The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1903-12-11

extraordinary request is that which has
just been received and which runs as fol-
lows:
COIOmbia's Latest Propositions.
Knowing that revolution has already
lombian] says that if the government Of
the United States will land troops to pre-
serve Colombian sovereignty, and the
transit, if requested by Colombian charge
d affaires, this government will declare
martial law; and, by virtue of vested con-
stitutional authority, when public order
ratification of the canal treaty as signed;
or, if the government of the United States
prefers, Will call extra session of the con-
gress-with new and friendly members
next May to approve the treaty. IAN emf
nent Colombianl has the perfect confidence
of vice president, he says, and if it became
representative there to adjust matters
along above lines to the satisfaction of
the people there
This dispatch is noteworthy from two
standpoints. Its offer Of Immediately
guaranteeing the treaty to US is in sharp
contrast with the positive and contempt
closed its sessions to consider favorably
such a treaty; it shows that the govern
ment which made the treaty really had alb
solute control over the situation but did
not choose to exercise this control The
dispatch further calls on us to restore or
der and secure Colombian supremacy in
eminent has just by it's action decided to
bar us by preventing the construction of
the canal.
Important to Us.
The control, in the interest of the COM
merce and traffic of the whole civilized
world, of the means of undisturbed
transit across the isthmus of Panama
has become of tranScendent Importance
to the United States. We have repeated
ly exercised this control by Intervening
in the course of domestic dissension and
by protecting the territory from foreign
invasion. In 1858 Mr.. Everett assured the
Peruvian minister that we should not
hesitate to maintain the neutrality of the
isthmus in the case of war between Peru
and Colombia. In 1864 Colombia, which
has always been vigilant to avail itself
expressed its expectation that in the
event of war between Peru and Spain
the United States would carry into eff
feet the guaranty of neutrality. There
have been few administrations of the
state department. in which this treaty
has not, either by the one side or the
other, been used as a basis of more or
less important demands. 1t was said by
Mr.. Fish in 1871 that the department of
state had reason to believe that an at
tack upon Colombian sovereignty on the
isthmus had, on several occasions, been
averted by warning from this govern
ment. In 1886, when Colombia was under
the Cerruti case, Mr.. Bayard expressed
the serious concern that the United
States could not but feel that a Euro
pean power should resort to force against
sister republic of this hemisphere, as
to the sovereign and uninterrupted use of
part of whose territory we are guar
antors under the solemn faith of a treaty.
The above recital of facts establishes
beyond question: First, that the United
States has for over half century pa
tiently and in good faith carried out it's
obligations under the treaty of 1916; sec
ond, that when for the first time it be-
came possible for Colombia to do any,
thing in reQuital of the services thus re-
peatedly rendered to it for 81 years by
the United States. the Colombian gov
eminent peremptorily and Extensively re-
fused thus to do it's part, even though
to do SO would have been to it's advan-
tage and UNNECESSARILY to the advantage
of the state of Panama, at that time un-
der its jurisdiction: third, that through
out this period revolutions, riots, and
factional disturbances of every kind have
occurred one after the other in almost
uninterrupted succession some of them
lasting for months and even for years,
while the central government was unable
to put them down or to make peace with
the rebels: fourth, that these disturb
ances instead of showing any sign of
abating have tended to grow more
numerous and more serious in the imme-
date past; fifth, that the control of
Colombia over the Isthmus of Panama
could not be maintained without the
armed Intervention and assistance of the
United States. In other words, the gov
eminent of Colombia, though wholly I'M
able to maintain order on the isthmus,
has nevertheless declined to rasify a
treaty the conclusion of which opened
the only chance to secure it's own stabil-
1ty and to guarantee permanent peace
on, and the construction of a canal
across, the isthmus.
Under such circumstances the govern
ment of the United States would have been
guilty of folly and weakness, amounting
in their sum to crime against the nation,
had it acted otherwise than it did when
the revolution of November 3 last took
PLACE in Panama. This great enterprise Of
building the interoceanic canal cannot be
held up to crafty the whims, or out of
respect to the governmental impotence,
or TO the even more sinister and evil polit-
zeal peculiar1ties, of people who, though
they dwell afar off, yet against the wish
of the actual jewellers on the istEmus, as
sert an unreal supremacy over the terri
tory. The possession of a territory fraught
with such peculiar capacities as the 18TH
mus in question carries with it obligations
to mankind. The course of events has
shown that this canal cannot be built by
private enterprise, or by any other nation
than our own; therefore it must be built
by the United States.
Provisions of Panama Treaty.
Every effort has been made by the gov
eminent of the United States to persuade
Colombia to follow course which was
essentially not only to our interests and
terests of Colombia itself These efforts
have failed; and Colombia, by her persist
ence in repulSing the advances that have
been made, has forced us, for the sake of
our own honor, and of the interest and
well being, not merely Of our own people,
but of the people of the isthmus of PAN
anna and the people of the civilized coun-
tries of the world, to take decisive steps
to bring to an end condition of affairs
which had become intolerf Die. The new
republic of Panama Immediately offered to
negotiate treaty with US. This treaty
herewith submit BY 1t our interests are
better safeguarded than in the treaty with
Colombia which was ratified by the SEN
ate at its last session. 1t Is better in it's
terms than the treaties offered to us by the
republics of Nicaragua and Costa Rica
At last the right to begin this great under
taking is made available. Panama has
done her part. All that remains is for the
American congress to do its part and forth
with this republic will enter upon the exc
cuton of project colossal in it's size and
of well-nigh incalculable possibilities for
the good of this country and the nations
of mankind.
BY the provisions of the treaty the United
States guarantees and will maintain the
independence of the republic of Panama.
There is granted to the United States in
perpetuity the use, occupation and control
of strip ten miles wide ana extending
three nautical miles into the sea at either
terminal, with all lands lying outside of
the zone necessary for the construction of
the canal or for it's auxiliary works, and
with the islands in the bay of Panama
The cities of Panama and Colon are not