Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1903-12-08
mu. of Panama, This purpose has
been fulfilled

been fulfilled.
Transit Across sthmus of Panama.
In the year 1916 this government en-
tered into q treaty with New Granada,
the predecessor upon the isthmus Of
the republic of Colombia and of the
present republic of Panama, by which
treaty it was provided that the govern
ment and citizens of the United States
should always have free and open right
! Of way or transit across the isthmus of
Panama by any modes of communica
| ton that might be constructed, while
| In return our government guaranteed
! the perfect neutrality OF the above
mentioned 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 q substantial property
right carved out of the rights of SOW
ereignty and property which New
Granada then had and possessed over
the said territory. The name of New
Granada has passed away, and its ter
ritory has been divided. Its successor,
\
ed to own any property in the isthmus.
A new republic, that of Panama, which
was Mt one time sovereign state and
at another time a mere department of
the successive considerations known as
! New Granada and Colombia. has now
succeeded to the rights which first one
and then the other formerly exercised
| ;.tI, DIT
istlilnus endures the mere geographical
fact of its existence ana the peculiar
interest therein which is required by
our position perpetuate the solemn con-
4 tract which binds the holders of the
territory to respect our right to freedom
of transit across it and binds us in re-
turn to safeguard for the isthmus and
the world tile exercise Of that ines
Unable privilege. The true interpreted
ton OF the obligations upon which the
United States entered in this treaty of
| 1S46 has been given repeatedly in the
utterances of presidents and secretaries
of state. Secretary Cass in 1858 Off
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, whose
! possessions extend along the Atlantic
and Pacific coasts and demand the
speediest and easiest modes of commu-
nication. While the rights of sovereign
ty of the states occupying this region
should always be respected, we shall
. expect that these rights be exercised
In spirit betting the occasion and
the wants and circumstances that have
arisen. Sovereignty has its duties as
well as its rights, and none of these To-
cal governments, even if administered
with more regard to the just demands
of other nations than they have been,
would be permitted, in spirit Of east
ern isolation, to close the gates of in
ltercourse 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 incumher them with such
4 unjust relations as, would prevent their
| general use.'' -
4 Seven years later, in 1895, Mr.. Seward
in different communications took the
following position: a{l
| 1.-THE United States have taken and
will take no interest in any question Of
internal revolution in the state of Pana-
ma OF any state of the United States
of Colombia, but will maintain per-
feet neutrality in connection with such
domestic alterations. The United
States will nevertheless hold them
selves ready to protect the transit trade
across the isthmus against invasion 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 Pana-
ma imposes an obligation on this gov
eminent to comply with the requisition
[of the president of the United States
of Colombia for force to protect the
isthmus of Panama from body of in
surgents Of that country. The pur-
pose Of the stipulation was to guaran-
tee the isthmus against seizure or in
vasion by foreign power only
Attorney General Speed, under date
Of Nov. Z, 1866, advised Secretary
Seward as follows:
From this treaty it cannot be sup
posed that New Granada invited the
United States to become 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 400 years, ever since shortly aft
er the discovery Of this hemisphere,
the canal across the isthmus has been
planned. For twoscore years it has
been worked at. When made it is
to last for the ages. 1t is to alter the
geography of continent and the trade
routes of the world. We have shown
by every treaty we have negotiated or