Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1903-12-09

solemn
tract which binds the holders of the terri
tory to respect right to freedom Of
transit across it, and binds US In return tc
safeguard for the isthmus and the world
the exercise Of that inestlmable privilege
The true Interpretation of the obligations
upon which the United States entered in
this treaty Of 1916 has been given repeated
ly III the utterances Of Presidents and sec
reta-es OF state. Secretary Cass in 1853 Of
ficially stated the position of this govern
meat as follows:
1.-The progress of events has rendered
the interOceanic route across the narrow
portion Of Central America vastly impor
tant to the commercial world, and espe
clally to the United States, whose posses
sons extend along the Atlantic and Pacific
coasts, and demand the speedcst and easl
est modes Of communication. While the
rights Of sovereignty of the states occupy
ing this region should always be respected
we shall expect that these rights be exer-
cisod in q spirit betting the occasion and
the wants and circumstances that have
arisen. Sovereignty has Its duties as well
as Its rights. and none cl these local gov
ernments, even If administered with more
regard to the just demands of other ma
lions than they have been, would be per-
mitted, In a spirit Of eastern isolation, to
close the gates Of intercourse on the great
highways OF the world and justify the act
by the pretension that these avenues of
trade and travel belong to them and that
they choose to shut them, or, what is al
most equivalent, to cucumber them with
their general USE"
Seven years later, In 1865, Mr. Seward
IN dlnerent communications took the fol
lowing position:
take no interest in any question of internal
revolution In the state Of Panama, or any
state of the United States of Colombia,
but Will maintain perfect neutrality n
connection with such domestic alterations.
The United States will, nevertheless, hold
themselves 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. y
Neither the text nor the spirit of the
stipulation in that article by which the
United States engages to preserve the neu-
trality Of the Isthmus Of Panama, imposes
an obligation on this government to comply
with the requisition [of the President of
the United States of Colombia for force
to protect the Isthmus of Panama from A
body OF insurgents of that country]. The
purpose Of the stipulation was to guarantee
the isthmus against seizure or invasion by
foreign power only"
Attorney General Speed, under date OF
November 7, 1865, advised Secretary Sc
ward as follows:
From this treaty it cannot be supposed
that New Granada invited the United
States to become a party to the Intestine
troubles of that government, nor did the
United States become bound to take sides
In the domestic broifs of New Granada.
The United States did guarantee New Ora
NADIA in the sovereignty and property over
the territory. This was as against other
and foreign governments"
For four hundred years. ever since short
ly after the discovery of this hemisphere,
the canal across the isthmus has been
planned. For two score years it has been
worked at. When made it is to last for
the ages. 1t is to alter the geography OF z
continent and the trade routes of the
world. We have shown by every treaty we
have negotiated or attempted to negotiate
with the people in control Of the isthmus
foreign In
to our consistent good faith in observing
our obligations; the one hand to the
peoples OF the isthmus, and on the other
hand to the civilized world whose CONNER
cial rights we are safeguarding and guar
anteeing by our action. We have done our
duty to others in letter and In spirit, and
we have shown the utmost forbearance il
exacting our own rights.
Reputation of Treaty by Colombia
Last spring, under the act above referred
to, treaty concluded between the repre-
sentatives of the republic of Colombia 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 body of experts APP
pointed by our government especially to go
into the matter of the routes across the
favor of the Panama route In drawing
up this treaty every concession was made
to the people and to the government OF
Colombia We were more than just in
w
such as to make it serious question wheth-
er we had not gone too far in their in
terest 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 much to our protec-
fon and lea har yielded In all
the treaty. Nevertheless the government
Of Colombia not merely repudiated the
treaty, but repudlated it In such manner
IN ol-n r liz
Colombian Congress adjourned that not the
scantiest hope remained of ever getting q
satisfactory treaty from them. The gov
yet when the Colombian Congress was
called to raitfy it the vote against ratifca-
ton was unanimous. 1t does not appear
that the government made any real effort
to secure ratification.
Revolution in Panama.
Immediately after the adjournment of the
Congress revolution broke out In Panama.
The people of Panama had long been dis
contented 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 a matter Of vital con-
Germ. When it became evident that the
treaty was hopelessly lost, the people Of
Panama rose literally as one man. Not Il
shot was fired by a single man on the 18th
mus in the interest OF the Colombian gov
eminent. Not q life was lost In the ac-
complishment Of the revolution. The Co
lOmDl1 troops SCaClOncQ on the lSthmuS,
who had long been unpaid, made common
cause with the people Of Panama, and
with astonishing unanInity the new repub-
lie was started.
Course of United States
The duty of the United States in the
premises was clear. In strict accordance
with the principles 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 arrival of which
would mean chaos and destruction along
the line of the railroad and of the proposed
canal, and an interruption of transit as
an inevitable consequence The de facto
government Of Panama was recognized in
the following telegram to Mr.. Ehrman:
The people of Panama have, by appa-
rently unanimous movement, dissolved their
political connection with the republic OF
Colombia and resumed their Independence.
When you are satisfied that a de facto
government, republican In form and with
out substantial opposition from Its own peo-
pie, has been established In the state Of
Panama, you will enter into relations with
1t as the responsible government of the ter
ritory and look to 1t for all due action to
protect the persons and property Of citizens
Of the United States and to keep open the
isthmian transit, in accordance with the
obligations Of existing treaties governing
the relations Of the United States to that
territory"
lofl t0yo l. t.