The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1904-01-14
President Roosevelt Presents Case
Fully 10 Congress.
REASONS ARE GIVEN FOR ACTION

The President Shows Why the IEde-
.E pendence of Panama Was Recog-
4. nized-The Matter Fully Discussed.
YWashington, Special-The Presi-
dent sent the following message
to Congress at 1890 Monday on the
Panama Treaty:
To the Senate and House Of Represen-
tatives:
lay before the Congress for its in
formation a statement Of my action
.,tion UP to this time in executing the
hct entitled "An act to provide for the
3construction of a canal connecting he
waters of the Atlantic and Pacific
oceans" approved June %, 1902.
By the said act the President was
authorized to secure for the United
States the property of the Panama
Canal Company and the perpetual
ncntrol of a strip 6 miles wide across
kSthmus of Panama. 1t was further
that should the President be
>Sain for the United States
hsitle to the property OF
oyanama Canal Company and
control Of the necessary territory
the republic of Colombia with
b reasonable time and upon reason
lie terms, then the President should
ZRdeavor to provide for a canal by the
Nicaragua route. THE language quoted
defines with exactness and precision
what was to be done, and what as a
matter of fact has been done. The
President was authorized. to go to the
Nicaragua route, only if within rea-
sSnabIe tine b. could not obtain con
tEol Of the necessary territory of the
&epublic of Colombia" This control
fhas now been obtained; the provision
of the act has been complied with; it
is no longer possible under existing
legislation to go to the Nicaragua
route as an alternative.
This act marked the climax Of the
effort on the part Of the United States
to secure, so far as legislation was
concerned, an interoceansc canal
across the Isthmus The effort to Sc
cure treaty for this purpose with one
of the Central American republics did
not stand on the same footing withthe
effort to secure treaty under any or
dinary conditions. The proper position
for the United States to assume in re-
ference to this canal. and therefore to
49, the governments Of the IsthmIs, had
been clearly set forth by Secretary
Cass in 1858. In my Annual Message
/ have already quoted what Secretary
Cass said; but repeat the quotation
here, because the principle it states is
fundamental
While the rights Of sovereignty OF
the states occupying this region (Cen-
trail America) should always be re-
spected. we shall expect that these
rights be exercised in a spirit BETTING
the occasion and the wants and cir
cumstances that have arisen. Sever
eighty has its duties as well as its
rights, and none of these local govern
meDts, even if administered with more
regard to the just demands OF other
nations than they have been, would
be permitted, in spirit of Eastern
isolation, to close the gates Of inter-
course on the reat highways Of the
world, and justify the act by the pre-
tension hat these avenues Of trade and
travel belong to them and that they
choose to shut them, or. what is al
MT equivalent, to cucumber them
W such unjust relations as would
prevent their general use.
The principle thus enunciated by
Secretary Cass was sound then and is
sound now. The United States has
taken the position that no other Gov
eminent is to build the canal. In 1889
when France proposed to come to the
aid of the French Panama Company
by guaranteeing their bonds, the Sen
ate of the United States iii executive
session, with only some three votes
dissenting, passed a resolution as fol-
lows:
That the Government Of the United
States will look with serious concern
and disapproval upon any connection
of any European government with the
construction or control Of any ship
canal across the Isthmus Of Darien or
across Central America, and must re-
gard any such connection or control as
y Injurious to the just rights and iner-
ests of the United States and as a
menace to their welfare.
Under the Hay-Pauncefote treaty
1t was explicitly provided that the
United States should control, police
and protect the canal which was to be
built, keeping it open for the vessels
LIof all nations on equal terms. The
United States thus assumed the posi-
kion of guarantor of the canal and OF
its peaceful use by all the world. The
guaranty included as matter OF
course the building of the canal. The
enterprise was recognized as re-
spending to an international need;
\ and it would be the veriest travesty
on right and justice to treat the gov
ernments in possession of the lsthmus
hs having the right, in the language
of Mr.. Cass, "to close the gates Of in
tercourse on the great highways of the
world, and justify the act by the pre-
tension that these avenues of trade
and travel beong to them and that
they choose to shut them"
When this Government submitted to
1 Colombia the Hay-Herran treaty three
1AS