POLICY DICTATED BY NECESSITY

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sign of abating, have tended to grow more numerous and more serious in the immediate past.

"Fifth-That the control of Colombia over the Isthmus of Panama could not be maintained without the armed intervention and assistance of the United States.

"In other words, the government of Colombia, though wholly unable to maintain order on the Isthmus, has nevertheless declined to ratify a treaty the conclusion of which opened the only chance to secure its own stability and to guarantee permanent peace on and the construction of a canal across the Isthmus.

"Under such circumstances the Government of the United States would have been guilty of folly and weakness amounting in their sum to a crime against the nation had it acted otherwise than it did when the revolution of November 3 last took place in Panama. This great enterprise of building the interoceanic canal cannot be held up to gratify the whims, or out of respect to the government impotence, or to the even more sinister and evil political peculiarities, of people, who, though they dwell afar off, yet, against the wish of the actual dwellers on the Isthmus, assert an unreal supremacy over the territory. The possession of a territory fraught with such peculiar capacities as the Isthmus in question carries with it obligations to mankind. The course of events has shown that this canal cannot be built by private enterprise, or by any other nation than our own, therefore it must be built by the United States.

"Every effort has been made by the Government of the United States to persuade Colombia to follow a course which was essentially not only to our interests and to the interests of the world, but to the interests of Colombia itself. These efforts have failed, and Colombia, by her persistence in repulsing the advances that have been made, has forced us, for the sake of our own honour, and of the interest and wellbeing, not merely of our own people, but of the people of the Isthmus of Panama and the people of the civilised countries of the world, to take decisive steps to bring to an end a condition of affairs which had become intolerable. The new Republic of Panama immediately offered to negotiate a treaty with us. By it our interests are better safeguarded than in the treaty with Colombia, which was ratified by the Senate at its last session. It is better in its terms than the treaties offered to us by the republics of Nicaragua and Costa Rica. At last the right to begin this great undertaking

is made available. Panama has done her part. All that remains is for the American Congress to do its part, and forthwith this Republic will enter upon the execution of a project colossal in its size and of well-nigh incalculable possibilities for the good of this country and the nations of mankind."

CHAPTER XII

THE REPUBLIC OF PANAMA

PANAMA promptly passed from the revolutionary stage into the status of a Constitutional Republic. Its Constitution was adopted by a National Constitutional Convention, which was elected on December 28, and met in the city of Panama on January 15, 1904, and practically completed its labours on February 13, following. Dr. Pablo Arosemena, formerly President or Governor of the State under the Colombian Government, and first First Designate of the Republic of Panama, was President of the Convention and a Deputy from the Province of Panama. Other deputies were Manuel Quintero V., Nicolas Victoria J., and Demetrio H. Brid. The completed instrument was signed by the thirtytwo deputies; by the Secretary, Juan Brin; by the Provisional Board, J. A. Arango, Federico Boyd, and Tomas Arias; and by the Minister of Government, Eusebio A. Morales; the Minister of Foreign Relations, F. V. de la Espriella; the Minister of Justice, Carlos A. Mendoza; the Minister of the Treasury, Manuel E. Amador; the Minister of War and Marine, Nicanor A. de Obarrio; and the Minister of Public Instruction, Julio J. Fabrega; and it was published and enforced on February 15, 1904.

This Constitution is an elaborate instrument, generally accordant with that of the United States and other republican constitutions in its guarantee of personal and popular rights, and its general guarantee of a free democratic gov ernment. Some of its provisions are exceptional if not unique. Thus it is provided that (Art. 14) citizenship may be suspended for habitual intoxication; that (Art. 19) there shall be no slaves in Panama, but any slave who may step