The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-11-26
New York Mail and Express.


The revolution on the isthmus and
the declaration of Panama's indie
pendence seem to be regarded as a
new outbreak against the Colombian
government, but they are really only
a fresh development of the revolution
which has been going on in the re-
public for the past four years and has
cost the lives Of over hundred thou
sand men.
Panama was always the stronghold
Of the liberals--the revolutionists-
and when Generals Uribe-Uribe and
Herrera, the revolutionary leaders,
surrendered and formally signed trea-
ties of peace with the Bogota govern
ment, guerrilla bands still held out in
the interior of the department, defy
Ing the governor of Panama. Those
bands have never been conquered,
and martial law still rules over
large part of the republic. The rejec-
ton of the canal treaty by the con-
gress at Bogota stirred up the latent
resentment of the wealthy Pana-
maians. and they have doubtless
brought the guerrillas to town and
put up the money necessary to fan
the Pickering embers of the old revo-
luton into a grand movement for in
dependence. That Is the situation in
a nutshell.
The Panamaians and the Colon
bans have always hated one another,
but the events of recent years
have made their mutual hatred more
said that the rest of Colombia has
used Panama as a sort Of mich COW,
and that the Panamaians object to
being MIXED. That is true, but 1t is
only small part of the truth. The
real point of difference is that the
sive, while the Colombians are con-
servative and reactionary. AS in most
Latin-Amerioan countries, the burn
ing issue Is clericalism.
Anti-Clerical Feeling.
The conservatives, who have been
In power at Bogota for many years,
are the clerical party, dominated en-
tirely by the priests. The Panamaians,
tho mostly good Catholics, are bitter
ly anti-olerical and contend that the
clerical government has ruined the
country by it's unenlghtened and
retrograde policy.
Mutual Contempt and Hatred.
The Colombians do not regard the
Panamaians as belonging to their ma
ton at all. They call them grin
gos' and "heretics,'' as they would
call Americans and Englishmen. Nat
urally, the fratricidaI strife Of the pas
four years has bitterly intensified the
mutual contempt and hatred which
have existed, more or less, ever since
the republic was formed. The, Bo.
gotta government will never let thu
isthnnus go without. a severe struggle
It Is the best asset of a country ru
ined by Encouragement and perpetua
civil war.
What Is the leading industry O.
Colombia" an American visitor t.
Panama once asked,
Revolution" a quick-witted Co
1ombian replied.
So it is Revolution there is thu
lifelong trade Of many men, DR.. Ra
public, denounced it as "a profes
sion" There have been many othe
terrible civil wars besides the last, O.
the present, one. The revolution
1885 destroyed Colon. and would hav
led to the destruction of Panama fa'
1t not been for the opportune arriva
of American and British warships.
1t is the fashion to regard Latin
American revolutions as opera-bouff
affairs, but those who have seen then
as the writer has, cannot cherish tina
pleasant delusion. In Colombia espe
cially, the opposing factions fight i
grimmest earnest. Quarter Is rarel
asked and more seldom given.
During the earlier stage of the pres
ent revolution about fifty young Pana
maians defended a fortified camp /
the mountains for over mont
against a force Of nearly thousan
Colombians When at last they wer
forced by starvation to surrender, onl
a, few emaciated men, who could hard
" crawl, were found alive.
"And what did you do with them !
the writer asked the general who toll
the story. ,
"Do with them?' he repeated.
amazement. What should we d
with them, my friends? They. wer
rebels. We propped them up again:
Il trees and-pouf!-w shot. them
He was an educated, refined Colon
bian gentleman, who had lived a goo
mart of his life in the United States
IF America, not Colombia. Dedut
what the average ignorant bruta
haIf-Indian Colombian is like In tin
of war.
Atrocities on the IstImus.
J. r. Ford, the vice president al
general manager of the Cartager
railroad who knows Colombia as we
as any foreigner. said to the writer:
IF the civilized world knew VIII
has been going on, and is still go1l
on. in this unhappy country, the
would be a. universal feeling of horr'
and Indignation far greater than "