Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1904-01-11

1t appears that the fact that there
directly due to the prompt and firm
enforcement by the United States of
fits traditional policy to protect tran
sit. During the past forty years revolu-
tiOns and attempts at revolution have
succeeded one another with monOtOns
Gus regularity on the isthmus, and
again and again United States sailors
and marines have been landed as they
were landed in this instance and
under similar instructions to protect
transit. One of these revolutions re-
suited in three years of warfare; and
the aggregate of blOodshed and misery
caused by them has been i-CaiGulable.
"The TACT that in this last revo1 ution
not life was lost, save tina. If the
man killed by the shells of the Co
lombian gunboat, and no property de-
stroyed, was due to the action which
/ have described" says the president.
1--WE policed the isthmus in the in
terest of its 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 destruction of
property; all of which was avoided by
the firmness and prudence with which
Commander Hubbard carried out his
orders and prevented either party
from attacking the other. Our action
was for the peace both of Colombia
and of Panama. 1t is earnestly to be
hoped that there will be no unwise
conduct on our part which may en-
courage Colombia to embark on a war
which can not result in her regaining
control of the isthmus, but which NAV
cause much bloOdshed and suffering.
We Had No Guilty Part.
81 hesitate to- refer to the injurious
insinuations which have been made
of completely by. this government ia
the revolutionary movement in Pan
anna. They are as destitute of founda-
ton as of propriety. The only eXcust
for my mentioning them is the fear
lest unthinking persons might mistake
for acquiescence the silence of mere
self-respect. l think proper to say,
therefore, that no one connected with
this government had any part in pre-
pairing, melting, or encouraging the
late revolution on the isthmus, and
that save from the reports of our
military and naval officers, given
above, no one. connected with this
government had any previous knowl-
edge of the revolution except such as
was accessible to any person of
ordinary intelligence who read the
newspapers and kept up a current
acquaintance with public affairs. BY
the unanimous action of its people,
without the firing of a shot-with a
unanimity hardly before recorded ia
any similar case--the people of Pan
anna declared themselves an in
dependent republic. Their TecOgni-
ton by this government was based
upon a state of facts in no way de-
pendent for its justification upon our
action in ordinary cases. have not
denied, nor do l wish to deny, either
the validity or the propriety of the
general rule that a new state should
not be recognized as independent. till
it has shown its ability TO maintain!
its independence. This rule is derived
from the principle of nonintervention,
and as a corollary of that principle1
has generally been observed by the
United States. But, like the principle
from which it is 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 instance. These reasons en-
brace, first, our treaty rights; second,
our national interests and safety; and.
third the interests of collective
civilization" and the president makes
brief argument to explain these
reasons.
That our position as the mandatory
of civilization has been by no means
misconceived is shown. says the presi-
dent, by the promptitude with which
the powers have, one. after
another, followed our lead
in recognizing Panama as an indie.
pendent state. Our action in recOg-
nizing the new republic has. been fol
lowed by like recognition on the part
of France, Germany, Denmark, Rus
STA, Sweden and' Norway, Nicaragua,
Peru, China, Cuba, Great Britain,
Italy, Costa Rica, Japan and Austria
Hungary.
ct would be we'll for those who are
pessimistic as to our action in peace
fully recognizing THE republic OF
Panama while we lawfully protected
the transit from invasion and dis
turbance, to recall" continues the
president, what has been done in
Cuba, where we INTERVIEWED EVEN by
force on general grounds of national
interest and duty. When we inter
fered it was freely prophesied that we
intended to keep Cuba and administer
it for our own interests. The result
IL -. ,Tr,v.I .~