The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1904-01-07
THE PRESIDENTS LATEST WORD

Panama ana or the part this govern
ment played in the matter must be &C
cepted ~ conclusive, unless our ex-
ecutve il to be called liar 1t would
be the grossest kind of insult, in the face
Of his statement that he had no hand in
in the assertion or the insinuation that
he had.
Moreover, while the question of the
ACCESSIBILITY of his entire course in the
matter may be still open to dispute, we
are inclined to the opinion that his
personal good faith in the matter il not
to be questioned His arguments still
fail to clear up absolutely the point rs
to whether the extremely prompt recog-
milton Of the Independence of Panama
might not legitimately lay us open to
the charge OF snatchng Mt any straw
which might aid the building OF the
canal. But after u careful perusnl OF
his last special message we hesitate to
believe that he acted contrary to the
dictates Of his own conscience or to his
honest personal opinion Of the right and
wrong OF the matter. He handles the
entire subject frankly and with APP
parent fearlessness. Az far ~ we can
judge the message bears the stamp OF
sincerity.
But the whole matter OF international
law and procedure is, after ALL based
upon the question OF expediency, with
out regard to technical rights or wrongs
In fact, first rights to territories and
powers have been so often violated as
to have become entirely oblterated and
it is impossible in any case to go back
far enough to rediscover them Dis
putes between nations have largely to
be adjusted according to the balance
of power" theory, or according to no
theory whatever except the old print
tive one that might makes right" In
view Of this very evident fact, certain
speciousness of view in some of the
President \ fundamental propositions, in
tho matter OF the recognition of the
Republic of Panama. may be leniently
dealt with. Certainly the argument of
critical expediency must be far more
potent factor in practical case. such
IA This one, than in a purely abstract
moral problem.
1t is this matter Of critical expedency
that the president relies upon for his
entire excuse or explanation. This will
be seen 10y the following significant
passage in his message
by the unanimous action of its people
without the firing OF IA shot with u
uuanimity hardly before recorded in
any similar case the people Of Panama
declared themselves nm independent re-
public. Their recognition by this govern
nent was based upon IA state of facts in
10 way dependent for its justification
upon our action in ordinary cases |
have not denied. nor do wish to deny
either the validity or the propriety of
the general rule that new state should
not be recognized ~ independent till ii
has shown it's ability To maintain its in
dependence. This rule il derived from
the principle of nou-interventiou, and
~ II corollary Of that principle has
generally been observed by the United
States. But. like the principle from
which 1t IL deduced the rule is subject
to exceptions: and there are in my
opinion clear and imperative reasons
why "A departure from it WAS justified
and even required in the present in
stance Thes. reasons embrace, first,
our treaty rights; second, our national
interests and safety and, third, the in
terests of collective civilization
have already adverted to the treaty
of 1910, by the thirty fifth article of
which the United States secured the
right to free and open transit across
the isthmus of Panama and to that end
agreed to guarantee to New Granada
hor rights Of sovereignty and property
over that territory. This article IL
sometimes discussed ~ if the latt.
guarantee constituted its sole object and
bound the United States to protect the
sovereignty of New Granada against do.
nestle revolution Nothing, however,
could be more erroneous than this
supposition That our wise and patrio
tic ancestors, with all their dread Of on
tanglipg alliances. would have entered
into II treaty with New Granada solely
or even primarily for the purpose of
enabling that remnant Of the original
republic Of Colombia then resolved into
the states Of New Granada, Venezuela
and Ecuador, TO continue from Bogota
to rule over the isihmus Of Panama, il
a conception that would in itself be in
credible, even If the contrary did not
clearly appear.
While possibly the Presidents in
terpretatiun Of the meaning of the
treaty with New Granada may be con
mere Interpretation, and not
In agreement with the actual language
Of the treaty yet the following remarks
certainly sound very plausible, to say .
the least
Finally the Congress definitely settled
where the canal wtts to be built II was
provided that treaty should he made
Tor binding the canal across the Iath.
mus II Panama and II, after reasonable
inc, II proved impn~ribr TO secure
'nch treaty that then We should 70 Ia
Nicaragua I'll. treaty has been made