Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-20
TROUBLE WITH CANAL.
Senator Morgan Says Construction
Without Treaty is Dangerous.

The New York Herald this morning prints
an interview with Senator John T. Morgan
OF Alabama on the burning question of the
ccnstitutionality OF constructing the PAN
anna canal without the formality of a rat
flied treaty with Colombia.
The Herald's report says:
DO you credit" Senator Morgan was
asked. 1.-THE report or suggestion that Inc
President is prepared to accept the ratifica-
ton of the treaty with Colombia by the de-
cree of President Marroquin II the congress
of that country should fail or refuse to
ratify it?''
Il can give no credit to any such stale
ment or surmise.' replied the senator.
such an act would be vain and reckless
invasion Of the Constitution and would
place the President in open antagonism to
the Senate and the people. 1t would be an
attempt TO change the terms and provisions
of treaty which the Senate has ratified
by the act of the executive These proyis-
ions OF the treaty forbid such a proceed
ing:
ARTICLE XIV. The government of the
United States binds itself to pay Colombia
the sum of ten million dollars in gold coin
of the United States on the exchange of
the Publications of this convention. after
its approval according to the laws of the
respective countries.
AIticie ANVIL ms convention. when
signed by the contracting parties. shall be
ratified according to the laws of the re-
spective countries and shall be exchanged
at Washington within a term of eight
months from this date January % 1902
or earlier If possible
THE constitution of Colombia requires
that such treaties shall be ratified by the
vote of each house of congress-" Mr. Nor
gan cont. Led. Safer guards than these
could not be provided against the ratifica-
ton of treaty by the mere decree of a
president of Colombia.
Unless this treaty Is ratified, without
amendment. and receives the vote of a ma
Jor1ty of each house of the congress of
Colombia, in good faith and without coer-
cion, it will never become the supreme law
of the United States
What is the ground for the opinion or
attitude recently attributed to the President
that Colombia is under some peculiar obi
cation to ratify this treaty. and that 1t will
be insisted upon being the just and
equitable right Of the United States?" was
asked.
II do not know of any reason or ground
for so absurd an attitude" Mr. Morgan re-
piled, land do not believe the President
has ever said or intimated such a thing It
Is Of apiece with the other absurdity, that
we will seize upon Panama If the treaty Is
not ratified
THE only claim we could have on Mar
roquin. to demand his utmost exertion In
favor of the ratification of the treaty, is the
fact asserted in the dispatches of Rear Ad-
miral Casey that the presence of our ships
and marines In Panama in 1902 prevented
the rebels from capturing Panama.
I'VE sent ships and marines to Panama
to protect the transit of commerce across
the isthmus. in accordance with our alleged
treaty rights If their presence saved the
department of Panama to Colombia that
fact gave us no special claims on Mario
Quin or the government of Colombia as to
future canal privileges. If we only did our
duty we did not thereby create any special
claim on Colombia.
III there was any understanding that we
should assist Marroquin in suppressing in
surrection In Panama, that he might there
by be enabled to assemble congress to
ratify treaty that was then in process o.
negotiation. that fact has never been com.
munica ted to the Senate. If such an under
standing exists. 1t could not hamper the
independence of the congress of Colombia
in their action on the treaty.
I'm all honor. that congress must be free
20 act for the rights and welfare OF Colon.
|. bia. without constraint or influence by the
United States, and such Is the sentiment OF
the Senate and people of the United States
II do not believe that we have any Pc
culiar claims on Colombia that would JUS
tify any assertion of right on our part tC
demand of her congress anything but q
fair, candid, honest and sincere course witt
reference to the ratification of the pending
treaty. The difficulties we will encounter in
our execution of the terms of this treaty
il it ever becomes the supreme law. are
quite sufficient to require of us the exhibi-
ton of a fair and generous spirit toward
Colombia in the beginning.
ratification of the treaty win only result
In sowing larger crop OF 'cockatrice.s
eggs In a soil that is already dangerously
full of unavoidable evils"