The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1904-01-07

from the reports Of our military and naval
with this government had any previous
knowledge of the revolution except such
as was accessible to any person of ordi-
nary intelligence who read the newspa-
pers and kept up a current acquaintance
with public affairs"
After thus treating extensively the
events leading up to and during the revo-
luton the president refers to the recogni-
ton of the new government by the United
States, and in this connection he says:
by the unanimous action of its peo-
pie, Wit tsut the firing of a shot-with a
similar case-the people of Panama de-
clared themselves as Independent repub-
NC. Their recognition by this government
way Dependent for its justifcati s u upon on
our action in ordinary cases. l have not
denied, nor do l wish to deny, either the
rule that a new state should not be rec
ognlzeo as independent till it has shown
its ability to maintain it's independence.
Ihls rule is derived from the principle Of
nonlnterventlcn, and as corollary of that
PRINCIPLE has generally been observed by
the United States But, like the principle
from which it is deduced. the rule is sub
ject to exceptions; and there are in my
OPINION clear and imperative reasons why
a departure from it was justified and even
required In the present instance. These
reasons embrace, first, our treaty rights;
second, our national interests and safety;
and, third, the interests of collective civili-
cation"
Reasons for Ratification.
He reviews these reasons at considerable
length and justifies the speedy recognition
on elther and all of them. He refers to
presidents to show that treaties concluded
with one nation are binding upon the sue
cessorS or that nation, thus the treaty Of
1916 with New Granada was transferred
hrst to Colombia and now to Panama. OF
IN second reason he says:
This recognition WAS in the second
place, further justified by the highest con-
slderations of our national interests and
tional relations, 1 do not hesitate to al
firm that there is nothing of greater or
more pressing Importance han the con-
struction of an interoceanic canal Long
acknowledged to be essential to our com
mercial development, it has become, as
the result OF the recent extension OF our
territorial dominion, more than ever es-
sential to our national self-defense.
IN the light OF our present situation, the
esta6nshment Of easy and speedy com
and the Pacific presents itself not simply
as something to be desired, but as an OBJ
1ect to be positively and promptly at
tained: Reasons of convenience have been
superseded by reasons of vital necessity,
winch DO not admit of indefinite delays"
IN the same connection he charges Co.
lom6la with attempting to SO delay the
place that government in a position not
only to secure the 100000 offered it as
eompenS sat ton On by this government but to
Canal company for it's franchise and
rights as well. BY waiting until Octo-
Der 81, 1904. the franchise of the Panama
Colombian government be in posit 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,
position of claiming not merely the COM
pensation to be paid by the United States
for the privilege OF completing the canal,
act Of 1902 to be paid for the property of
the New Panama Canal company. That
the attempt to carry out this scheme
not be doubted; nor could the United
States have counted upon immunity from
apart from the indefinite delays to which
the construction of the canal was to be
subjected: On the first appearance Of
would have been summoned to interpose.
of the treaty of 1916; and ali this in sup
sed in its rst staee by the wanaoa ds
regard of our own highest interests, was
fifty to end in further injury to the cit
nous losses in 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:
In the third place, l confidently MAIN
tain that the recognition of the republic
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
mankind, the United States holds that
position with regard to the interoceanic
canal. Since our purpose to build the
have come from all quarters assurances
of approval and encouragement, in which
even Colombia herself at one time par
added specific acts and declarations. In
order that no obstacle might stand in our
way, Great Britain renowned important
rights under the Clayton-Bulwer treaty
and agreed to its abrogation, receiving in
return nothing but our honorable pledge
to build the canal and protect it 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 promptituGe
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 like recognition on
the part of France, Germany, Denmark,
Russia, Sweden and Norway, Nicaragua,
Peru, China, Cuba, Great Britain, Italy,
Costa Rica, Japan and Austria Hungary
In view of the manifold considerat IONS
of treaty right and obligation, of national
interest and safety, and of collective civ
il1zation, by which our government was
t the Of at tsoIe loss
can discern in the recognition of the re-
public Of Panama only general APP
proVal of the principle of revolution by
winch given government is overturned
or one portion of a country separated
from another. Only the amplest justi-
ncatlon can warrant reVoluti onary
no fixed rule which can be applied to all
judged on it's own merits There have
been many revolutionary movements
many movements for the dismemberment
OF countries, which were evil, tried by
any standard. But in my opinion no dis
interested and fair minded observer ac-
quainted with the circumstances can fail
to feel that Panama had the amplest JUS
LITIGATION for separation from Colombia
under the conditions existing, and, more
over, that its action was in the highest
degree beneficial to the interests of the
entire civilized world by securing the
immediate opportunity for the building
of the interoceanic canal. . . The
people of the isthmus, and as 1 firmly
believe Of the adjacent parts of Central
flied by the building of the canal and the
guarantee Of peace and order along its
line: and hand in hand with the benefit
to them will go the benefit to us and to