The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-01-05

bi3B autho<tfy brought about by her own great desisn for which @ .n that treaty VI was made It was under these circumstances that the Unf-ed States, instead of ueing it's forces to destroy thoss who sought to make the engagements q the treaty re- alsfy, recognized them as the proper cus- todians of the sovereignty of the IsthmEs:
 This recognition was, in the second place, further justified by the highest considerations of our national interests national relations, l do not hesitate to af- Isrm that there Is nothing of greater or )hore pressing importance than the coil |Nruetion of an fnteroceantc canal. LonG &cknowledged to oe essential to our com Aercial development, 1t has become, as Se result of the recent extension of our 0rrftorial dominion, more than ever es-
 shtial to our national self-defense. Tn tHnsmfttfng to the Senate the treaty or
 lSJ. President Polk pointed out as the
 n}ncipai reason for It's ratification that
 tin passage Of the Isthmus. which It was
 dt3gned to secure, would relieve hs
 rrufl a long and dangerous navigation oi
 mde than 5000 miles around Cape Horn,
 and render our communication with our neu possessions on the northwest coast ot
 A1erica comparatively easy and speedy.
 I'fIe events of the past five years nave
 Kiv6n to this consideration an importance im4easurabiy greater than 1t possessed @ m tion.the establishment of easy and speedy
 con11iunicaton by sea between the At
 lante and the Pacific presents itself not
 simriy as something to be desired. but as an 0oject to be positively and promptly attained. Reasons of convenience ha ye been superseded by reasons of vital me- cessIty. which do not admit of indefinite deiaSs.
 T0' such delays the rejection by Colon- bia of the HaysHerran treaty directly ex- posed us. As proof of this fact need only refer to the program outlined in the report of the majority of the Panama Ca nal Committee, read in the Colombian Senate on the 14th of October last. In this report, which recommended that the discussion of law to authorize the Gov ernment to enter upon new negotiations should be indefinitely postponed, it IS proposed that the consideration of the subject shoulc be deferred till October 3i, 1904. when the next Colombian Congress should have met in ordinary session. By that time. as the report goes on to say, the extension of time granted to the New PaiiaTa Canal Company by treaty in 1893 gress would be fin a position to take up the question whether the company had not, in spite of further extensions that had been granted by legislative acts, for feited all its property and rights When that time arrives the report significantly declares. "the Republic, without any ini- pediment w,il be able to contract. and will be in more clear, more definite and Ealiy and materially. The naked mean ing of this report is that Colombia pro- posed to wait until, by the enforcement of a forfeiture repugnant to the ideas Of justice which obtain in every civilized nation. the property and rights of the New Panama Canal Company should be confiscated.
 Such Is the scheme to which it was pro- posed that the United States should be invited to become a party. The construc- of hA to ho rp1ana faA tn the indefinite future, while Colombia was, by reason of her own delay, to be placed in the more adyantageous position of claiming not merely the compensation to
 fcriy millions authorized by the act of 1yW to be paid for the property of the
 Now Panama Canal Company. That tGe attempt to carry out this scheme would
 have brought Colombia into conflict with the Government of France can not be doubted nor could the United States have counted upon immunity from the conSe-
 auences of the attempt. even apart from
 he indefinite delays to which the con struction of tho canal was to be subject ed. On the first appearance of danger to
 Colombia. this Government would have
 been summoned to interpose, in order to
 give effect to the guarantees of the treaty of 1S46; and all this in support of a plan
 which. while characterized in it's first stage by the wanton disregard of our own
 highest interests. was fitly to end in fur ther injury to the citizens of friendly
 nation. whose enormous losses in their gem ous efforts to pierce the Isthmus have
 r"come a matter of history.
 In the third place, l confidently main tam that the recognition of the Republic of Fananla was an act justified by the interests of collective civilization. If ever Il Government could be said to have re-
 caivGd a mandate from civilization to of
 feet all object the accomplishment cf
 which was demanded iR the interest of
 mankind. the United States holds that
 position with regard to the interooeanIe
 canal. Since our purpose to build the canal was definitely announced. there have
 come from all quarters assurances ot
 approval and encouragement, in which
 even Colombia herself at one time par
 ticipated; sn1 to general assurances were
 added specific acts and declar' ations. In order that no ob. stacle might stand in our way. Great Britain renounced important rights under the Clayton Eulwer treaty and agreed tC ite abrogat1on, receiving in return nothing but our honorable pledge to build the canal and protect it as an oper highway. 1t was in view of this pledge
 Congress of the United States of legisla- ton to give it immediate effect, that the second Pan-Amerlcan Conference, at the City of Mexico. on January 22, 1902, adopt ed the following resolution:
 The Republics assembled at the Interna' tional Conference of Mexico applaud the purpose of the United States Government tc construct an interoceanic canal, and acknowledge that this work will not only be worthy of the greatness of the Ameri- can people, but also In the highest sense
 work of civilization, and to the greatest
 degree beneficial to the development of
 commerce between the American States
 and the othr countris of the world.
 Among those who signed this resolu- ton on behalf of their respective govern ments was General Reyes, the delegate of Colombia. Little could it have been fore
 seen that two years later the Colombian Government. led astray by false allure
 ments of selfish advantage, and forgetful alike of its international obligations and
 of the duties and responsibilities of
 sovereignty, would thwart the efforts of the United States to enter upon and com plete a work which the nations of Ameri- ca. re-echoing the sentiment of the na-
 tons of Europe, had pronounced to be not only worthy of the greatness of the
 American people" but also 'in the high est sense a work of civilization
 That our position as the mandatory oi civilization has been by no means mis- conceived is shown by the prOmptitude with which the powers have, one after another. followed our lead in recognizing Panama as an independent Slate. Oul action in recognizing the new republic
 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 1ica. Japan and Austria Hungary In view of the manifold considerations
 of treaty right and obligation. of national interest and safety. and of collective civi' liZation. by which our government was constrained to act. am at loss to com | pTehend the attitude of those who car | discern in the recognition of the Republic Of Panama only a general approval of the l principle of revolution" by which a givef government Is overturned or one portion of a country separated from another