The Kemper herald. (Scooba, Miss.) 1875-1908, 1904-01-07

Panama; nor were we advised, during
the months when legislation of 1905
was pending before the Congress
that the terms which 1t embodied
would render negotiations with Co
lombia impracticable. II Is plain tha,
no nation could construct and guar.
antee the neutrality of the canal with
a less degree of control than was stip.
ulated for in the Hay-Herran treaty.
A refusal to grant such degree Of con.
troll was necessarily refusal to make
any practicable treaty at all. Such re
fusal therefore squarely raised the
question whether Colombia was enti.
tied to bar the transit of the worlds 8
traffic across the isthmus.
That the canal itself was eagerly
demanded by the people of the locality
through which 1t was to pass. and
that the people of this locality no less
eagerly longed for its construction un-
der American control are shown by
the unanimity of action in the new
Panama republic. Furthermore, Co.
lombia. after having rejected the trea-
ty in spite Of onr protests and warn
ings when it was in her power to
accept it, has since shown the utmost
eagerness to accept the same treaty
IL only the status quo could be re-
stored. One Of the men standing high.
est in the official circles Of Colombia,
on November 6, addressed the Ameri-
can minister at Bogota, saying that II
the government of the United States
would land troops to preserve Co
lombian sovereignty and the transit,
the Colombian government would de-
clare martial law; and. by virtue Of
vested constitutional authority, when
public order is disturbed, (would) ap-
prove by decree the ratification of
the canal treaty as signed; or, II the
government Of the United States pre-
fers, (would) call extra session Of the
Congress-with new and friendly mem
bers-next May to approve the treaty"
Third. Finally the Congress defin-
itely settled where the canal was to be
built. 1t was provided that q treaty
should be made for building the canal
across the Isthmus of Panama; and
II, after reasonable time it proved Inn
possible to secure such treaty. that
then we should go to Nicaragua. The
treaty has been made; for it needs no
argument to show that tho intent of
the Congress was to insure q canal
across across Panama, and that
whether the republic granting the title
was called New Granada, Colombia or
Panama, mattered not one whit. As
events turned out, the question OF
reasonable time" did not enter into
the matter at all. Although, as the
months went by, it became increasing.
ly improbable that the Colombian Con.
gress would ratify the treaty or take
steps which would be equivalent there.
to. 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 in Panama had broken out.
Panama became an Independent state,
and the control of the territory neces.
sary for building the canal then be.
came obtainable. The condition under
which alone we could have gone to
Nicaragua thereby became impossible
OF fulfillment. 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 Nicara-
qua. The Congress has decided the
route. and there is no alternative un.
der existing legislation.
During the past forty years revolu.
tions and attempts at revolution have
succeeded one another with monoton-
GUS regularity on the Isthmus, and
again and again United States sailors
and marines have been landed under
instructions to protect the transit. One
OF these revolutions resulted in three
years OF warfare; and the aggregate
of bloodshed and misery caused by
them has been incalculable. The fact
that in this last revolution not a life
was lost, save that of the man killed
by the shells of the Colombian gun
boat, and no property destroyed, was
due to the action which have de-
scribed. We. in effect, policed the 18th
mus in the interest of it's inhabitants
and OF our own national needs. and for
the good of the entire civilized world.
Failure to act as the administration
acted would have meant great waste
OF life. great suffering. great destruc.
ton of property; all of which was
avoided by the firmness and prudence