Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-12-18
5sTH CONGRESS.
CONTINUED from page -

~ SSCh ~ PAONC Ny Oil cfloChSS ~ S-
that of his own character that he had
had nothing to do with any indirec-
ton or artifice. But he decided other
wise. and having decided otherwise,
suppose he will like to have the imper-
feet evidence afforded by the commu-
nication to the House of representa-
tives and by the message at the begin
ming of the present session made COM
plete and whatever is lacking to COM
plete and was told charges which have
been made in the press supplied.
Now, Mr.. President. as the matter
stands on the information to the House,
the shores of Colombia were oatrolled
by armed vessels of the United States
in order that that government-the
government of the country-should not
take any steps to prevent it.
1T does not appear in that docu-
ment where or from whom our admin
istration secured the information that
led to these orders.
According to the documents sent to
the House by the President, the first
tidings Of any revolution came either
from Panama or Colon, of any expect
ed revolution, came November of the
day the revolution happened. AS the
statement is now left in the official
communication to Congress, this rev.
olution was known at Washington be-
fore it was known on the isthmus. All
our government by it's own statement,
seems to have done in it's anxiety that
transit should not be disturbed was not
to take measures that violence should
not occur, but to take measures that
violence should not be prevented. 1t
performed its duty of keeping uninter-
rupted the transit across the isthmus
only by interrupting it itself-inter-
rupting it itself in it's most sacred and
rightful use that of the lawful gov
eminent of the country moving its own
troops over it's own territory that it
might prevent breach of it's peace
and an unlawful revolution against it's
authorities.
MIR. President, is there any doubt
that, as now standing unexplained, this
was an act of war?
Colombia was friendly nation. She
owned that territory. We have adj
mitted all that by receiving a minister
| from her and sending minister to her
and negotiating with her for pur-
chase of her rights.
rs not this an act of war upon a
friendly, though weak nation, as it
stands in these imperfect documents
Suppose under the Pauncefote treaty,
where Great Britain guarantees the
neutrality of the canal, she were to
send an armed force to keep us off
when we were sending our troops in a
ship to do the same thing? Should
| 10 doh fI,D
foreign Office Mr.. Adams simple and
sublime sentence: 1T is superfluous to
observe to your lordship that this is
war;
do you think it well to proclaim to
the sixteen republics at the south that
| if they are weak, or even if they are
liable to frequent revolution we will
deal with them hereafter, if we fancy
it for our interest as we are charged
with having dealt with Colombia?
| "Are we willing to say that if this
revolution had not happened we meant
to take that strip of territory by the
strong hand and to pay Colombia what
we should think proper damages? Do
you claim that every South American
nation holds it's property subject to
our right of eminent domain? Is this
| doctrine of eminent domain, of which
we have heard so much likely to help
us to get the coveted market of South
America or to make them like us bet
| ter as customers or producers.
think, Mr.. President, that we ought to
have and that we ought to have now,
and if this resolution be adopted we
shall have, the authoritative declara-
1,1y No ,r fIo vy,ito I
States and Congress which will COM
pose and forever put an end to these
fears, whether they exist at home or
abroad.
IF this be our polity and if it go
on. if any disaster come to the great
republic which Heaven avert-and
our country shall perish she will be
mourned only by despoilers, and her
overthrow will be hailed with exulta-
ton and triumph by every people in
the Western hemisphere from the
Arctic ocean to Cape Horn"
Hoar then addressed the Senate on
his resolution calling upon the Presi
dent for such information as may be
in his possession relative to the status
of the republic of Panama when the
treaty with that country was negoti-
ated. He said that nc man in the
country desired more eagerly than
himself to support the administration
and act with his party association in
the Senate chamber. He was fairly dis
posed to the isthmus canal and more
over he was anxious that the con-
struction of the canal should be ac-
complished in his lifetime and by the
Republican party. He was also de-
sirous that the President of the United
States should build the great water
way. But, anxious as he was for the
accomplishment of all these ends, he
was even more anxious that the canal
should be built without faint or sus-
picion of national dishonor."
What we want to know is" he said,
did this government, knowing that a
revolution was about to take place, so
arrange matters that the revolution,
whether peaceable or otherwise, should
be permitted to go on without inter-
ruption, and whether our national au-
thorities took measures to prevent Co
lombia from stopping it,
Continuing, Hoar said that it was
no justification of our course to say
Colombia had failed to ratify the
treaty for the construction of the Pan