The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1921-04-28
From Il, Artiele inI

Eighteen years have elapsed since
that little international drama was
staged In Panama whose moving In
cidents paved the way for the builds
ing of the great canal and inciden-
tally. as belated aftermath, for thsSs
troublesome diplomatic rag baby
known as the Colombian treaty
When the treaty was under consid-
Grafton some seven years ago, Theo-s
i dore Roosevelt called it blackmail
+ treaty"
The treaty as it was then framed
not only provided for the payment to
4 Colombia of $25,000,000 as indemnity
{ Tor the loss of Panama, but carried in
It's opening article tender Of regrets
by the United States and their ac-.
ceptance by Colombia.
When its terms became known, Mr..
Roosevelt, in the press and on the
stump, denounced it as bald attempt
at blackmail on the part Of the CO.
iombians and as an abject confession
OF guilt on the part of the United
States government. He did not mince
words in dealing with its proposals.
He said:
The proposed treaty is crime against
the United States It is an attack upon
justified, would convict the United States
OF iniamy. 1t is a menace to the future
well being of our people. Either there
IS or is not warrant for paying this
enormous sum and for making the apol-
ogy. II there is no warrant for it-and,
OF course. not the slightest vestige of
ply the payment OF blackmail. IL there
Is warrant for it, then we have no bust
ness to be on the isthmus at all. The
payment can only be justified upon the
ground that this nation has played the
part Of thief, or OF a receiver of stolen
goods. As matter Of fact, every action
forward, but was rendered absolutely
necessary by the misconduct OF Colon-
bla. EVERY action we. took was In ac-
cordance with the highest principles of
national, international and private NOR
atty.
The treaty, with it's apologize pros
vision, died in the Senate. In Its re-
vived form it lacks the apology but
still provides for the payment of the
$2b,O0O,0O0 indemnity, the payment OF
which. as Mr.. Roosevelt has stated,
can only be made upon the basis Of
atonement Let us turn back the his
torical page for a moment, then, and
see what we have to atone for.
Ihe building of an inter- oceanic
canal had been an international dream
Tor more than half a century. A pri-
Vate French company had attempted
to build canal across the Isthmus
or Panama and had failed after ex-
pending millions Of dollars. Theodore
Roosevelt believed the canal could be
built, and should be controlled by the
United States.
The second ay-Pauncefote treaty,
ratified December 16, 1901. after
Roosevelt had acceded to the presi-
dency, gave him the necessary au-
thority to proceed. Two routes were
under consideration, one for a canal
at Nicaragua, the other to go through
the Isthmus Of Panama--that is, to
finish the construction begun by the
Wrench Panama Canal company After
many yexing delays and. discussions,
an offer was received from the French
Panama company to sell it's rights
and equipment for $4,000, 900. On
June %, 1902, the Spooner bin was
signed by President Roosevelt and be-
came law. 1t authorized the pur-
chase Of the rights of the French
company and the acquisition from the
republic of Colombia of a canal zone
through the Isthmus of Panama. In
case the negotiations for the Panama
route fell through, then the necessary
steps Were to be taken to construct
the canal through Nicaragua.
To understand the Colombian end
of the deal, 1t will be necessary to
outline briefly the political situation
there at that time and the relations
then existing peween Colombia and
the state or provine OF Panama. The
government of Colombia was pra ctf-
cally in the control Of one mani.
M. Marroquin-by title president. in
actual power an absolute dictator, by
virtue of a coup d'etat. Colombia
was loosely knit confederacy Of
states driven together by force and
military usurpation. Panama was q
perpetually insurgent state. BY
constitution to which it had sub
scribed in 1863 it had been invested
with absolute and unqualified SOW
ereignty." But in 1886 Rafael Nunez.
president Of Colombia, arbitrarily de-
clared that "the constitution of 1863