Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1903-11-12

Washington, Nov. 7.-Secretary
Hays statement regarding affairs on
the isthmus was made public last
night.
The action of the president in the
Panama matter is not only in strict
accordance with the principles of JUS
tice and equity, and in line with all
the best precedents of our public pot.
icy, but it was the only course he could
have taken in compliance with our
treaty rights and obligations says Mr..
Hay. He then quotes from the treaty
entered into with New Granada in
1916, showing that New Granada guar
anteed that the right OF way or transit
across the isthmus should be free aud
open TO the government and citizens of
the United States, also that this was
given upon the guarantee OF the Unit.
ed States to maintain the neutrality OF
the isthmus so that free transit might
not be interrupted or embarrassed in
any future time while this treaty eX.
lists" Secretary Hay also quotes from
the message of President polk settling
henceforth the close connection be-
tween the two governments and point
ing out the advantages to the United
States trade likely to result from the
guarantees provided tor in the treaty
The control, in the interest OF the
commerce and traffic OF the whole civil.
lied world, Of the means OF undisturb.
ed transit across the isthmus of Pana.
ma" says the secretary, has become
of transcendent Importance to the
United States The right to this con,
troll we have never forfeited by any
laXity of our own either in assertion of
our rights, or in performance of our
duty under the treaty. The United
States has not only constantly pro-
tected Colombia from foreign invasion
on the strength of the rights and du-
ties created by the treaty of 1886 but
has time and again interviewed to pre-
serve the freedom of traffic from dis
turbance in the course of domestt
dissentions. In these cases we have
intervened sometimes at the sugges.
ton OF Colombia. sometimes on our
own impression of the necessities OF
the case but always to the profit of
Colombia as well as of universal com.
MERGE" ,Isil
1T is too clear for discussion that
when at the repeated solicitation OF
the government of Colombia, a treaty
was entered into between that govern
ment and the United States for carry.
ing into effect that long-oonsidered
plan of canal across the isthmus, TO
be owned and controlled by the gov
eminent of the United States, it was
no new proposition that was being
adopted but rather the carrying out or
long cherished plan of both coun-
tries and the assertion OF the right
which had been long since conceded in
principle by the government OF Colon.
bia"
Hay here speaks of the congressional
authorization for building the canal,
the large bonus offered, the liberal
lease and numberess benefits that
would accrue 10 Colombia" The
treaty was promptly ratified by the
senate of the United States and reject.
ed unanimously and without consider
alton by that of Colombia" THE
president" he says, " directed our rep
resentative at Panama, as soon as he
was certain government capable OF
maintaining public peace had been es.
tablished by the consent of the people,
that he was to enter into official rela.
tons with it, He also directed our
minister in Bogota to inform the Col
ombian government that we had en-
tered into relations with the new pro.
visional government OF Panama"
NO palmer duty" he says, "was
aver imposed upon a chief of state
than that which resulted upon the
president of the United States in the
interest of the isthmus, the people of
Colombia, the people of the United
States and the commerce of the world.
To preserve for the benefit of all the
free transit over the isthmus and to DO
all that lay in his power to bring pei
manent peace TO its people