The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-10-25

New York. Oct. 2o.-Under the aus
pices of the reform club. a Democratic
mass meeting was held here tonight at
Carnegie hall at which Senator Charles
A. Culberson OF Texas. Governor An
drew Montague. OF Virginia. n Bor-
ouga. President Martin W. Littleton,
OF Brooklyn. were speakers.
Senator Culberson devoted the great
er portion OF his remarks 10 q discus
sion OF the Panama canal. Abiding
TO what he termed The spirit Of law
~lessness which led the President, in this
d~isy-aceful AFFAIR" he declared that the
transaction. above all others in HE ca
reer. strikingly typifes his contempt
OF al legal restraint and his insatia-
BILE passion for personal and arbitrary
government"
Senator Culberson sketched the course
of events in the passage by Congress
of the bill known as the "Spooner
law" authorizing the anal and
charged thai the President in his course
with Colombia "dehantly violated botn
the Hay-Herran treaty. IL not nullified
the Hay-Herran traty. IL not nullifed
BY the unanimous vote of tbs Colom-
bian senate disappearing IL. expired
by limitation upon the failure OF CO.
lomoia to approve IL within the time
liked for its ratification.
After quoting from the Presidents
messages in support OF this statement.
Senator Culberson read the following
letter from Secretary Hay 70 Minister
-
published:
Washington, Jan. q. 1908.
Dear DIR. Herran:
II am directed by the President to
say to you that in his opinion the 'rea-
sonable time allowed him by the sat-
ute 10 conclude negotiations with Co
lombfa for the construction OF an Is.n-
milan canal has come TO a close. and
cannot be extended. He authorizes
me to sign with you the treaty OF
which / have the honor to give you q
draft with this change, that the sum OF
100000 annual payment therein mea-
toned be increased to $250,o00. / am
not authorized 10 consider or discuss
any other change whatever. -"
(signed) JOHN HAY"
Il accept as true thatthe executive
ogicers Of the administration did notos-
ficfally and publicly instigate the re-
volt in Panama, but that the admins
t~ration. including the President, pri-
vately favored and encouraged the
movement and that his was widely
known is susceptible of demonstration.
an. in a matter Of this character 1t was
tatamount 10 committing the govern
ment TO it,"
Senator Culberson then read the fol-
lowing letter TO DIR. Albert Shaw, edl-
tor OF The Review OF Reviews:
white House.
Washington. October 10. 1904.
"My Dear DR.. Shaw:
Il enclose you purely for your own
information, 0 OF a letter OF Sep
tember 8, from our minister TO Colom-
bia- / think It might interest you TO see
that there was absolutely not h
slightest chance OF securing by treaty
any more thar we endeavored TO secure.
Alternatives were 10 go TO Nicaragua,
against the advice Of the great majority
OF competent engineers-some OF Tho
most competent saying that we had
better have no ana at this time thai
go there-or else TO take the territory
by force without any attempt at get
ting a eat / cast aside the prcpo~
sition made al this time 10 foment
the secession Of Panama. Whatever
other governments can do, the United
States cannot 20 into the securing by
such underhand means. the cession.
Privately, I freely say to 20 uthat I
should be delighted IL Panama were
an independent state or II IL made itself
so at this moment: but for me TO say
so publicly would amount 10 an insti-
CATION OF a revolt. and therefore I can
not say IL.
with great regard.
Sincerely yours,