The Forrest City times., 1904-01-08
Justified by Collective Civilization.

That our position as the mandatory o..
civilization has been by no means m =
conceived is shown by ;he prompt.tude
with which the powers have. one after
another, followed our lead in recogutziu.
Panama as Al independent state our
acuon IN recognizing the new republic
has been followed by like reccgntt on On
the part OF France, Germany, Denmark
Russia, sweden and Norway. NicaragiIa
Peru, china. cuba. Great Britain. Itaiv
Costa Rica, Japan and Austria Hungary
IN view OF the manifold considerations
or treaty right and obligation of national
interest and safety, and Of collective CIV
H'Hatton' by winch our government Was
constrained t. act, | am at a loss 10
comprehend the attitude OF those who
can discern IN the recognition Of the re-
PUBIC OF Ianama only general APP
pICFal OF the principle OF revolution by
"hich given government Is overturned
or one portion Of country senarated
from another. Only the amplesf iIstf
hcation can warrant a revoIut!Gr,'c,,
movement Of either kind But there il
n 80 tlAta RUE Whlch can be applied to all
| SuSh movements. Each case must he
judged on It's own merits There nav
peen many revolutionary movements
many movements for the dtsn.nherr1an,
OF countries, which were eyiI tr4ed -
any standard But in my opinion no AZ
interested and fair minded observer ac
qua.hted with the circumstances can I'll
| to feel that Panama had the amDlest i,1sI
| uhcauon for separation from Colomhia
under the conditions existing. and. more
over, that It's action was in the bigb4st
degree beneficial TO the interests "a ~
entire civilized world by securing t "a.
| immediate opportunity for the huilainp
OF the lnteFoeeanic canal Tbe
people of the isthmus. and as 6rTri,
peneE" OF Inc adjacent parts OF Central
ana south America, Will be greatly henet
hted by the building OF the canal ana 10
guarantee OF peace and order alonf, -
Line; and hand in hand with the heros,
TO them Will go the benefit To us ana ~
mankind. BY our prompt and decisive
action. not only have our interests ana
those OF the world at large been cen
served. but we have forestalled conn.,,
cations which were likely to be frritf,,I
IN loss TO ourselves, ard In bloodshed -
suffering 10 The people CT the isthmus
instead o. using our forces ae Nc
were invited by Colombia to do for tbe
tWQioid purpose Of defeating our 80
rlEhts and interests and the Interests 20
the civilized world. and of compellinR ~
submission OF the people of the istbn,,S
10 those Whom they regarded as onnree
sors. we shall. as in duty bound keap a.
transit open and prevent its i 49, I'M, ms
Meanwhile. the only question now befnrc,
us ~ mat OF the ratification of the treaty
for II Is TO be remembered thai a tst,,'S'
10 rntfS the treaty will not 1ipdo -
mas been done. will not restore pap' ,.at
10 colombia, and will not alter our ohIf
CATION 10 keep the transit omen acr
me isthmus, and to prevent any outsiSa
power from menacing this transit '7Ne
IN conclusion let me repeat tba, ~.
question actually before this governne,e
~ nor that or the recognition OF Panarna
as an independent republic. That Is &c
ready an accomplished fact The 80
ton. and the only question is u,had,h
or not We shall build an isthmian nsn.Is