New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-05
INTENT OF CONGRESS.

Thir1- Finally the Congress definitely settled
where the canal To be built. II pro-
yiced that q treaty should be made for build
ing the canal ncrOss the IsthmUs of Panama;
and IT, after reasonable time. II proved impOs-
slhle TO secure such treaty. that then we should
go to Nicaragua The treaty has been made;
for il needs no argument 10 show that the IN
tent OF the Congress was 70 insure canal
across Panama and that whether the republic
granting the title was called New Granada,
Colombia or Panama Guattered not one whit.
As events turned out, the question Of reason
able time" did net enter into the matter at all
Although. as the months went by Il became
increasingly improbable that the Colombian
Congress would rattfy the treaty take steps
which would be equivalent thereto, yet all
chance for such action their part aid not
vanish until the Congress closed at the end OF
october; and within three days thereafter the
revolution IN Panama had broken out. Panama
became an Independent State, and the control
Of the territory necessary for building the canal
then became obtainable The condition under
which alone we could have gone to Nicaragua
thereby became impossible Of fulllment II
the pending treaty with Panama should not be
ratified by the Senate this would not alter the
fact that We could not go TO Nicaragua, The
Congress has decided the route, and there is no
alternative under existing legislation.
When in August It began to appear probable
that the Colombian legislature would not ratify
the treaty Il became incumbent upon me TO
consider well what the situation and 70 be
ready TO advise the Congress as TO what were
the various alternatives Of action open to Us.
There were several possibilities One that
Colombia would at the last moment see the
unwisdom Of her position That there might be
IOlIllig omitted, secretary hey, through the
minister at Bogota, repeatedly warned Colombia
that grave consequences might follow from her
rejection Of the treaty Although II was p con-
stantly diminishing chance. yet the possibility
OF ratification did not wholly pass away until
the close Of the session OF the Colombian Con-
gress
4 second alternative ives that BY the close
Of the session the last day OF October. with
out the ratification Of the treaty By Colombia
and without any steps taken by Panama, the
American Congress on assembling early IN No
vember would be confronted with q situation IN
which there had been a failure 10 come TO terms
a. 70 building the canal along the Panama
route, and yet there had not been lapse of
reasonable time-using the word rea sonahle
IN any proper Eense-such as would Justify the
administration going 10 the Nicaragua route.
This situation seemed on the whole the most
likely, and a matter Of fact l had made tho
original draft Of my sc to the Congress
with q view to its existence.
II was the opinion Of eminent international
tursts that IN view OF the fact that the great
design Of our guarantee under the treaty Of
poses OF interoceaniC transit, and above all 20
secure the construction OF an interoceanio canal,
Colombia could not under existing conditions
refuse 70 enter into a proper arrangement with
the United States 70 that end without violating
the spirit and substantially repudiatinE the
obligations OF g treaty the full benefits Of which
she had enjoyed for over fifty years. Ny nten-
under such circumstances II would not be
proper 70 announce that the canal was 70 be
dug forthwith that would give the terms
that we had offered and others; and that II
such terms were not agreed 10 We would enter
into On arrangement with Panama direct or
take what other steps were needful IN order
to begin the enterprise.