. that OF Panama, which was at one
time sovereign state, and at another
time a mere department of the sue
cessive considerations known as New
Granada and Columbia, has now sue
ceeded to the rights which first one
and then the other formerly exercised
over The isthmus. But as long as the
isthmus endures, the mere geographi-
cal fact OF It's existence. ana the pc
culiar interest therein which is re-
quired by our position, perpetuate the
solemn contract which binds the hold
ers 'ot the territory to respect our
right to freedom oI transit across IL,
and binds us IN return TO Safeguard
for the isthmus and the world the ex-
ercise OF that inestimable privilege.
The true Interpretation Of the obliga-
tions upon winch the United States en-
tered in Ihis treaty of lS4G has been
gHen repeatedly in the utterances OF
presidents and secretaries OF state
Secretary Cass in 1858 officially stated
the position OF this government as
follows:
The progress OF events has render
ed the interoceanic route across the
marrow portion of Central America
vastly important to the commercial
world, and especially 10 the United
States, whose possessions extend
along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts,
and demand the speediest and easiest
modes OF communication. While the
rights of sovereignty of the state oc-
cupying this region should always be
respected, we shall expect that these
rights be exercised in spirit bent
ting the occasion and the wants and
circumstances that have arisen. Sow
.ereignty has its duties as well as its
rights. and none of these local gov
ernments, even ii administered with
more regard TO the just demands oil
other nations than they have been,
would be permitted. in a spirit of east
ern isolation 10 close the gates of in
tercourse on the great highways oi
the world, and justify the act by the
pretension that these avenues OF trade
and travel belong to them and thai
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 1860. Mr.. Sew
ard in different communications took
the following position:
will take no interest in any question
OF internal revolution in the State OF
Panama, or any state OF the United
Ststes of Colombia. but will maintain
a per. act neutrality in connection with
such domestic alterations. The Unit
States will. nevertheless, hold
themselves ready to protect the trans
1t trade across the isthmus against in
yasion of either domestic or foreign
disturbers OF the peace of the STATE
OF Panama. Neither the tex
nor the spirit of he stipulation in that
article by which the United states
engages to preserve the neutrality o.
the Islhmus of Panama, imposes al
obligation ON this government to com
piy with the requlsition lof the presi
dent Of the United States of Colombii
for "a force to protect the isthmus o
Panama from body of Insurgents o
that country. The purpose OF th'
stipulation was to guarantee the 18TH
mus against seizure or invasion by
foreign power only.">
Attorney General Speed. under dat
of November Z, 1865, advised Secre
tary Seward as follows:
From this treaty 1t can not be sur
posed that New Granada invited tn
United States TO become party L
the intestine troubles of that govern
meut. nor did the United States be
come bound to take sides in the dc
nestle broils of New Granada. TIL
United States did guarantee Ne'
Granada in the sovereignty and pre-
perty over the territory. This was a
against other and foreign govern
ments."
For four hundred years. ever sine
shortly after the discovery OF thi
hemisphere. the canal across the istl
mus has been planned For two scor
years it has been worked at. Whe
made it is to last for the ages. 1t
to altar the geography of contineI
and the trade routes of the world. y.
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