The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-11-26
THE NEW EXPANSION.

The Democrats propose to make
Presidential issue of Panama, alleging
that the new republic is the fruit or
a. conspiracy of which the United
States was the party of the first part
A similar charge, i. will be remem-
bered. was made about the revolution
of 1893 in these Islands; but when Con-
gress called for the papers in the case
there was no proof found of any active
partieipancy by the United States in
the events which led up to the de-
tfronement of the Queen. Marines
were landed to protect property as
they had been at Alexandria in 1882
and as they were the other day in San
Domingo; but Congress was unable to
fix the blame of the Hawaiian revolu-
ton upon them or upon the Govern
1nent behind them. We believe it will
be the same way with Panama. AT
least week ago Congress called for
the papers in the case and if any
thing discriminating had been found
the world would have heard from it
before this. What viii probably de-
yelop is that the people of Panama.
exasperated at the unwfilingness of the
Colombian government to give them
the canal upon which their prosperity
szsa,zov, 81 T. 400 r,i1ad q ravolrtiop on
prising the United States envoy or con-
suls of their intent. whereupon the
United States started it's fleet that
way and prepared to take full adj
vantage of the crisis as soon as a
lawful government could be formed
which would give a canal treaty in
return for recognition. So far it act
ed in strict accord with International
law; and when it went further and
prepared to protect the Panama re-
public from Colombian assault it did
SO under the terms of old but still
vital treaties with the government of
New Granada, the one which that of
Colombia succeeded.
States seems impregnable, admitting
If we choose, that the revolutionists
played directly into American hands
1t cannot be proved, however, that
Americans guided them in that course
Panama began the trouble when the
canal treaty was under debate at Bo-
gotta. Said General Pedro del Ospina,
a Senator, 81 warn you not to carry
too far your policy of oppression.
Remember that the Government is not
in possession of all the arms that were
used against 1t in the late rebellion
Panama took the revolutionary stand
as soon as the defeat of the canal
treaty became final. She shook the
tree and the pear fell where she ap-
parently wanted it to fall, into the
lap of the United States.
OF course the Democrats are doing
their best to discredit American good
faith in the matter, but in doing so
they merely discredit their own record
as a party. If there was ever party
of Imperialism, expansion run to ex-
tremes, it is the Democratic-the par
ty of the Ostend Manifesto against
Cuba; the party of the Texas seizure,
a case where all the Democratic char
ges against the Republicans in the
Panama affair were realized on a vast
scale; the party which invaded and
practically conquered California be-
fore a declaration of war with Mex
leo. For fifty years, service to ma
tional expansion was the boast of the
Democracy. How is it that expansion
at Republican hands-the kind that is
clean of fraud and conquest-has now
become a crime?