given repeatedly in the utterances of Presidents and Secof State. Secretary Cass in 1858 officially stated the position Government as follows: New Granada This was as a hundred years, e here, the canal se years it has be e progress of events has rendered the interoceanic route across row portion of Central America vastly important to the comworld, and especially to the United States, whose possessions along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, and demand the speedieasiest modes of communication. While the rights of sovy of the states occupying this region should always be ed, we shall expect that these rights be exercised in a spirit g the occasion and the wants and circumstances that have Sovereignty has its duties as well as its rights, and none of cal governments, even if administered with more regard to demands of other nations than they have been, would be perin a spirit of Eastern isolation, to close the gates of intercourse great highways of the world, and justify the act by the prethat these avenues of trade and travel belong to them and that pose to shut them, or, what is almost equivalent, to encumber ith such unjust relations as would prevent their general use.' years later, in 1865, Mr. Seward in different communicaok the following position: e United States have taken and will take no interest in any ney-General Speed, under date of November 7, 1865, advised n this treaty it can not be supposed that New Granada invited t too far in their for in our s s to her desires in d ent of Colombia n appear that the Go - was as against other and foreign governments.” years, ever since shortly after the discovery of canal across the Isthmus has been planned. has been worked at. When made it is to last > alter the geography of a continent and the rld. We have shown by every treaty we have ed to negotiate with the peoples in control of foreign nations in reference thereto our con›bserving our obligations; on the one hand to thmus, and on the other hand to the civilized cial rights we are safeguarding and guaranWe have done our duty to others in letter have shown the utmost forbearance in exacting the act above referred to, a treaty concluded tatives of the Republic of Colombia and of our fied by the Senate. This treaty was entered icitation of the people of Colombia and after a inted by our Government especially to go into tes across the Isthmus had pronounced unanine Panama route. In drawing up this treaty made to the people and to the Government of - more than just in dealing with them. Our as to make it a serious question whether we r in their interest at the expense of our own; in our scrupulous desire to pay all possible d, not merely to the real but even to the fan1 rights of our weaker neighbor, who already I protection and forbearance, we yielded in all lesires in drawing up the treaty. Nevertheless Colombia not merely repudiated the treaty, but manner as to make it evident by the time the adjourned that not the scantiest hope remained isfactory treaty from them. The Government e treaty, and yet when the Colombian Congress t the vote against ratification was unanimous. hat the Government made any real effort to Revolution in Immediately after the adjournment of the Congress a revolution broke out in Panama. The people of Panama had long been discontented with the Republic of Colombia, and they had been kept quiet only by the prospect of the conclusion of the treaty, which was to them a matter of vital concern. When it became evident that the treaty was hopelessly lost, the people of Panama rose literally as one man. Not a shot was fired by a single man on the Isthmus in the interest of the Colombian Government. Not a life was lost in the accomplishment of the revolution. The Colombian troops stationed on the Isthmus, who had long been unpaid, made common cause with the people of Panama, and with astonishing unanimity the new Republic was started. The duty of the United States in the premises was clear. In strict accordance with the principles laid down by Secretaries Cass and Seward in the official documents above quoted, the United States gave notice that it would permit the landing of no expeditionary force, the arrival of which would mean chaos and destruction along the line of the railroad and of the proposed canal, and an interruption of transit as an inevitable consequence. The de facto Government of Panama was recognized in the following telegram to Mr. Ehrman: Course of "The people of Panama have, by apparently unanimous movement, dissolved their political connection with the Republic of Colombia and resumed their independence. When you are satisfied that a de facto government, republican in form and without substantial opposition from its own people, has been established in the State of Panama, you will enter into relations with it as the responsible government of the territory and lock to it for all due action to protect the persons and property of citizens of the United States and to keep open the isthmian transit, in accordance with the obligations of existing treaties governing the relations of the United States to that territory." The Government of Colombia was notified of our action by the following telegram to Mr. Beaupré: "The people of Panama having, by an apparently unanimous movement, dissolved their political connection with the Republic of Colombia and resumed their independence, and having adopted a Government of their own, republican in form, with which the Government of the United States of America has entered into relations, the President of the United States, in accordance with the ties of friendship which have so long and so happily existed between the ›bligations, but by the interests of civilization, ful traffic of the world across the Isthmus of iger be disturbed by a constant succession of eful civil wars." happened, fifty-seven years had elapsed since ad entered into its treaty with New Graime the Governments of New Granada and is successor, Colombia, have been in a constant e of flux. The following is a partial list of disturbances on the Isthmus of Panama during as reported to us by our consuls. It is not plete list, and some of the reports that speak t mean unsuccessful revolutions. tbreak; two Americans killed. War vessel tbreak. volutionary plot to bring about independence volution in four southern provinces. -Outbreak at Chagres. Man-of-war requested surrection at Bogota, and consequent disturbar vessel demanded. litical disturbances; war vessel requested. tempted revolution. -Independence of Isthmus demanded by pro anding of United States forces in consequence. tervention of the United States forces required Insurrection and civil war. asures to prevent rebels crossing Isthmus. osquera's troops refused admittance to Panama. volution, and United States troops landed. March, 1866.-Unsuccessful revolution. April, 1867.-Attempt to overthrow Government. July 5, 1868.-Revolution; provisional government inaugurated. August 29, 1868.-Revolution; provisional government overthrown. April, 1871.-Revolution; followed apparently by counter revo lution. April, 1873.-Revolution and civil war which lasted to October, 1875 August, 1876.—Civil war which lasted until April, 1877. December, 1878.-Revolt. June, 1884.-Revolutionary attempt. April, 1887.-Disturbance on Panama Railroad. January, 1895.-Revolution which lasted until April. March, 1895.-Incendiary attempt. October, 1899.-Revolution. February, 1900, to July, 1900.-Revolution. January, 1901.-Revolution. July, 1901.-Revolutionary disturbances. September, 1901.-City of Colon taken by rebels. July, 1902.-Revolution. The above is only a partial list of the revolutions, rebellions, insurrections, riots, and other outbreaks that have occurred during the period in question; yet they number 53 for the 57 years. It will be noted that one of them lasted for nearly three years before it was quelled; another for nearly a year. In short, the experience of over half a century has shown Colombia to be utterly incapable of keeping order on the Isthmus. Only the active interference of the United States has enabled her to preserve so much as a semblance of sovereignty. Had it not been for the exercise by the United States of the police power in her interest, her connection with the Isthmus would have been sundered long ago. In 1856, in 1860, in 1873, in 1885, in 1901, and again in 1902, sailors and marines from United States war ships were forced to land in order to patrol the Isthmus, to protect life and property, and to see that the transit across the |
