Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-12-17
might effectively be sIlenced by ju.

might effectively be sIenced by ju-
dicial verdict.
Investigation would also throw light
upon the motives by which the Bogota
statesmen were actuated In rejecting
the Hay Herran treaty And that Is a
matter upon which more light is
needed. Recent reports from Bogota
indicate that the critics who assume
that Colombia is a much injured inno-
cent are mistaken. As stated by the
New York Tribune on "the highest Co
lombIan authority the Colombian plan
was TO delay matters until, by hook or
crook, Colombia could confscatc the
Frenca canal company's property and
then sell 1t to the United States for
round price The decision OF the
United states to pay the French COM
pany $40 0OO,O 600 for It's property was too
mucn for the cupidity Of the Colon
bans The thrifty patriots at Bogota
wanted that $40 1000 900 themselves. They
needed IL In their business II would
be mlddening to see II go TO parcel of
Frenchmen So they proposed to have
their congress pass upon the validity
that Is to say, deny the validity--of the
extension OF franchise which was grant
ed to the French company In 1900 until
1906 There was all the more provoca-
ton to do this since the Colombians are
believed to have got none Of the large
sum paid In 1900 for such extension
some Of their creditors In Paris we're
too shrewd to let that round million
escape. II, then, the franchise could be
forfeited at once, Colombia would be-
come owner OF the French companys
property without paying a cent for II,
and would be able TO say TO the United
States You were willing to pay the
company $40 100000 for this. Now what
VIII you pay us for it?'" Clearly
judicial investigation would place the
Colombians right before the world in
this matter and why should the prlyi.
lege be denied them?
But the center Of contention concerns
the ownership Of the Isthmus. The
American view Is that II belongs to the
Panamans, and that It's affairs are In
the hands OF any de facto government
OF Panama The contention IL
that Panama had n constitutional right
to withdraw and set up a government OF
its own, and history is appealed to in
proof OF this. II is pointed out that the
republic OF New Granada was a con-
federation Of sovereign states, bound to-
gether by the loosest Of ties As such
state, Panama, I'm 1867, took advan-
tage Of It's constitutional rights, and
peacefully withdraw from the con-
federation When. IN 1861, New Granada
resolved Itself into the United States
of Colombia, Panama voluntarily re-
sumed It's former ties and became one
of the states, reserving, however. the
right Of secession. But when, under
the constitution OF 1885, the United
States Of Colombia abandoned the fed.
eral principle and became the republic
OF Colombia" the states were trans
formed into departments, and state
sovereignty was abroBated. Panama
and Cundimarca were against their win
reduced TO territorial dependencies,
governed solely by officials appointed
from Bogota. Panama, however so It Is
declared, had never renowned the right
OF withdrawal.
All these points would be elucidated
by an impartial investigation OF facts
and II seems to us that verdict based
on real facts would silence foolish crlt-
csm forever,