Richmond planet., 1904-01-09
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.. SATURDAY. JANUARY 8, 1904

on lne lSlhuluS, a revolution mad broken
out in the state of Cauca. On October 1G.
Mt the ,iueSt OF Lieutenant General
Young, l saw Captain g. b. Humphrey
and Lieutenant Grayson Mallet-Prevost
Murphy. who had just returned from a
four-nonths' tour through the northern
portions of Venezuela and Colombia
What they saw i'm Panama so impressed
them that they reported thereon to Lieu
tenant General Young, according to mis-
memorandum:
that while on the isthmus they became
satisfied beycnd question that owing
largely to the dissatisfaction because of
the failure of Colombia to ratify the Hav-
Herran treaty, a revolutionary party was
i'm course OF organization. having for its
object the separation of the state of Pam
anna from Colombia. the leader being DR.
Richard AiaDgo. q former governor of
Panama; that when they were on the
isthmus arms and ammunition were be-
irg smuggled into the city of Colon IN
/ ano boxes. merchandise crates. ETC. the
small arms received being principally the
Gras French rife. the Remington and the
Mauser; that nearly every citizen in Pan
anna had some sort of ri5e or gun In his
that In the city of Panama there had been
organized fire brigade which was really
Intended for revolutionary military or
ganizaticn.'f
IN view of all these facts directed the
navy department to issue instructions
such as would insure our having ships
within easy reach of the isthmus in the
event Of need arising. On November 2,
when, the Colombian congress having adj
tourned. il was evident than the outbreak
was imminent and when IL was an
nounced that both sides were making
ready forces whose meeting would mean
bloodshed and disorder. the Colombian
troops having been embarked on vessels,
instructions were sent to the comman-
ders Of the Boston. Nashville and Dixie:
Maintain free and uninterrupted transit
and prevent landing of armed force"
On November , Commander Hubbard
responded saying that before the tele-
gram had been received 400 Colombian
troops from Cartagena had landed at
Colon; that there had been no revolution
on the isthmus, but that the situation
was most critical II the revolutionary
leaders should act. On this same date
the Associated Press I'm Washington re-
ceived bulletin stating that a revolu-
uonary outbreak had occurred
On November dispatch w..S received
saying the uprising had occurred and had
peen successful, with no bloodshcd. The
Colombian gunboat Bogota next day be-
gan TO shell the city of Panama with
the result OF killing one Chinaman. Tho
consul general was directed To notify her
TO stop firing. Meanwhile. on November
a. Commander Hubbard notified the de-
partment that he had landed force 90
protect the lives and property of Ameri-
can citizens. which created serious ap-
prchension. As Commander Hubbard re-
ported In his letter of November s. this
officer and his troops practically began
war against the United States and only
the forhearance and coolness OF our oti-
GERS and men prevented bloodshed.
The president here quotes Commander
Hubbard's letter I'm which Colonel Torres
threatened TO open fire on Colon and XIII
every United States citizen In the place
unless the Colombian generals who were
seized at Panama were released. 1t was
then that ~ marines were landed from
the Nashville and arms distributed 70 the
citizens. The marines took UP thcir sta
tion In stone building OF the Panama
canal company. while the women and
children took refuge on several steamers.
The Nashville steamed close to shore
ana was ready TO use small arms or
shrapnel fire. The Colombians surround
ed the building occupied by the marines
and were very threatening for an hour
and half. 1t being their intention to
provoke an attack. The marines were
cooi ana steady. and no shot was fired.
colonel Torres then withdrew his men To
Monkey Eill, and the marines were taken
on board the Nashville,
Commander Hubbard then makes n
length! r5nort on all that occurred, and
says marines were not landed until Che
ened
continuing, the message says: This plain
oincial account of the occurrences pf
wv N'ihbtI SHOWS tn;(t. instead of there
having been too much provision bV the
American government for the mainte-
nance OF order and the protection of life
and property ON the isthmus. the orders
Tor the movement of the American war
ships had been too long DELAYED SO Ion,
In fact. that there were but ~ marines
and sailors available to land and protect
the lives OF American men and women
II was only the coo'ncSs and gau9ntrv
with which this little band of men wear
ttf.fc
their number of armed foes bent on car
ryinG out the atrocious threat of the Co
iomhian commander. that prevented n
murdtTOuS cataStrophe
hesitate to refer to the injurious insin-
uations which have been made of COM
piiclty ny this government in the revolu-
tlonarN movement in Panama. They are
as destitute of foundation as of proprietv
Ihe only excuse for my mentioning them
Is the lear lest unthinking persons might
mistake for acquiescence the silence Of
mere self-respect. think proper to saw
therefore, that no one connected with this
government had any part in preparing
melting or encoura ging the late revolu-
uon on the isthmus of Panama and that
save from the reports of our military
and naval officers, no one con-
nected with this government had anv
previous knowledge of the revolution ex-
cept such as was accessible TO any person
OF ordinary intelligence who read the
newspapers and kept up a current ac-
quaintance with public affairs
by the unanimous action of its people
without the firing OF shot-with unen-
Unity hardly before recorded in any SINH
lar case-the people of Panama declared
themselves an independent republic. Their
recognition by This government was based
upon a state OF facts In no way dependent
for its justification upon our action in
ordinary cases.
Long before the conclusion of the Hay-
Herran treaty the course of events had
shown that canal to connect the Allan
tic and Pacific oceans must be built nv
the United States or not at ALL Expe-
rience had demonstrated that private en-
terprise was utterly inadequate for the
purpose, and fixed policy, declared by
the United States on many memorable
occasions and supported by the practi-
cally unanimous voice of American opin-
Ion. had rendered il morally impossible