Mower County transcript., 1904-01-13

fOneous than this suppOsition. That
our wise and patriotic ancestors, with
an their dread Of entangling alliances,
would have entered into a treaty with
New Granada solely or even primarily
for the purpose Of enabling that rem
nant of the original republic Of Co
lombia, then resolved into the states of
New Granada, Venezuela, and Ecua-
dor, to continue from Bogota to rule
over the Isthmus of Panama, is con-
ception that would in itself be incred-
able, even if the contrary did not clear
~ appear. 1t is true that since the
treaty was made the United States has
again and again been obliged forcibly
TO intervene for the preserva ton of Or
der and the maintenance of an open
transit, and that this Intervention has
usually operated to the advantage of
the tltutlar government of Colombia,
but it is equally true that the United
States in intervening. with or without
Colombla's consent, for the protection
OF the transit, has dicclaimed any duty
to defend the Colombian government
against domestic insurrection or
against the erection of an. independent
government on the Isthmus of Pana-
ma. The attacks against which the
United States engaged to protect New
Granadlan sovereignty were those of
foreign powers; but this engagement
was only means to the accomplish
ment of yet more important end. The
great design of the article was to as
sure the dedication Of the isthmus to
the purposes of free and unobstructed
1nteroceanic transit, the consummation
of which would be found in an inter-
oceanic canal.
(The president then says that the OBJ.
ject of all our diplomacy for years has
been the construction of this canal.
and that it's construction is, a matter
OF vital interest to the United States
He refers to the rejection of the Uav-
Herran treaty, and says that there
after one of Colombia's first acts was
to invoke the intervention of the United
States to put down the Panama re-
bellion, and says)
Here was direct solicitation to the
United States to intervene for the pur-
pose Of suppressing, contrary to the
treaty of 1916, as this government has
uniformly construed it, a new revolt
against Colombia's s authority brought
about by her own refusal to permit the
fulfillment of the great design for
which that treaty was made. 1t was
under these circumstances that the
United States, instead of using it's
forces to destroy those who sought to
make the engagements of the treaty
reality, recognized them as the
proper custodians of the sovereignty
of the isthlnus.
Ask to Violate the Treaty.
Gle declares that 1.-The recognition Of
the republic OF Panama was an act
justified by the interests of collective
civilization" and proceeds:
That our position as the manda tary
of civilization has been by no means
misconceived is shown by the prompti-
tude with which the powers have, one
after another, followed our lead in
recognizing Panama as an independent
state. Our action in recognizing the
new republic has been followed by like
recognition on the part Of France, Ger
many. Denmark, Russia, Sweden and
Norway, Nicaragua, Peru, China, Cuba,
Great Britain, Italy, Costa Rica, Japan,
and Austria Hungary.
Co1ombia's Policy of Delay. :;
(He then refers to the orders of the
Colombian senate after the rejection
of the Hay-Herron treaty, which laid
out policy Of delay, and refers to it
as follows):
Such is the scheme to which it was
proposed that the United States should
be invited to become a party. The
construction of the canal was to be
relegated to the indefinite future, while
Colombia was, by reason of her own
delay, to be placed in the more ad-
vantageous'' position of claiming not
merely the compensation to be paid
by the United States for the privilege
of completing the canal, but also the
$4O,O0O,OOO authorized by the act Of
1902 to be paid for the property of the
New Panama Canal company. That
the attempt to carry out this scheme
would have brought Colombia into con-
f1ict with the government of France
can not be doubted; nor could the
United States have counted upon i'm.
munity from the consequences of the
attempt, even apart from the indefinite
delays to which the construction Of the
canal was to be subjected On the
first appearance of danger to Colon
bia, this government would have been
summoned to interpose.in order to give
effect to the guarantees of the treaty
of 1864; 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 further injury to the citizens Of
friendly nation. whose enormous
losses in, their generous efforts to
pierce the isthmus have become mat
ter of history.
(The president closes as follows): =.
Meanwhile. the only question now
before lis is that of tho ratification of
the treaty. For il is TO be remembered