The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1904-01-05
Reasons for Ratification.

reasons for Ratification.
He reviews these reasons at considerable
| length and juStifies the speedy recognition
| on either and all of them. He refers to
precedents to show that treaties concluded
/ with one nation are binding upon the sue
| cessOrs of that nation thus the treaty Of
! 1916 with New Granada was transferred
! first 10 Colombia and now TO Panama. OF
| tn second reason he says:
! This recognition was, in the second
! place, further justified by the highest con-
! siderations of our national interests and
safety. In all the range CT our internal
/ tional relations, l Go not hesitate 10 IA
! firm that there is nothing of greater or
more pressing Importance than the con-
| struction OF an interoceanic canal. Long
/ Acknowledged to be essential to cur COM
mercial development it has become, as
! the result Of the recent extension of our
! territorial dominion, more lnan ever es-
sential to our national seif-defense.
! In the light Of our present situation, the
| establishment Of easy and speedy cCm-
! municatiOn by sea between the Atlantic
| and the Pacinc presents itself not simply
/ as something to be desired, but as an OBJ
| ject to be positively and promptly at
/ tanned Reasons of convenience have been
| superseded by reasons CT vital necessity,
which DO net admit OF indefinite delays.
| In the same connection he charges Co.
lombia with attempting to so delay the
place that government in a position not
| only to secure the S10,000,C)0 offered it as
| compensation by this government, but to
! secure the $4O,0 600 promised the Panama
! Canal company for its franchise and
rights as we'll BY waiting until Octo-
| Der 81, 1904, the franchise of the Panama
! Colombian government be in post on
| to seize its property and rights on the
isthmus, and then be in position to de-
| mand Of the United States the payment
| to that government of both sums. In
| this connection he says:
Such is the scheme to which it was
/ proposed that the United States should
! be invited to become a party. The con-
Struction of the canal was to be rele-
! gated to the indefinite future, while Co
! lOmbia was, by reason of her own delay,
| to be placed in the more advantageous
! position of claiming not merely the com
! pensation to be paid by the United States
! but also the $40,000000 authorized by the
| act of 1902 to be paid for the property Of
| the New Panama Canal company. That
| the attemRt to carry out this scheme
would have brought Colombia into con-
| f1ict with the government of France can
not be doubted; nor could the United
| States have counted upon immunity from
/ the consequences OF the attempt, even
| apart from the indefinite delays to which
| the construction Of the canal was to be
! subjected. On the first appearance of
| danger to Colombia. this govern
would have been summoned to interpoSe,
! in order to give effect to the guarantees
! port of a plan which. while chara ctN~-
! lied in its first stage by the wanton dis
/ regard of our own highest interee'~
| fifty to end in further injury to the cit
| liens of a friendly nation. whose erlor-
| nous losses an their generous efforts to
| pierce the isthmus have become a mat
| ter of history.
| OF the third reason for speedy recog-
milton the president says in part:
! I'm the third place. l confidently main
/ tain that the recognition of the repuhl'c
| of Panama was an act justified by the
| interests Of collective civilization. If ever
! a government could be said tO have re-
ceived a mandate from civilization to
! effect an object the accomplishment OF
! which was demanded in the interest of
| mankind, the United States holds that
! position with regard to the intero0en''4 ~"
canal. Since our purpose to build the
! canal was definitely announced. there
| have come from all quarters assurances
! of approval and announcement. in which
| even Colombia herself at one time par
ticipated; and to general assurances were
/ added specific acts and declarations. In
| order that no obstacle might stand in orr
~wav. Great Britain renowned important
rights under the ClaytOn-B ulwer treaty
| and agreed to its abrogat ton. receivin" in
return nothing but our honorable pledge
| to h'Iild the canal and protect 1t as an
open highway.
Justified by Collective Civilization.
THAT our position as the mandatory OF
! civilization has been by no means mis-
| conceived is shown by the prcmptitude
with which the powers have, one after
/ another. followed our lead in recognizing
Panama as an Independent state. Our
action in recognizing the new republic
| has been followed by ike recognition On
the part OF France, Germany, Denmark,
| Russia, Sweden and Norway, NIcoIa- =,
Peru, China, Cuba, Great Britain, Italy
! Costa Rica, Japan and Austria hungary.
I'm view of the manifold considerat iOnS
/ of treaty right and obligation, of national
interest and safety, and of collective civ
! ilization, by which our goVernnIsT
| constrained to act, am at a ~loSS to
comprehend the attitude OF those who
can discern in the recognition of the re-
public of Panama only genera. ap-
prevail of the principle of revolution by
! which a given government Is over.urueU.
from another. Only the amplesr justi-
-fcation can warrant revolutionary
movement Of either kind But there :
| no fixed rule which can be applied to all
| such movements Each case must be
judged on its own merits. Their
been many revolutionary movements.
| of countries, which were evil, tried by
| any standard. But in my opinion no s
interested and fair minded observer ac-
! quainted with the circumstances can fail
to feel that Panama had the amplest JUS
tification for separation from Colombia
| under the conditions existing, and. more
| over, that its action was in the highest
degree beneficial to he@intereSts of the
entire civilized world by securing the
immediate Opportunity Tor the building 1T
OF the interoceanic canal The
people of the isthmus. and as I firmly
| believe of the adjacent parts of Central
and South America, will be greatly bene-
guarantee of peace and order along its
line; and hand in hand with the benefit
mankind. BY our prompt and DOS
action not only have our interests and
those of the world at large been con-
served. but we have forestalled cOmpn-
cations which We're likely to be fruitful
in loss to ourselves, and in bloodShed and
suffering to the people of the|isthmus.
Instead of using our forces, as We
were invited by Colombia TO do, for the
| twofold purpose OF defeating our own
rights and interests and the interests =
tho civilized world, and of compelling the
submission of the people of the isthmuS
to those whom they regarded
sors, we SHALL as in duty bound. keep the
transit open and prevent its invasion.
Meanwhile, the only question now before
us is that of the ratification of the treaty.
For it is to be remembered that failure
to ratify the treaty will not undo what
has been done. will not restore Panama
to Colombia and will not alter our oOli-
CATION 20 keep the transit OOen
the isthmus, and to prevent any outside
power from menacing this tranS'
In conclusion let me repeat that the
question actually before this government
is not that Of the RECOGNITION - Pan9-1a
| as ara indenendent republic That Is al