The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-01-08
MORGAN s RAP|ER
SPLITS THE VEIL
The FIimsy Sophistries
Spun by Roosevelt.
UGLY, NAKED TRUTH
The Keen and Caustic AIabamian An
swers Lodge With Words That
Tear Aside Masks and Let
in Light on Evil
visages.
(By the Assoeited Press.l


Washington, Jan. 7.-Mr. Morgan occu
pied the time of the Senate today in a re
ply to the speech of Mr. Lodge delivered
last Tuesday. Mr.. Morgan again criticised
the President and the attitude of this
government in connection with the Pan.
ANA Republic
Colombia still has some rights under
the laws of nations" said Mr.. Morgan
"She is 100000 strong She has an area
larger than that of the State of Indiana.
She is recognized by all governments, in
Guiding the United States, as a free SOW
ereign power. She is the mother govern
ment of Panama, and according to Mr.
Bunau-Varilla, the Panama minister, we
are neither the father nor the mother of
this new republic. Colombia has the right
under the laws of nations to consider that
recognition as premature and an act OF
war. Whether Colombia does declare it
10 be an act of war Is another matter
The third power is not likely to be led into
premature recognition unless affected by
some private beneflts-until the mother
country has acknowledged the cessation
of it's sovereignty-just as Great Britain
proclaimed our independence before the
close of our war with that country"
Mr.. Spooner asked if he had understood
rightly that we could not lawfully recog.
nize Panama as a de facto government
until Colombia had relinquished soverr
eighty. .... ......... ,r er
Mr.. Morgan stated that Colombia had a
right to consider recognition under other
circumstances as premature, as an act OF
war.
"And l am compelled to say" said Mr.,
Morgan, ''that tomorrow if the United
States government should withdraw its
feet and marines from the isthmus or
confine their operations to the protection
of the railroad and to the passage across
the isthmus, Colombia would march in and
capture those eight men who organized
the Panama government, and drive them
and their following of foreigners, negroes
Indians, and Cinnamon from the isthmus
Under such conditions the position of the
United States would have been honorable,
dignified, and wholly consistent with her
rights under the treaty of 1885,
Mr.. Morgan put into the record large
number of letters, written by correspond
ents of many large newspapers, which he
said gave accounts concerning the over
turnin gof the Colombian government on
the isthmus, and which are not disputed
| except by the President in his two mes
sages to the Congress. Many of these ar,
ticles were described particularly the
| references to Colonel Black, who is al
legged to have raised the first Panama flag
on the island isthmus and to Consul Ehr-
mann, who is alleged to have made the
arrangements for the raising of money to
buy the peaceful withdrawal of Colonel
Torres and his Colombian troops
Mr.. Culberson asked if the charge that
Mr.. Ehrmann had supplied the money to
hid in bringing about the withdrawal OF
the troops was supported by the papers
inserted in Mr.. Morgan's speech.
Mr.. Morgan said this was in the papers,
and that he did not pretend to say wheth-
er or not it was true.
Mr.. Spooner wanted to know if Mr..
Morgan questioned the action of the rep
rcsentatives of the United States in warn.
ing the Colombian gunboat Bogota from
bombarding Panama. in view of the fact
| that the bambardment was being maze
without the time warning required by
the rules governing international war
fare.
Mr.. Morgan maintained that the Bogota
was warned away. not because viola.
ton OF international rules of war had
been made. but she was warned not TO
make any bombardment at any time.
This fact he said. made the United States
a belhgerent with Panama against Co
lombia. This attitude was continued by
our forbidding General Torres and his
force to go from Colon to Panama on the
railroad or any other road.
'These acts of hostility and defiance
were in violation of the statue laws of
the United States," he said.
Replying to a question from Mr.
Quaries as to the source of his information
as to happenings in the Colombian Con.
gress, Mr.. Morgan caustically remarked
that he had no specific information. when
the venerable Senator from Massachusetts
(Mr. Hoar) had introduced resolution
calling for facts the President had taken
advantage of his position and sent mes.
sage to Congress in answer to that reso-
luton. "and 1 think that is all the an.
swer we are ever to get" he concluded
Mr. Fairbanks wanted to know If Mr.
Morgan held that we should wait until tbe
concessions of this canal company ey.
pired and then deal with Colombia ~.
Panama.
Mr. Morgan replied:
| do not ratify any treaty with Panama