The Saint Paul globe., 1903-08-24
MONDAY, AUGUST 24,' 1908.
THE COUNTRY WILL NOT STAND

Ever since it became manifest that
there would be delay and possibly de-
feat of the effort to secure a conces-
sion from Colombia for the Panama
canal, there has been frank discussion
In the Republican press of the posi-
bility and propriety of seizing the strip
of territory required by force. Some
times the iniquitous proposition has
been put thus badly, sometimes it has
been disguised in the shape of an ''ul-
tfmatum" which it is suggested that
we might present to Colombia. In
either case the idea is the same; that
the United States should exercise it's
undoubted physical power to coerce a
weaker state into compliance with any
demands that it may see fit to make.
What progress along the un-Ameri-
can path of imperialism we have
made! Ten years ago no man or news
paper of repute would have dared to
father such an idea unless for the pur-
pose of creating a mere temporary
sensation. Ten years ago the land
would have run with the shame of it,
and every government in the world
would have been taking anxious note
of our departure from the precedents
and the principles by adherence to
which we have grown great and re-
manned free. Today no one thinks the
matter Of serious note or senses the
shame of it. So swiftly have we grown
away from our conception of the rights
of free peoples everywhere, and sub
stituted therefor the gospel of force.
The downward path that we have
trod is plain and the marks along it are
but Of yesterday. There was the dis
graceful strategy by which we became
possessed of Hawaii; a possession
which is acknowledged today to be of
not the slightest national value except
for naval purposes, for which it was
as freely available to us before as since
annexation. There was the monument
al crime of our policy in the Philip
pines; whereby, instead of adding an
other to the list of f-governed peo-
pies, we have gained a troublesome
colony and lost our ancient honor. A
nation cannot do these things and not
suffer in its repute abroad and in it's
own consciousness of right or wrong
Wherefore it is that no foreigner is
surprised and no American shocked by
this talk about "seizing the isthmus."
Perhaps it needs a proposal such as
this to make our people realize the
enormity of past mistakes and the in
evitable goal of the road on which they
have been travelling. Perhaps this will
be the point where they are to be
drawn up short on the edge of an
abyss. For if we apply one ounce of
consraint to any other state on this
continent, be the pretext a canal con-
cession or some other, we shall have
be no pause until by force or fraud by
purchase or by conquest, we shall have
destroyed every other American state;
and initiate decadent Rome, with our
central despotism and our fringe Of
provinces to which we neither dare
give independence nor the rights that
our own citizens enjoy.
The very discussion that has arisen,
without prompt expression of rejec-
tion by our government and our peo,-
pie, is capable of infinite harm Ever
since the Spanish war and the dealings
with it's territorial prizes the peoples
of other states upon this continent
have regarded us with a jealous and
fearful eye. 1t is not pleasant to know
that your neighbor. though delight
full fellow, broke into a weaker mans
house and now has its valuabfes stored