Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1903-12-15

| tive. as l am enabled to lay before the
senate treaty providing for the building
OF the canal across the Isthmus Of Panama.
rms was the route which comraended itself
TO the deliberate Judgment of the Congress,
ana we can now acquire by treaty the right
TO construct the canal over this route. The
quesuon now, therefore, is not by which
route the isthnian canal shall be built, for
that question has been definitely and ire
vocaDly decided. The question is simply
whether or not we shall have an isthmian
i canal
When the Congress directed that we
should take the Panama route under treaty
with Colombia, the essence of the condi-
ton, of course, referred not to the Govern
ment which controlled that route but to
the route ITSELF to the territory across
which the route lay, not to the name which
| for the moment the territory bore on the
map The purpose of the law was to author
| ize the President to make treaty with the
| power In actual control of the isthmus of
Panama This purpose has been fulfilled.
In the year 1916 this Government en-
! tered into treaty with New Granada, the
predecessor upon the Isthmus of the Re
public OF Colombia and of the present Re
public of Panama, by which treaty IT was
provided that the Government and citizens
OF the United States should always have
Tree and open right of way or transit across
the lstnmus of Panama by any modes of
communication that might be constructed
Wnlle IN return our Government guaranteed
the perfect neutrality of the aboye-men-
TONED lsthmus with the view that the
Tree transit from the one to the other sea
might not be interrupted or embarrassed
me treaty vested In the United States a
substantial property right carved out Of
the rights of sovereignty and property
wnlcn New Granada then had and pos
sessed over the said territory. The name
or New Granada has passed away and it's
territory has been divided. Its successor,
the Government of Colombia, has ceased
10 own any property In the Isthmus. new
Republic, that of Panama which was at
one time sovereign State, and at another
time a mere department Of the successive
conversations known as New Granada and
SoiomDla, has now succeeded to the rights
wnlch hEst one and then the other formerly
exercised over the IstEmus. But as long
as the lsthmus endures. the mere geograph-
teal fact of its existence and the peculiar
interest therein which Is required by orr
position, perpetuate the solemn contract
which binds the holders of the territory 10
respect our right to freedom of transit
across 1t, and binds us in return to safe
guard for the Isthmus and the world the
exercise OF that inestlmable privilege The
true interpretation Of the obligation upon
winch the United States entered in this
treaty of 1916 has been given repeatedly
in the utterances Of Presidents and Secre
taries of State. Secretary Cass in 1858 Of
nearly stated the position of this Govern
ment as follows:
The progress of events has rendered the
lnteroceanlc route across the narrow portion
OF central America vastly important to the
commercial world, and especially to the
extend
along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. and
demand the speedlest and easiest modes of
communication. While the rights of SOW
erelgnty OF the States occupying this region
should always be respected, we shall ex-
pect that these rights be exercised in
spirit betting the occasion and the wants
and circumstances that have arisen Sow
ereignty has its duties as we'll as its
rights, and none of these local govern
ments, even If administered with more re-
gard to the just demands of other ma
tions than they have been, would be per-
mltted, in spirit of Eastern isolation TO
close the gates of intercourse on the great
highways of the world, and justify the act
by the pretenslon that these avenues of
trade and travel belong to them and that
tney choose to shut them, or, what Is al
most equivalent, to cucumber them with
such unjust relations as would prevent
their general USE"
Seven years later. in 1865. Mr.. Seward in
different communications took the following
position:
The United States have taken and will
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 In
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.
Neither the text nor the spirit of the stip-
States engages to preserve the neutrality
OF the lsthmus of Panama, imposes an OBJ
legation 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 body
OF insurgents of that country The pur-
pose of the stipulation was to guarantee
the 1sthumS against seizure or invasion by
foreign power only"
Attorney General Speed, under date Aof
November Z, 1865, advised Secretary Seward
as follows:
From this treaty 1t can not 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 four hundred years, ever since shortly
after the discovery of this hemisphere the
canal across the Isthmus has been planned.
For two score years 1t has been worked at.
When made 1t 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 attempted to negotiate with the peoples
in control of the Isthmus and with for
eign nations in reference thereto our con-
sistent 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 commercial rights
we are safeguarding and guaranteeing by
our action. We have done our duty to 9th
ers in letter and in spirit, and we have
shown the utmost forbearance in exacting
our own rights.
Last spring, under the act above referred
to, Il treaty concluded between the repre-
sentatives of the Republic of Colombia and
of our Government was ratified by the Sen
ate. This treaty was entered into at the
urgent solicitation Of the people of Colon
bia and after body of experts appointed
oaflf al into he
matter of the routes across the Isthmus had
pronounced unanimously In 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 dealing with them.
Our generosity was such as TO make 1t a
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 even to the fancied rights of our
to OFF protection and forbeafance, we yield
ed e all possible ways e her desires In
Government Of Colombia not merely re-
pudiated the treaty, but repudiated 1t In.
such manner as to make 1t evident by the
time the Colombian Congress adjourned that
not the scantiest hope remained OF ever get |
ting a satisfactory treaty from them. The
Government of Colombia made the treaty |
sn6 yet when the Colombian Congress was
called TO ratify 1t the vote against ratif-
cation 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 a revolution broke out in |
Panama The people of Panama had long
been discontinued with the Republic of Co |
lombia and they had been kept quiet only |
by the prospect of the conclusion OF the |
treaty, which was to them a matter Of VI |
tai concern. When II became evident that |
the treaty was hopelessly lost, the people |
of Panama rose literally as one man. Not |
a shot was fired by single man on the |
Isthmus in the interest of the Colombian |
Government. Not a life was lost In the |
accomplishment Of the revolution. The Co |
lombian troops stationed on the Isthmus, |
who had long been unpaid, made common |
cause with the people of Panama. and |
with astonishing unanimity the new Repub- |
lie was started. The duty Of .a- United |
States in the premises was Gear. In strict |
accordance with the principles laid down |
BY Secretaries Cass and Seward In the Of !
fetal documents above Quoted. the Upited |
States gave notice that It would perm, the |
1taF-