The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-01-05

Jul his oIuefs anu prevented eilutT party
from attacking the other. Our action
was for the peace both Of Colombia and
of Panama. II is earnestly to be hoped
that there will be no unwise conduct on
our part which may encourage Colombia
to embark on war which can not re-
suit in her regaining control of the 18TH
mus, but which may cause much blood
shed and suffering.
Injurious lnsinuaton.
I hesitate to refer to the injurious in
situations which have been made of COM
plicity by this government in the revolu-
tionary movement In Panama. They
are as destitute of foundation as of pro-
prtety. The only excuse for my mention
ing them is the fear lest unthinking per-
sons might mistake for acquiescence the
silence of mere self-respect. l think
proper to say, therefore. that no one
connected with the government had any
part In preparing, melting, or encourage
ing the late revolution on the Isthmus of
Panama, and that save from the reports
OF our military and naval officers. given
above, no one connected with this gov
eminent had any previous knowledge of
the revolution except such as was
cessible to any person of ordinary intel
llgence who read the newspapers and
kept up q current acquaintance with pub
lie affairs
BY the unanimous action of its people,
without the firing of a shot-with a
unanimity hardly before recorded in any
similar case-the people Of Panama de-
ciafed themselves an independent repub-
lie Their recognition by this govern
ment was based upon state of facts in
no way dependent for its justification
upon Our action in ordinary cases. ] have
not denied. nor do ] wish to deny either
70 4
eral rule that new state should not be
recognized as independent till It has
shown its ability to maintain it's indie
pendenee. This rule Is derived from the
principle of nonintervention. and as
corollary of that principle has generally
been observed by the United States But,
like the principle from which 1t is de-
Quoted, the rule is subject to exceptions;
and there are in my opinion clear and
IMPERATIVE reasons why departure from
1t was Justified and even required in the
present instance These reasons en-
brace. first. our treaty rights; second.
our national interests and safety; and,
thlrd the interests of collective civiliza-
ton
The Treaty of 1916.
have already adverted to the treaty
of 1916, by the thirty-ffth article of
which the United States secured the right
to free and open transit across the
lsthmns of Panama and to that enn
agreed to guarantee to New Granada her
rights of sovereignty and property over
that territory. This article is some times
discussed as If the latter guarantee con-
stituted its sole object and bound the
United States to protect the sovereignty
OF New Granada against domestic revo-
luton. Nothing, however, could be more
erroneous than this superstition That
our wise and patriotic ancestors, with
all their dread of entangling alliances.
would have entered into a 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 state of New Granada,
Venezuela and Ecuador. to continue
from Bogota TO rule over the Isthmus of
Panama, is conception that would in
itself be incredible, even If the contrary
did not clearly appear 1t is true that
since the treaty was made the United
States has again and again been obliged
forcibly to intervene for the preserva-
ton of order and the maintenance of an
open transit. and that this intervention
has usually operated to the advantage of
the ttular government of Colombia, but
1t Is equally true that the United States
in intervening, with or without Colom-
bias consent, for the protection of the
transit. has disclaimed any duty to de-
feDd the Colombian government against
domestic insurrection or against the
erection of an independent government on
the 1sthmus of Panama The attacks
against which the United States en-
gagged to protect New Granadan SOW
eregnty were those of foreign powers
but this enga cement was only a means
to the accomplishment of yet more i'm
portant end. The great design of the
article was to assure the dedication of the
isthmus to the purpose of free and UNI
obstructed interoceanic transit, the con-
summation of which would be found in
an interoceanic canal. To the accom-
plishment of this object the government
of the United States had for years direct
ed its diplomacy. 1t occupied a place in
the instructions to our delegates to the
Panama congress during the administra-
ton of John Quincy Adams. 1t formed
the subject of a resolution Of the senate
in 1895. and of the house of representa-
tives in 1899 In 1916 its Importance had
become still more apparent by reason of
the Mexican war. If the treaty of 1916
did not in terms bind New Granada to
grant reasonable concessions for the
construction of means of interoceanic
communication 1t was only because it
was not imagined that such concessions
would ever be withheld. As 1t was ex-
pressly agreed that the United States,
in consideration of its onerous guarantee
of New Granadian sovereignty, should
possess the right of free and open transit
on any modes of communication that
might be constructed. the obvious intent
! of the treaty rendered 1t unnecessary,
| If not superfuous, in terms to stpulate
| that permission for the construction of
such modes of communication should not
| be denied,
BY U. S. or Not at ALL
| Long before the conclusion of the Hay
! Herran treaty the course OF events had
shown that a canal to connect the At
| lantic and Pacific oceans must be built
| by the United States or not at all Elk
| perience had demonstrated that private
| enterprise was utterly inadequate for
| the purpose. and fixed policy. declared
! by the United States ON many memora-
! BILE occasions and supported by the
practically unanimous voice of American
opinion. had rendered it morally impos-
sible that the work should be undertaken
| by European powers, either singly or in
| combination. Such were the universally
| recognized conditions on which the legs-
| ation of the congress was based, and on
which the late negotiations with Colom-
| bia were begun and concluded. Never
| theless. when the wel-considered agree
| ment was rejected by Colombia and the
revolution on the isthmus ensued, one OF
Colombia's first acts was to invoke the
intervention of the United States nor
confined to this government alone. BY a
| telegram from Mr.. Beaupre. our minister
| at Bogota. of the 18th of November last,
| we were informed that General Reves