The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1904-01-04

To the Senate and House of Representa-
lay before the congress for its infor-
nation a statement of my action up 10
"An act to provide for the construction
OF canal connecting the waters OF the
Atlantic and Pacific oceans, approved
June D. 1902
thorized TO secure for the United States
the property OF the Panama Canal com q.
pany and the perpetual control or strip
six miles wide across the Isthmus OF
Panama. IL was further provided that
should the president be unable To obtain
for the United States satisfactory title
10 the property Of the New Panama Canal
company and the control OF the necessary
territory OF the Republic OF Colombia
within reasonable time snd
upon reasonable terms, then the presi-
dent should endeavor to provide for
canal by the Nicaragua route. The Ian
guage quoted defines with exactness and
precision what was to be done and what
as a matter of fact has been done. The
president was authorized TO so TO the
Nicaragua route only IL within a reason-
able time he could not obtain control or
the necessary territory of the Republic or
Colombia" This control hss now been
obtained. the provision OF the act has
been compiled with: IL Is no longer pos
sible under existing legislation to go TO
the Nicaragua route as an alternative.
This act marked the climax OF the ef-
fort on the part OF the United States TO
secure. so far as legislation was concern
ed an interoceanic canal across the 18th
mus. The effort to secure treaty for
this purpose with one Of the Central
American republics did not stand on the
same footing with tho effort to secure
treaty under any ordinary conditions The
proper position for the United States TO
assume In reference TO this canal and
therefore to the governments Of the 18TH
mus, had been clearly set forth by Sec
retary Cass In lsS In my annual mes
cage / have already quoted what Secre-
tary Cass said. but I repeat the quotation
here. because the principle II states is
fundamental:
While the rights Of sovereignty Of the
states occupying this region Central
America) should always be respected. we
shall expect that these rights be exercised
In a spirit beftting the occasion and the
wants and circumstances that have
arisen. Sovereignty has its duties as well
az It's rights. and none OF these local gov
ernments. even II administered with
more regard to the Just demands OF other
nations than they have been. would be
permitted. In a spirit OF Eastern isolation.
10 close the gates OF Intercourse on tho
great highways OF the worio. and justify
the aot by the pre- tension that these ave-
nuee of trade and travel belong TO them
and that they choose 10 shut them. or
what r. almost equivalent, TO cucumber
them with such unjust relations as would
prevent their general issue.
A SOUND PRINCIPLE
The principle thus enunciated by Secre-
tary Cass was sound then and ~ s sound
now. The United States has taken the
position that no other government r. 10
build the canal In 1889 when France
proposed 20 come TO the aid OF the French
Panama company by guaranteeing their
bonds. the senate OF the United States in
executive session. with only some three
votes dissenting. passed a resolution as
follows.
That the government Of the United