The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1904-01-14
SPECIAL PANAMA MESSAGE.

direction of an overgenerosity to-
wards the Colombian government. In
Our anxiety to be fair we had gone to
the very verge in yielding to weak
nations demands what the nation was
helplessly unable 10 enforce from US
against our will. The only criticism
made upon the administration for the
terms Of the FayHerran treaty were
for having granted TOO much 20 Coiom-
bia, not for failure to grant enough.
Neither in the Congress nor in the
public press, at the time that this
treaty was formulated, were here COM
plants that it did not in the fullest
and amplest manner guarantee to Co
lombia everything that she could by
any color of title demand.
Nor is the fact to be lost sight of
that the rejected treaty, while geneT-
ously responding to the pecuniary de-
mands of Colombia, in other respects
merely provided for the construction
of the canal in conformity with the ex-
pressed requirements Of the act Of
Congress of June %, 1902. BY that act,
as heretofore quoted, the President
was authorized to acquire from Co
lombia, for the purposes OF the canal
perpetual control" Of a certain strip
of land and it was expressly required
that the control" thus to be obtained
shoul include Jurisdiction to make
police and sanitary regulatins and to
establish such judicial tribunals as
might be agreed upon their enforce
ment. These were conditions prece-
dent prescribed by the Congress; and
for their fulfillment suitable stlpula-
tions were embodied in the treaty. 1t
has been stated in public prints that
Colombia objected to these stipula-
tions, on the ground that they iEvolv-
ed a REIMBURSEMENT Of her sovereign
ty;" but in the light Of what has
taken place, this alleged objection
must be considered as an after
thought. In reality, the treaty. in
stead OF requiring a cession Of Colon
bias sovereignty over he canal strip,
expressly acknowledged. confirmed,
and preserved her sovereignty over
it. The treaty in this respect simply
proceeded on the lines on which all
the negotiations leadingup tothe pres
ent situation have been conducted. In
those negotiations the exercise by the
United States, subject to the para
mount rights CT the local sovereign,
of a substantial control over the canal
and the Immediately adjacent terrific
ry, has been treated aS a fundament-
al part CT any arrangement that might
be made. 1t has formed an essential
feature for ell Our plans, and its ne
cessity is fully recognized in the Hay
Pauncefote treaty. The Congress, in
providing that such control should be
secured. adopted no new principle.
but only incorporated in it legisia-
ton, the Importance and propriety
of which were universally recognized.
During all the years of negotiation
and discussion that preceded the con-
clusion OF the Hay-Herran treaty,
Colombia never intimated that the re-
quirement by the United States of
control over the canal strip would
render unattainable the construction
of canal by way of the lsthmus OF
Panama: nor were advised, during
the months when legislation Of 1902
was pending before the Congress, that
the terms which it embodied would
render negotiations with Colombia
impracticable 1t is plain hat no na-
tion could construct and guarantee
the neutrality CT the canal with less
degree of control than was stipulated
for in the Hay-Hcrran treaty. A re-
fusal to grant such degree Of control
was necessarily a refusal to make any
practical treaty at all. Such refusal
therefore squarely raised the question
whether Colombia was entitled to bar
the transit of the worlds traffic
across the IsthmuS.
That the canal itself was eagerly de-
manded by the people Of the locality
through which it was to pass, and that
the people Of this locality no less ca
Gerly longed for its construction under
American control, are shown by the
unanimity of action in the new Pana-
ma Republic. Furthermore, Colombia,
after having rejected the treaty in
spite of our protests and warnings
when it was in her power to accept it,
has since shown the utmost eagerness
to accept the same treaty if only the
status quo could be restored. One Of the
men standing highest in the official
circles of Colombia, on November 6,
addressed the American minister at
Bogota. saying that if the Government
Of the United States would land troops
to preserve Colombian sovereignty and
the transit, the Colombian Government
would declare martial law; and, by
virtue of vested constitutional authori-
ty. when public order is disturbed,
(would) approve by decree the ratifi-
cation of the canal treaty as signed;
or, if the Government Of the United
States prefers. (would) call extra ses-
sion of the Congress-with new and
friendly members-neXt May to ap-
prove the treaty" Having these facts
il view, there is no shadow Of ques-
ton that the Government OF the United
States proposed treaty which was not
merely just, but generous to Colombia.
which our people regarded as errjng,
il at ALL en- the side Of overgencrosity;
which was hailed with delight by the
people of the immediate locality
through which the canal was to pass,
who were most concerned as to the
new order Of things, and which the