Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1904-01-07

htly TO end In further injury TO the cit
fzens Of friendly nation. whose enor-
nous losses in their generous EFFORTS to
ter Of history"
OF the third reason for speedy rscog-
milton the president says IN part:
tain that the recognition OF the republic
Of Panama was an act Justified BY the
interests Of collective civilization. II ever
. government could be said to have re-
ceived a mandate from civilization. tc
which was demanded In the interest Of
mankind. the United State holds that
position with regard to thu interocearfc
canal Since our purpose to build the
have come from ali quarters assurances
OF approval and encouragement, in which
even Colombia herself at one time par
ticipated; and to general assurances were
added specific acts and Declarations In
order that no obstacle might stand In our
way, Great Britain renounced 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 az an
open highway.
justified by Collective Civilization.
THAT our position as the mandatory Of
SAVahAutlOh mas pcoH Wy hO hchiiD
conceived Is shown by the promptitude
with which the powers have, one after
another. followed our lead in recognizing
Panama as an independent state. Our
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 ttica, Japan and Austria Hungary.
In view Of the manifold considerations
Of treaty right and obligation. Of national
interest and safety, and of collective cdv-
tlizatlon, by which our government was
constrained to act, / am at q loss 10
comprehend the attitude OF those who
can discern In the recognition OF the re-
public OF Panama only genera ap-
proval Of the principle Of revolution by
which given government Is overturned
of one portion O. country separated
fication can warrant a revolutionary
movement of either kind But there II
no fixed rule which can be applied to all
s,sche movements. Each case must be
been many Revolutionary movements, i
many movements for the dismemberment
OF countries. which were evil tried by
any staadard.. But In my opinion no dis
interested and fair minded observer ac-
quadnted with the circumstances can fail
to feel that Panama had the amplest jus
tification' 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 l firmly
believe Of the adjacent parts Of Central |
and South America, will be greatly bene- |
fitted by the building of the canal and the |
guarantee Of peace and order along its /
kne; and hand In hand with the beneft |
to them. will go the benefit to US and TO
mankind. BY our prompt and ds"'sv.
those Of the world at large been con-
served, but we have forestaled compli-
cations which were likely to be fruitful
In loss to ourselves. and In bloodshed and
Iuftering to the people OF the isthmus
Instead OF using our forces, a. we
were invited by Colombia TO do for the
lwofold purpose OF defeating our own
he civilized world. and Of compelling the
Iubmission of the people OF the isthmus
70 those whom they regarded as nDnre--
Iors, we shall, a. In duty bound, keen the
ranGt open and prevent its invasion.
Meanwhile. the only question nav before
70 is that OF the ratification Of the treaty,
FOR 1t 70 to be remembered that Q failure
o raufy the treaty will not undo what
o Colombia, and Will mot alter our obii-
Iation to keep the transit open across
he isthmus, and TO prevent any outside
over from nienaeinG thds transit.
In conclusion let me repeat that the
uestton actually before this government
J not that Of the recognition ~ Panama
. an Independent republic. That iS al
eady an accomplished factA The ques-
lon. and the only question, is whether
, not We shall build IN isthmian canals