The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-01-12

Washington, January 7.-Ar. Nor
gan occupied the time on h Senate to-
day in a reply to the speech OF Mr..
Lodge delivered last Tuesday. Mr..
Morgan again criticised the President
and the attitude OF this government in
connection with the Panama republic
Columbia still has some rights un-
der the laws of nations" said Mr..
Morgan. She is 100000 strong. She
HAS an area larger han that OF the
state of Indiana. She Is recognized by
all governments. including the United
States. as a free sovereign power. She
is the mother government Of Panama.
and according to Mr.. Bunau-Varilla
the Panama minister. we are neither
the father or the mother OF this new
republic. Colombia has the right un-
der the laws OF nations to consider
that recognition as premature and an
act of war. Whether Colombia 0oes
declare it to be an act Of war is an
other matter. The third power is ike
~ to be led into premature recognition.
unless affected by some private n
fts-until the mother country has ac-
knowledged the cessation OF it's sover-
elgnty-just as Great Britain proclaim
ed our independence before the close
of our war with hat country"
Mr.. Spooner asked il he had under
stood rightly that we could no lawful
Il, ~ @ N do pnntn OnU
until Colombia had relinQuish-
ed sovereignty.
Nr. Morgan stated that Colombia had
the right to consider recognition under
other circumstances as premature and
an act Of war.
And 1 am compelled to say" said
Mr.. Morgan, that tomorrow II the
United States government hould with
draw it's feet and marines from the
isthmus or confine their operations to
the protection OF the railroad and to the
passage across the isthmus, Colombia
would march in and capture those eight
men who organized the Panama gov
eminent, and drive them and their fol-
lowing of foreigners, negroes. and Chi
namen from the isthmus. Under such
conditions the position or he United
States would have been honorable. dig
nfied and wholly consistent VIII her
rights under the reaty OF 1916"
Mt. Morgan put into the record a
large number of letters, written by
correspondents of many large neIspe-
pers. which he said, gave the acts con-
cernfns the overturning OF the Colon
hian government on the isthmus. and
which are not disputed except by the
President in his two messages TO the
Congress. Many Of these articles were
described, particularly the references
10 Csolonel Black, who is alleged to have
raised the first Panama flag on the 18TH
mus, and to Consul Ehrmann who Is
alleged to have made the arrangements
Tor the raising Of money to buy the
~peaceful withdrawal OF Colonel Torres
and his Colombian troops.
ar. Culberson asked if the charge
that Mr.. Ehrmann had supplied the
none to aid in bringing about the
withdrawal OF h troops was support
I'd by the papers inserted in Mr.. Nor
gan's speech.
Mr.. Morgan said this was I'm the
napers. and thai h did not pretend
In say whether or not it was true.
Mr. Spooner wanted to know il Mr..
Morgan questioned the action of the
representatives of the United states
In warning the Colombian gunboat Bo-
gotta from bombarding Panama, in view
NJ the fact that the bcmbardment was
being without the time warning re-
auired by the rules governing interna-
tional warfare.
Mr. Morgan maintained that the
Bogota was warned away, not because
a violation Of International rules Of war
had beer made, but she was warned
not TO make any bombardment at any
time. This fact, he said, made the
United States a belligerent with Pana-
ma against Colombia This attitude
was continued by our forbidding Gen
eral Torres and his force to go from
rolon to Panama on the railroad or
any other road.
These acts of hostility and defiance
were In violation of the statute laws of
the United States" he said
Replying to a question from Mr..
OuarIes as to the source Of his informa-
tion as 70 happenings in the Colombian
Congress MI. Morgan caustically re-
marked that he had no specific infor-
NATION. When the venerable Senator
from MASSACHUSETTS,, NA- 11OoA' Ado ~
troduced a resolution calling for facts
the President had taken advantage OF
his position and sent a message to Con-
eress in answer to that resolution, and
7 think that is the only answer we are
ever to get, he concluded.
an. Morgan criticised the dealings
between this government and the Pan
anna Canal Company.
- - -4s6 shnxra - 49, 49,