Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1903-12-11


long as the isthmus endures, the mere
| geographical fact of its existence. and
the peculiar interest therein which is re-
Quired by our position, perpetuate the
solemn contract which binds the holders
or the territory to respect our right to
freedom of transit across it, and binds
us in return to safeguard for the isthmus
and the world the exercise of that ines
timable privilege. The true Interpretation
OF the obligations upon which the United
States entered in this treaty of 1876 has
been given repeatedly in the utterances
of Presidents and Secretaries of State.
Reputation of Treaty by Colombia.
Last Spring. under the act above re-
ferred to, a treaty concluded between the
representatives of the Republic of Colom-
bia and of our Government was ratified by
the Senate. This treaty was entered into
at the urgent solicitation of the people
of Colombia. and after a body of experts
appointed by our Government especially
to go into the matter of the routes across
the isthmus had pronounced unanimously
in favor of the Panama route. In draw
ing up this treaty every concession was
| made to the people and to the Govern.
ment of Colombia. We were more than
| just in dealing with them. Our generos-
| ity was such as to make it a serious ques-
ton 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
even to the fancied rights of our weaker
| neighbor, who already owed so much to
our protection and forbearance, we yield
ed in all possible Why's to her desires in
drawing up the treaty. Nevertheless the
Government of Colombia not merely re-
pudiated the treaty. but repudiated it in
| such manner as to make 1t evident by
the time the Colombian Congress ad-
journed that not the scantiest hope re-
mained of ever getting a satisfactory
treaty from them. The Government OF
Colombia made the treaty, and yet when
the Colombian Congress was called to
ratify it the vote against ratification was
unanimous. It does not appear that the
government made any real effort to Sc
cure ratification
Immediately after the adjournment of
the Congress 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 was to them matter of
vital concern. When it became evident
that the treaty was hopelessly lost. the
people of Panama rose literally as one
man. Not shot was fired by single
man on the Isthmds in the interest OF
the Colombian Government Not life
was lost in the accomplishment of the
revolution. The Colombian troops sta
toned on the Isthmus who had long been
pie of Panama, md with astonishing
unanimity the new Republic was started.
The duty of the United States in the
premises was clear. In strict accordance
with the principals laid down by Secre-
taries Cass and Seward in the official docu-
ments above quoted, the United States
gave notice that it would permit the
landing of no expeditionary force, the ar
rival of which would mean chaos and de-
struction along the line of the railroad
- =, Il iv,fn
ruption of transit an inevitable conse-
quence. The de facto Government Of
Panama was recognized in the following
telegram to Mr.. Ehrman:
1.-THE people of Panama have, by appar-
emily unanimous movement. dissolved
their political connection with the Repub-
lie of Colombia and resumed their inde-
pendence. When you are satisfied that a
de facto government, republican in form
and without substantial opposition from
it's own people, has been established in
the State of Panama, you viii enter into
ernment of the territory and look to it
for all due action to protect the persons
and property CT citizens of the United
States and to keep open the isthmian
transit, in accordance with the obligations
of existing treaties governing the rela-
tions of the United States to that terri
tory
The Government of Colombia was noti-
fed of our action by the following tele-
gram to Mr.. Beaupre:
'The people of Panama having, by an
apparently unanimous movement. dis
solved their political connection with the
Republic of Colombia and resumed their
independence. and having adopted a gov
ernment of their own. republican in form.
with which the Government of the United
States of America has entered into rela-
tions, the President of the United States.
in accordance with the ties of friendship
which have so long and SO happily existed
between the respective nations, most earn
estly commends to the Governments of Co
lombia and of Panama, the peaceful and
equitable settlement of all questions at is
sue between them. He holds that he is
bound not merely by treaty obligations
but by the interests of civilization, to see
that the peaceful traffic of the world
across the Isthmus of Panama shall not
longer be disturbed by a constant success
sion of unnecessary and waSteful civil
wars"
The control. in the interest of the COM
merce and traffic of the whole civilized
world. of the means of undisturbed tran
sit across the Isthmus of Panama has be-
come of transcendent Importance to the
United States. We have repeatedly exer-
cised this control by intervening in the
course Of domestic dissension, and by
protecting the territory from foreign in
vasion. In 1858 Mr.. Everett assured the
PeruVlan Minister that we should not hes
itate to maintain the neutrality of the
isthmus in the case of war between Peru
and Colombia. In 1864 Colombia, which
has always been vigilant to avail itself
of its privileges conferred by the treaty,
expressed its expectation that in the event
of war between Peru and Spain the United
States would carry into effect the guar
antee of neutrality. There have been few
of the State Department
in which this treaty has not, either by
the one side or the other. been used as a
basis Of more or less important demands.
1t was said by Mr.. Fish in 1871 that the
Department of State had reason to be-
lieve that an attack upon Colombian SOW
ereignty on the isthmus had, on several
occasions, been averted by warning from
this Government.
Every effort has been made by the Gov |.
ernment of the United States to persuade
Colombia to follow course which was
not only to our interests and |
to the interests of the world. but to the |
of Colombia itself These efforts !
have failed, and Colombia, by her persist |
ence in repulsing the advances that have
been made, has forced us, for the sake of /
our own honor, and of the interest and /
well-being not merely of our own people,
but of the people of the Isthmus of Pam
anna and the people of the civilized coun-
tr;ac IF the world n take decisive Stane