The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-22
EIGHT GOVERNORS OF ALABAMA
1874-t90t
No. 64-Ihe Waterways Work of Senator Morgan
Edward A. O. Neal Governor
1874-1901

sellor and advocate of the American gov
erhment.
1t is evident that this senator from
Alabama selected for himself the spe-
cialty of foreign relations for senatorial
work. The building of an isthmian canal
would necessarily involve certain treaties.
The senator singled out the isthmian
canal for his enterprise and soon knew
all the treaties by rote.
Largely, perhaps mainly on Morgan's
inslstence, the government had made re-
Gently a survey of the Nicaragua route.
The engineer was Civil Engineer Menaeol
of the navy in charge assisted by civil
Engineer r. Il. Peavy and Ensign N. j.
Chambers both of the navy. The survey
began at Greytown, on the Caribbean sea.
and terminated at Brito, on the Pacifc
coast. The line adopted was 16s miles
In length. OF this line, however, 100 miles
was along the River San Juan and over
Nicaragua lake. leaving only 80 miles of
excavation. Dredging and clearing the
river, and a course through the large and
deep lake and building a ship harbor at
Greytown, where there was none or one
insufficient. were to be considered.
The engineer reported the total cost OF
the canal at $64,04S o97, and the time nee
eseary to do the work six years.
The senator from Alabama desired to
give the support of the government to a
construction company organized to build
the canal known as the 'Maratime Canal
company" with headquarters in New
York. By treaty Nicaragua and. Costa
Rica, through whose territory the line
ran, would be stockholders The govern
ment of the United States would have
one-third of the board of 10 directors. who
would vote as representatives of the in
terest of this government. The govern
ment would indorse the bonds of the COM
psny to an amount determined on with
condition named
The transcontihental railroads were sup
posed to be hostile to an isthmian canal.
senators and representatives from the
new states of the far west were open op-
ponents of the measure. Chief among this
class. perhaps. was Senator Wolcott from
Colorado, lawyer of unusual ability In
1887 in the heat of the struggle for the
canal, Indiana sent David Turpie to the
Serate, an avowed opponent of every
project for building the work that thus
tar had been proposed Ths new senator
from Indiana was the ablest in debate
Senator Morgan had ever encountered on
the canal bill. The debate between these
two exhausted the argument, pro and con-
1t was long continued and elaborated in
every particular. The frequent speeches
were prone to grow personal, so much 50
that on one occasion Morgan felt bound
to remind his antagonist of his sense of
personal responsibility. Turpie was
equally pronounced.
After years of desperate effort led by
the senator from Alabama, Congress or
dered a resurvey of the Nicaragua route
and a survey of the bandoned French line
across the isthmus of Panama. The com
mission in charge of the two SURVEYS
led by Admiral Walker, first reported in
favor of the Nicaragua route A later ex-
animation of the Panama route, it was
claimed, led to a recall of that first re-
! . = and the substitution of one favoring
Panama.
mendation with prolonged and vehement
denunciation.
The adoption of the Panama route was
followed by the purchase by the govern
ment of the French right and all the enor-
nous remains of French machinery, build
ings, etc. The price paid was s40,0O00OO.
The French interest fell into the hands
OF lawyer of New York, Cromwell by
name Mr.. Roosevelt was then President
Morgan contended from his seat, in COM
mttee and ON every occasion that the
French managers were in collusion witt,
! Cromwell; that the French holders OF
canal bonds were defrauded and that the
bulk of the $40,000,000 was divided between
Sromwell and certain men of Paris
Inc senator from Alabama spoke on
four consecutive days. bitterly denouncine
the method of expenditure of the French
purchase fund. He had now grown weak
physically. His appearance in his place
where for many years, in full strength,
ne had ''battled to the hilt, the hilt to
the handle,' with the strongest, was most
pathetic. "Mr. President" he began, my
poor old legs refuse longer to bear me-
must crave indulgence to deliver to
the Senate what / have to say IN my
seat. The seat was near the president of
the body, and the official reporters were
near, but the orators voice was so low
that he was heard by them with diff
Guilty. The voluninous and sngularly
lucid history of the inception of the canal
and tile intricate French Involvement is
set forth in these speeches.
Still delay and hesitancy ON the part or
Colombia to treat with this government
for the canal route across the Colombian
state OF Panama prevailed
Finally it was agreed by the United
States to pay $4,000 900 for a canal zone
10 miles wide. Delay of Colombia still
hindered and incensed the government al
Washington.
TO close the situation, a secession or
Panama was effected and upon President
PoeeaHelt's recognition of the independent
seeded state the work on the canal be-
ean. I'VE needed the land and took it!''
was the exclamation of the President re-
ported.
No history of Alabama can afford to
sur over or omit what Morgan did with
out the limits of the state
J0IIN \EITIJERCp0ON I1TTpncr