The Savannah morning news., 1904-01-08
WERE TOO HASTY
UNITED STATES SHOULD NOT HAVE
RECOGNIZED PANAMA.
so SENATOR MORGAN SAYS.
RIGHTS OF COLOMBIA WE'RE
TRAMPLED IN THE DUST.

Not Until Colombia Had Yielded
Sovereignty over Panama, Sena-
tor Morgan Held, Did the United
states Have the Right to RecOg-
niEe the Independence of the 18TH
mus-His Replies 10 Queries of the
Republicans.
Washington, Jan. 7.-Mr. Morgan oc-
cupied the time of the 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 connec-
ton with the Panama republic.
Colombia still has some rights I'M
der the laws of nations" said Mr.. Nor
gan. "She is 100000 strong. She has
an area larger than 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.. BunauVarilla,
the Panama minister, we are neither
the father nor the mother of this new
republic. Colombia has the right I'M
der the laws of nations to consider that
recognition as premature and an act of
war. Whether Colombia does declare
it to be an act of war is another mat
ter. The third power is not likely to
be led into premature recognition I'M
less affected by some private benefits
until the mother country has ac-
to-, 90 ske.
eignty-just as Great Britain proclaim
ed our independence before the close
of our war with that country"
Mr.. Spooner asked if he had under
stood rightly that we could not law
fully recognize Panama as a de factO
government until Colombia had re-
linquished sovereignty.
Mr.. Morgan stated that Colombia
| had the right to consider recognition
under other circumstances as prema-
| ture and an act of war.
And l am compelled to say" said
Mr.. Morgan, that tomorrow If the
United States government should
| withdraw it's fleet and marines from
the isthmus or confine their operations
to the protection of the railroad and
| to the passage across the isthmus, Co
1
those eight men who organized the
Panama government and drive them
and their following of foreigners, ne
groes, Indians and Cinnamon from the
isthmus. Under such conditions the
position of the United States would
have been honorable. dignified and
wholly consistent with her rights I'M
der the treaty of 1886"
Newspaper Stories offered.
Mr.. Morgan put into the Record &
large number of letters written by cor
respondents of many large newspapers
which he said gave the facts concern
ing the overturning of the Colombian
government on the isthmus, and which
are not disputed, except by the Pres
ident in his two messages to the Con
| gress. Many of these articles were
described, particularly the references
to Col. Black who is alleged to have
raised the first Panama flag on the
| isthmus, and to Consul Ehrmann. who
| is alleged to have made the arrange
nents for the raising of money to buy
the peaceful withdrawal of Col. Torres
and his Colombian troops.
Mr.. Culberson asked if the charge
| that MIR. Ehrmann had supplied the
money to aid in bringing about the
withdrawal of the Troops was support
ed by the papers inserted in Mr.. Nor
gan's speech.
Mr.. Morgan said this was in the pa
pers, and that he did not pretend tc
saw whether or not it was true.
Mr.. Spooner wanted to know If Mr.
Morgan questioned the action of the
representatives of the United States in
warning the Colombian gunboat Bogo-
ia from bombardins Panama, in view
of the fact that the bombardment was
I,ai,, 40
required by the rules governing inter-
| national warfare.
Mr.. Morgan maintained that the Eo-
| gotta was warned away not because a