The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1904-01-08

Granada. Colombia. or Panama mat
tered not one whit. AS events turned
out, the question of reasonable time"
lid not enter into the matter at all.
Although, as the months went by, it
became increasingly improbable that
the Colombian congress would ratify
the treaty or take steps which would
be equivalent. thereto, yet all chance
for such action OH their part did not
vanish until the congress closed at the
end of October, and within three days
thereafter the revolution I'm Panama
had broken out Panama became an
independent state, and the control OF
the territory necessary for building the
canal then became obtainable. The
condition under which alone we could
have gone Ia Nicaragua thereby be-
came impossible of fulfiillment. If 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 congress
has decided the route, and there is no
alternative under existing legislation.
probable that the Colombian legisla-
ture would not ratify the treaty it be-
tame incumbent upon me to consider
well what the situation was and to be
ready to advise the congress as to
what were the various alternatives of
action open TO us. There were several
possibilities. One was that Colombia
In no
wisdom of her position. That there
might be nothing omitted, Secretary
Hay, through the minister at Bogota,
repeatedly warned Colombia that
grave consequences might follow from
her rejection of the treaty. Although
it was constantly diminishing chance,
yet the possibility Of ratification did
not wholly pass away until the close
of the session of the Colombian con-
gress.
Nest Likely Situation.
y second alternative was that by
the close of the session on the last
day of October. without the ratification
of the treaty by Colombia and without
any steps taken by Panama. the Amer
lean congress on assembling early in
November would he confronted with
situation in which there had been
failure to come to terms rs to build
ing the canal along the Panama route,
and yet there had not been Il lapse of
a reasonable time--using the word rea-
SOnablc in any proper sense-Such as
would Justify the administration going
TO the Nicaragua route This situa
ton seemed on the whole the most like
ly. and as a matter of fact had made
the original draft Of my message TO the
congress with view TO its existence.
1t was the opinion of eminent inter
national juriStS that in view of the
fact that the great design of our guar
antee under the treaty of 1876 was To
dedicate the iSthmuS To the purposes
Of intorOccanic transit. and above all To
secure the construction Of an inter
oceanic canal, Colombia could not I'M
der existing conditions refuse to enter
into proper arrangement with the
United States to that end, without VIC
lating the spirit and substantially re-
pudiating the obligations Of Il treaty
the full benefits of which she had en-
ioyed for over fifty years. My inten-
ton was TO consult the congress rs To
whether under such circumstances it
would not bc proper to announce that
the canal was TO he dug forthwith; that
we would give the terms that we had
offered and no others; and that if such
terms were not agreed To we would
enter into an arrangement with Pana-
ma direct or take what other steps
were nccdful in order to begin the en-
terprise
\ third possibility was that the peo-
pie of the iSthmuS. who had formerly
constituted an independent state, and
who until recently were united to Col
ombia only by Il loose tie of federal re-
lationship. might take the protection OF
their own vital interests into their own
hands. rcassert their former rights. de-
clare their independence upon just
grounds. and establish Il government
and willing to do its share
in this great work for civilization.
This third possibility is what actually
occurred. Everyone knew that is was
a POSSIBILITY, nut III WIS not untll 10
wards the end of October that il APP
peared TO nc an imminent probability.
Although the administration. of course.
had special means of knowledge. no
such means were necessary in order TO
the possibility. and toward
the end the likelihood. OF such rev.
outbreak and of its success.
II was n matter Of common notoriety.
Wcre the president submitted quo
tations from newspapers showing the
state of fairs on the isthmus.)
Revolution Reported Brewing.
ON Oct IL Commander Hubbard
of the navy. notified the navy depart
ment that. though things were quiet on
the isthmus. II revolution had broken
out in the state of Cauca. On Oct.
16. at the request Of Lieutenant Gen
cral Young. I saw Captain G. v. Hum
phrey and Lieutenant Grayson Mallet-
Provost Murphy. who had just re-
turned from four months tour
through the northern portions Of Ven
ezuela and Colombia. They stopped in
Panama on their return in the latter
Dart of Soptembcr At the time they