The Saint Paul globe., 1904-02-24
WEDNESDAY, FEB. "a, 1904.
A NATIONS DISGRACE SEALED.

- INA IION = OlO0hNOG SEAAEOs
Of course the Panama canal treaty
was ratified yesterday by the United
States senate. Our great regret is that
Democratic votes were cast for a
measure which is the signed instru-
ment of a nations dishonor. That
considerations Of supposed commercial
advantage should have made this
country blind to the infamy set before
1t is the strongest proof yet offered of
the inroads that commercialism has
made upon the moral sense of the
American people.
There is not the poor excuse for
those who voted to ratify this treaty
that 1t was indispensable to the con-
struction of an isthmian canal. The
exact contrary is known to every
ordinarily well informed person We
could have used the Nicaragua route
at any time; the only route, be it re-
membered, that was. even thought Of
until less than two years ago. So sud-
den has been the conversion which
now assumes that it must be Panama
or nothing.
We could have had the Panama route
If we desired without dishonor. That
Colombia acted most foolishly and
against her own interests in rejecting
the treaty we may admit, without
thereby Justifying the taking of her
property by the strong hand. That
she would have reconsidered had we
turned to negotiations with Nicaragua
and Costa Riea there is not the shad-
ow of a doubt. The opportunity to her
was too important to be lost; she
merely hoped to drive a. hard bargain,
as most traders do, not supposing that
she had to deal with highwaymen.
Nothing could be more certain, then,
than that we had but to proceed along
the course indicated by the Spooner
act to secure the construction of a
canal; by the Panama route if we pre-
ferred, by the Nicaragua route if nee
essary; without delay, without being
subject to injustice ourselves and with
out committing any injustice upon an
other. The balm, therefore, laid to
their souls by those whose conscience
pricks them, that this iniquitous act
of ours is justified by the needs of the
world or Of civilization, is a f1imsy lie.
For what we deemed good and suf-
f1cient consideration we solemnIy guar
anteed the sovereignty of New Gra-
NADIA, to all of whose rights the United
States Of Colombia succeeds, over the
isthmus of Panama. We were and are
in honor bound, if she demands it. to
reduce any insurrectionary force by our
own army and navy and restore the
territory intact to her. That pledge has
never been withdrawn It binds us. on
the faith of a nation, today. Instead of
that, what have we done? If we ac-
cept the word of the administration. II
we try to believe that there were no
influences of our own secretly at work
behind the insurrection at Panama, yet
we Immediately took steps to prevent
the reassertion Of authority by Colom-
bia, notified her to that effect. and
gave to Panama the same treacherous
guarantee Of independence and terri
torial integrity that We once gave to
her rightful sovereign.
It is shameful business. Nothine
in all our career of expansion is quite
as bad as this. For mistakes or even
cruelties In hot blood can be forgiven
But now for the first time the nation
coolly and deliberately breaks its
pledge, and without the courage that
robs tyranny of some of it's horror
with the avarice of the thief and the
cowardice that hires lawyer to prove
him not guilty Of the act that he enn-