The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-11-22
D SUNDAY. NOVEMBER o., 1908.
War and Commercialisln.

g8seSls w al anu S0AlllAA~A
s8$ The Philadelphia Press thinks that
1.-THE Record $ parallel between ne
II Threatened recognition by Great Britain
II Of the Confederacy and the Presidents
4 hosty course In ths Panama affair Is
y Imaginary III THE Record Is pre-
pared to maintain that the Southern
u States had as good reason and good right
{sto secede from the Union as Panama had
* to secede from the United states OF
M COLOMBIA remarks The Press, then IL
II can find some ground for the comparison
" mot otherwise. The goodness or other
wise OF the cause of the Panama seces-
\ sion. however. has nothing to DO with
n The case 1.-THE Record accuses Presi-
& dent Roosevelt of reckless disregard
Ill Of the law Of nations; of having COM
sS mittad and persist!ng In the commission
Sd 81 acts OF war against the Republic OF
II Colombia and Of aiding and abetting her
I enemies Philadelphia Record.
Whether or not President Roosevelt
y actually fomented TIL. revolution In Pan
ANA and gave aid and encouragein
Il to the revolutionists we know not. but It
gis plain, from what the President himself
4 said in the message which he had pra-
n pared for Congress before the revolution
Y at Panama occurred, that he was in a
u frame OF mind to Go that thing.
"It seems evident" said the President.
IA ''that In a matter such as this we should
n finally decide which Is the best route;
8 and If the advantages Of this route over
III any other possible route are sufficiently
I; marked, we should then give notice that
Eve can no longer submit to trifling or
a insincere dealings on the part OF those
whom the accident OF possession has
vi placed In the temporary control OF the
B ground through which the route must
pass; that If they will come to agree
4 ment with US In; straightforward fashion
we Shall In return act not only with Jus
;tlce. but with generosity. and that II
4 they fall to come to such an asree-
4 ment with us, w, must forthwith take
81 the matter into our own hands
The. country has been more or less pre-
8 pared for this pronouncement by lead
ling Republican newspaper. which boldly
1t said soon after tha treaty was rejected
by the Colombian Senate that II we
u could not make terms with Colombia. IT
was our duty TO 60 IN and seize the
Isthmus and build the canal, whether or
not.
3 view, and was prepared to wage a war
Of conquest In defiance Of the Monroe
| doctrine, he proposed by force OF arms
n to seize Panama without the consent Of
the Republic Of Colombia. But, FORUM
ately for the President Panama saved
Is him that trouble: Panama seeded and
set up govern ent ST her own. which
Is was Immediately recognized by the Pres
y idcnt, and as soon as possible thereafter
negotiations were entered into with the
III seeded republic TO construct the canal
81 1,ha President recognized the new repub-
N lie because, from his standpoint, 1t was
II hest to do so. II was to him purely a
III commercial affair, and he dealt with
81 the whole subject as such.
Says the New York Nation:
rat one stroke. however. President
N Roosevelt and Secretary Hay have thrown
Il American principles to the winds and
4 have committed the country to policy
3 which Is ignoh!e beyond words-and for
N what? To; aid struggling peopls? To
II take a stand Tor freedom or for re.
publican institutions? To avert Il danger?
\. NO; but just for handful OF silver;
M tps, for a commercial advantage which
re ought all to spurn II not come by
a honorably,''
No wonder some 0? the Northern news.
q papers have taken the cue from sons
OF the Southern newspapers and drawn
AK 4 parallel between the attitude Of thu
government at Washington towards sc
& ce ssion in 1860 and again In 1908. The
Northern people take great credit Il
themselves for preserving the Union,
ss and. to hear them talk, one would sup
pose that they were moved solely b.
5f patriotism. But everybody knows tina
# the war which the North was,;l agans
,sf and mainly war OF conquest, q wa
Ill Tor empire. q fight for territory,
n struggle for commercial!sm If IL hd
! been in tbs hest commercial interests &
Tie North for The South TO secede. III
North would have told the South to L
In peace. The South was not trying /
nv destroy the United States OF Amarle;
The South did not propose TO interior
s. With the Federal government. The State
OF the Confederacy simply exercised thei
81 constitutional right 10 Withdraw fror
the Union, and. II they had been lei
" alone, never would rhey have popped
cap al tie Federal government,
4 But as a business proposition, it VIC
9 bad thing for the North TO have II
5s Eouth SO out, At that time the sout
NJ was purely an agricultural section, an
engaged very !iule % manufacturing n
s$i oustrLss. She raised COTTON for til
mills OF New England The raw cotto
IN was sent North TO be manufactured
wht,s this South purchased nearly q
OF her "stoye goods" from the North ST
was TOO valuable a customer 10 tur
St toose without 3 struggle