New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-05
rRr PRESIDENT on P4NANA

The President I'D MS canal message o-tIs no
excuses or apolog - Tor his action in Panama.
There was 10 t-or why lie should 90 s..
Tie course Of the administration has been so
clear and straightforward and 50 IN accord with
both law and morals As to need for its vinl-
cation nothing more than III equally clear and
straightforward recital Of the facts. That the
President supplies in his message. 1t should
prove conclusive 10 every mind that Is not in
capacitatcd 10y blind prejudice from seeing
Alright and thinking Alright
This is the st-Ty: y year and a half ago Con-
gress directed the President 70 undertake the
construction Of an Isjhmian canal IL had al
ready been settled, as absolutely as our govern
ment could settle it, that there should he
canal that il should be an American canal,
under American control and that no other
country should be permitted to construct or 10
control il. Il was further settled by Congress
that the canal should he AT Panama, rather
than anywhere else. Under sucu conditions
The Uay-EeTran treaty was negotiated, and the
only criticism f that convention made IN TINS
country was that its terms were too favorable
and liberal 10 Colombia Indeed Tia Unit"
States offered 10 give as much and 10 receive
as little as possible III is plain" says the
President, and he says truly. that no nation
could construct and guarantee the neutrality Of
was stipulated for il the Hay-Herrau treaty.
"A refusal TO grant such degree Of control was
necessarily a refusal to make any practicable
treaty n all. Such refusal therefore squarely
raised the question whether Colombia was Ell
titled 10 bar the transit OF the worlds con-
"merce across the isthmus," 1t seemed at first
inconceivabIc that Colombia would or could
make such q refusal. But she did, for reasons
which must be regarded as not creditabie 10
her There is no doubt that the people Of
Panama wanted the treaty ratified by Colon
bia. There seems little doubt that the Colon
hian government would have ratified il if It
had realized what the result # its refusal would
be- or # il had realized the impossibility of eX-
torJinG better terms from the United States
It's line Of reasoning seemed 10 be substantially
this, that the United States greatly wanted the
canal that the whole world wanted it and
locked 10 the United States TO provide il, that
the United States would be regarded as play
ing the part Of the dog in the manger if 1t did
not promptly provide it, and that because Of
such urgent need and strenuous pressure the
United States would be constrained to yield 10
almost any terms which Colombia might die
tate.
IL August last il began 70 look as though Co
lombia would reject the treaty Our State De
partment did all il could to prevent such de
feat Of its negotiations. and the hope was cher
isbed down 10 the last moment that wisdom
would prevail ar Bo@ora, and the treaty be rat-
fed Meantime. alternatives In case Of rejec
ton were considered. One was 10 tllrn to the
Nicaragua route. Another was to insist upon
constructing the canal upon the terms Of the
treaty regardless Of Colombia's rejection Of it
q vigorous course, for which precedents and
legal justification would not have been lacking
,I,o mol. IN 1ts''
scribed by Congress 10 see what might happen
on the isthmus or at BosOta. for it was even
then known 10 the world that Panama was on
the verge Of revolution. The rapid progress Of
events made il unnecessary for the government
10 choose its course. Promptly after the ad
iourumcnt Of the Colombian Congress which
had rejected the treaty the Department OF
Panama seeded from Colombia and estab
Eshed its independence, and forthwith offered
concession for the canal more favorable
terms 10 this country than this country had de
handed I'm the HayIIeTan treaty. Upon no
reasonable ground would this government have
been justified in refusing or neglecJinS the op-
portunity thus offered Of attaining tho end NJ
which 1t had aimed. Had the President dIsl @
garded the Panama offer and failed 10 make the
treaty which now lies before the Senate, he
would have been guilty Of disobeying the direc-
tons Of Congress. Should Congress now de
cline 10 ratifg the treaty. it would be repudat-
ing the worl, which it Itself ordered done
That is The case ia 4 nutshell. We need not
take I'D time ana space with any enlargement
/ upon what the President says about oUr inter
yention at Panama. The simple facts OF the
case. a S presented In tie message amply bear
( out the Presidents declaration that, instead Of
there having been TOO much provision and too
I Lasty action by our government, its action for
the protection Of our legal interests was in fac-,
delayed almost TO the danger point. Had not our
government acted when it did IL might have
been responsible for grave da mage, the result Of
the threat Of which 1t had been warned. and to
guard against which was both its right and is
duty Nor is the question Of the recognition of
Panama now at issue. It has been answered,
not only by this country, but by practically the
whole civilized world, by which latter Panama
has been recognized as an independent nation.
and the conduct OF the United States toward il
/ has been also recognized as entirely legal and
regular. The only question now IS whether the
/ American Congress will ratify the work which
4 st Itself ordered, and which has been performed
more promptly and more satisfactorily than it
dared 10 hope when 1t ordered il. II IS impos-
I sibe to believe that that question will receive
4 any other answer than a prompt and emphatic
affirmative
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GENUINE WINTER WEATHER.
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