Bisbee daily review., 1903-12-08
Presidents Message
(Continued From Page Four.(
 isthmian Canal.

isthnian Canal.
 By the act of June 2S, 1902. the Con gross authorized the President to en- ter into treaty with Colombia for the building of the canal across the Istn mus of Panama; it being provided that in the event of failure to secure such treaty after the lapse of a reasonable time, recourse should be had to builo ing a canal through Nicaragua. It has not been necessary to consider this alternative, as I am enabled to lay before the Senate treaty provid- ing for the building of the canal across the Isthmus of Panama. This was the route which commended itself to the deliberative judgment of the Con. gress, and we can now acquire by treaty the right to construct the can. al over this route The question now. ! therefore. is not by which route the isthmian canal shall be built. for that question has been definitely and ire. vocably decided. The question is sim ply whether or not we shall have an | isthmian canal
 When the Congress directed that we should take the Panama route under treaty with Colombia, the essence or the condition, of course. referred not to the Government which controlled that route, but to the route itself; 0 the territory across which the route lay, not to the name which for the moment the territory b ore on the map. The purpose of the law was to author ize the President to make a treaty with the power in actual control of the Isthmus of Panama. This purpose has been fulfilled.
 For four hundred years, ever since shortly after the discovery of this hemisphere, the canal across the Isth- mus has been planned For two score years it has been worked at. i When mace it is to last for ages. It is to alter the geography of a conui- nent and the trade routes of the world We have shown by every treaty we have negotiated or attempted to nego- tiate with the people in control of the Isthmus and with foreign nations in reference thereto our consistent good faith in observing our obliga- tions; on the one hand to the peoples of the Isthmus, and on the other hand to the civilized world whose commer- cial rights we are safeguarding and guaranteeing by our action. We have done our duty to others in letter and in spirit, and we have shown the ut most forbearance in exacting our own rights.
 Repudation of Treaty by Colombia.
 Last spring, under the act above re- ferred to, a treaty concluded between the representatives of the Republic of Colombia and of our Government was ratified by the senate This treaty was entered into at the urgent solici tation of the people of Colombia and after body of experts appointed by our Government especially to go into the matter of the routes across the lsthmus had pronounced unanimously in favor of the Panama route. Inl drawing up this treaty every conces- sion was made to the people and to the Government Of Colombia We r.vre more than just in dealing with them. Our generosity was such as to make 1t serious question whether 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 eveE to the fancied rights of our weaker neighbor, who already owed so much | to our protection and forbearance. wei yielded in all possible ways to her de- sires in drawing up the treaty. Ney- ertheless the Government of Colombia 1 not merely repudiateG the treaty. but repudiated it in such manner as to | make it evident by the time the Co lombian Congress adjourned that not the scantienst hope remained of eyer getting a satisfactory treaty from them. The Government of Colombia | made the treaty, and yet when the Co lombian Congress was called to ratify it the vote against ratification was unanimous. It does not appear that the Government made any real effort | to secure ratification.
 Revolution in Panama.
 Immediately after the adjournment | of the Congress a revolution broke out | in Panama. The people of Panama | had long been discontented with the Republic of Colombia, and they had been kept quiet only by the prospect of the conclusion of the treaty, which