New-York tribune., 1904-10-20

bian invasion OF Panama at either OF these
points Colon or Panamal, and there are no otner
seaports of recourse. The seeding state rs thus
protected from coercion, on the land side by
mountains, and on the water sides by this duty
laid on the United States Our own country mas
am interest as wen as duty In living up 20 TINS
obligation. Its interest is found in its desire to
build a shin canal across the isthnus.
The Secretary of State, Mr. Hay, in the state
,,,e,.+ -.,.;oh 10 ,,,olroS - ,orI,n6 to-day adj
vances the duty side of the case alone That is
as it should be- Mr. Hays paper is candlo. con-
vincing and conclusive. Our nation can stand on
It. Our political parties viii do well not to di-
vide on H. Any party which opposes Mr..
Hays arguments. or the action Of our govern
ment in the matter so far, will be the loser.
Politics. in old fashioned American phrase,
should cease at the waters edge. fhe
Democratic voices or the Mugwump voices,
tiouality with petty discords. whether they be
the product Of unpatriotic pessimism or the
promptings Of a railroad commercialism an
tagonistic to any interoceanic canal project at
all. will prove to be a woful error. President
Roosevelt, whatever be his temperament or
mistakes. or abilities to make mista kes. could
ask from his Democratic adVeTsaries nothing
better for him and his party. and nothing worse
for the opposition. than adhesion to narrow
conmercialism and to pettfoggng recourses
which have made lamentable entrance upon
the scene The American people will not toll
powers or the evasion OF duties, or the
advocacy of such a course. The mistakes of
Copperheadsm would be small by comparison.
Secretary Hay and President Roosevelt
do we'll 10 write large our right and promise TO
keep open the worlds path across the isthmus.
The duty of that is plain that the advanta-
geoGs consequences of il to Panama, and the
diSadVantdgeouS consequences Of it to Colom-
bia. in her solid front for colossal blackmail,
signify nothing.
On November 0. 1903. it thus urged the adj
miniStration on:
We hope that the view imputed to the Presi-
dent and the Secretary of State is correctly I'M
puted to them and is in itself correct. II IS 70
the effect that, the subject Of the treaty oelhs
an isthmian canal and the action Of our govern
ment for such a canal being complete we are
at liberty submit to the new government
which controls the territory in question. when
the government which did control that terri
tory has been deprived of it by the secession
which the rejection of the treaty caused-and
justifies, This may be said to be new ques-
tion. The decision of it by the United States
and the adoption OF view of il by the new
State of Panama could not be matter to which
other nations could object, and might become
one upon which the United States could decline
to be questioned. and could decline TO permit
the Republic of Panama TO be questioned. What
the law calls major force would thus be on the
side OF major right. and the result which would
thus be secured. being of supreme Importance
TO commerce and 70 peace. would rot only be
accepted. but applauded. by the civilized world
as a whole There should be no fear of max
ing precedent so fine so large and so excellent
as that.
On November 10 1903, giving its attention to
the precursors of the Parker Constitution Club
who were already criucising President ROose-
velts alleged violation Of certain treaty Obi-
Cations The Eagle" said
1t will not be our fault II the Democratic
party in the near future shall have TO deplore
its opposition to what is both right and inevita-
bic, just as It had to deplore its opposition to
Freedom. TO Union to the Liberty Amendments.
to the Gold Standard and to Expansion.
On November II, 1903, after the Presidents
orders of November had been made public
and he was being attacked for having taken
the part of the revOlutiOnists before the upris-
ing and having planned i'll anticipation to pre-
vent Colombas defence Of her own territory
contrary to the treaty. THE Eagle" in an ar
ticle entitled "A Course Completely Justified"
declared:
Our recognition Of the situation. so f1ne in
itself and so fruitful in the promise which it
presented to this government, was pre-eminent-
ly right. The efficiency Of our right action de-
pended on its unquestioning promptitude and
upon its unconditional character. Those quail
ties not only Justify but commend the course we
took. The descendants of the carpers of
to-day will be as ashamed of those carpers as
the descendants Of the Tories Of the Revolution
and of the COpperheads Of the Civil War are
ashamed of their mistaken forebears.
Then on November 49, 1908 in another
double loaded editorial on the signing of the
treaty, headed IAN Opportunity of Splendor
and Duty" THE Eagle proclaimed:
We care not for the name or the politics of
any administration which brings these results
to pass. The results are admirable-and Ameri-
can.
That, with practically all the facts now known
before it, was 'The Eagles" verdict Suppose
the President did wrong. Suppose the treaty
was violated and Colombia robbed. Is it for
The Eagle" after standing by and applauding
the robbery and urging the completion Of the
wrong, to play the moraliSt and demand the
punishment of Roosevelt for it while at the
same time clinging to the stolen goods? Yet
we do not Overmuch blame 1.-The Eagle" for it's
suddenly acquired conscience-wlth string to
it-concerning Panama. 1t is in a difficult posi-
ton. It merely illustrates the utter insincerity
Of the whole Parker campaign.