The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1904-01-07

pass, whoSwefe most concerned as to the
new order Of things. and which the Co
ing so good that they are willing to prom
lse its unconditional ratification IL only
We will desert those who have shown
themselves our friends ard restore to
those who have shown themselves un-
friendly the power to undo what they did.
cess we ey have Sst they a would now Keep
ratify the treaty II they had the power;
discuss the possibility OF the United
States committing an act of such base
ness as to abandon the new republic of
"Third.-Finally the congress definitely
settled where the canal was to be built.
1t was provided that treaty should be
lsthmus of Panama; and If, after reason
able time, II proved impossible TO secure
such treaty that then we should go to
for 1t needs no argument to show that
the intent of the congress was to insure
canal across Panama, and that whether ,,es
New Granada, Colombia or Panama mat
tered not one whit. AS events turned
our, the question Of reasonable time did
not enter into the matter at an. Al
| though, as the months went by, It be-
game increasingly improbable that the
Colombian congress would ratify the
eGnvalent t thereto ssep vet ali chance for
such action on their part did not vanish
until the congress closed at the end OF
after the revolution in Panama had
broken out. Panama became an inde-
pendent state, and the. control Of the ter,
tSIy for 6sid ne te eenS saha
uunder which alone we could have gone
TO Nicaragua thereby became impossible
Of fulhllment. II the pending treaty with
Panama should not be ratified by the
senate, this would not alter the fact that
we could not go to Nicaragua. The con-
gress has decided the route, and there is
| no alternative under existing legislation.
The president says that after the
failure of the Colombian congress to
ratify the treaty it seemed that the gov
aqua route, and that he had made the
| original draft of his message to congress
along that line. This was one of three
alternatives that confronted the govern
! ment. Another was that the people OF
| Panama might take the protection OF
their own interests into their own hands
and establis4. a government competent
and willing to do it's share in the con-
| struction Of the canal This Is what oc-
| Cured, and made the reverting to the
| Nicaraguan route unnecessary. and, IN
| fact, impossible under the authority of
| the president as vested in him by the
| action of congress.
Report of Commander Hubbard,
The president emphatically denies that
| this government had any hand in the
| instigating of this revolution. He knew,
|
minent and the navy department took
/ necessary measures to protect american
| interests but nothing further. He gives
| copies of the orders sent to commanding
| Officers of American warships and their
| various reports upon the situation. lie
/ charges Colombia with virtually MAKING
war upon the United States at Colon, and
i quotes the report of Commander Hub
| bard. of the Nashville, dated November
| S, to sustain this charge. In this report
Commander Hubbard says, in part:
df,er Ssf of "a
| currences of the last three days in Colon
| Colombia, most respectfully invite the
departments attention to those OF ms ns
| date of Wednesday, November 4, Whicf
| amounted to practically the making OF
war against the United States by the
officer in command of the COLOMBIAN
troops in Colon. At one ,o'c clock p, m. OF
that date was summoned on shore by
preconcerted signal. and on landing me
the United States consul, vice consul am
Col. Shaler, the general superintendent
| of the Panama railroad. The consul IN
4 formed me that he had received motto
from the officer commanding the Colon I'm
project of Colon to the effect that II tn
| Colombian officers, Gems. Tobal an
Amaya, who had been seized In Panam
on the evening of the Sd of November b
the independents and held as prisoners
were not released by two o'clock p, m
he, Torres, would open fire , on the e. TOW "
citizen in the place, and my advice an
| action were requested: 1 advised that a.
the United states CltlZenS SHOulu Idk
refuge in the shed of the Panama Rail
road company, stone building suscept
ible of being put into good state for, de
tense, and that would Immediately Ian,
arming the citizens, as the complement
of the ship would permit. This wa
| agreed to and 1 Immediately returned OF
board, arriving at 1:15 p. m. The orde
for landing was Immediately given, AM
at 1:30 p. m, the boats left the ship witt
party of AZ men under the command o
/ COOnnn9nhnr y
Midshipman J. p. Jackson as second II
command. Time being pressing, | CAV
building above referred to, to put, it int
the best state of defense possible, an,
protect the lives of the citizens assembIet
there--not firing unless fired upon.
The Colombians surrounded the build
ing OF the railroad company almost i'm
mediately after we had taken possession
1 and for about one and half hours thei
attitude was most threatening, it beini
seemingly their purpose to provoke al
attack. Happily our men were cool ant
steady, and while the tension was yer.
great no shot was fired. At about 81
D. IN. Col. Torres came into the building
for an interview and expressed himsel
as most friendly to Americans, claiming
that the whole affair was a misappre
hension and that he would like to sem
the alcalde of Colon to Panama to Sc
Gen. Tobal and have him direct the dis
continuance of the show of force. spe
cial train was furnished and safe conduc
guaranteed. At about $50 p. m. Col
J. | 1OIISS HidNS pIOpOSlllOl VI WlluuId"
ing his troops to Monkey Hill, If l woult
withdraw the Nashville's force and leav
the town in possession of the police unit
the return of the alealde on the mornini
OF the 5th. After an interview with tn
/ United States consul and Col Shaler a
to the probability of good faith in tn
matter, / decided to accept the PROPOSE
ton and brought my men on board, tn
disparity in numbers. between my fore
and that of the Colomb!ans. nearly lei
to one making me DESTROYS of aYoidinj
a conflict so long as the object in view
the protection OF American citizens, wa
not lmperiled.
II am positive that the determined at
titude of our men, their GOODNESS and evi
dent intention of standing their ground
had q most salutary and decisive effec
| on the immediate situation and was tn
| initial step IN rne ultimate abandonfnt
| of Colon by these troops and their return
/, to Cartagena the following day.
81 feel that | cannot sufficiently strong
Iy represent to the department the gross
i ness OF this outrage and the insult to GU
| dignity. even apart from the savagery o
The threat"
In view of the reports OF the variou
| naval officers in Panama waters the presi
dent concludes that, instead of there hay
! ing been too much provision by the Amer
lean government for the maintenance o
order and the protection OF life and prop
| erty on the isthmus >the orders for tn
movement Of the American warships hal
been too long delayed: so. long, in fact