704 



UNITED STATES. 



the -working-men of the country. Your organization 

 will force all to recognize your rights to labor and 

 self-respect. I hope the day will speedily come when 

 there will be no party in the land that will make color 

 a test of citizenship. I wish you, gentlemen, success. 



Eev. Stella Martin, speaking for the delega- 

 tion, said : 



Mr. President : One great subject of interest during 

 our deliberations was the securing of land for the la- 

 borers of the South, so that they may become perma- 

 nent settlers and independent citizens. There are 

 eight millions of acres of land that may be used by 

 Congress to secure these results, and we desire to 

 secure your influence to prevent any renewal of the 

 lapsed land grants to railways and other corporations, 

 to the detriment of actual settlers. 



The President replied that he could only aid 

 the matter by suggestion and recommendation, 

 and that he would give the matter his attention. 



Since the close of the late war, the project 

 of connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans 

 by a ship-canal across the Isthmus of Darien has 

 been favorably considered by the United States 

 Government, and active measures have been 

 taken in behalf of that great work. Within 

 the last few years various routes have been 

 explored and recommended as practicable by 

 surveying parties sent by the United States 

 and foreign Governments. The most promi- 

 nent of these, with their distances, are as fol- 

 lows: 



ROUTE. Miles. 



Isthmus of Tehuantepec 198 



Nicaragua, from San Juan del Norte to Brito 194 



Chagres to Panama (Colombia) 51 



Chepo to San Bias 30 



San Miguel to Port Escoces (Caledonia Bay)... ,39 



Atrato Valley, by Napipi and Cupica 172 



It is now generally conceded that the Isthmus 

 of Darien presents less formidable difficulties 

 to the achievement of such a work than any 

 other region which has been explored. In an 

 exhaustive report upon this subject, submitted 

 to the Government in July, 1866, Admiral 

 Davis says : " It is to the Isthmus of Darien 

 that we are first to look for the solution of the 

 great problem of an interoceanic canal. We 

 know enough of the interior topography to 

 adopt the view of Dr. Cullen, that if we leave 

 the Indian trail, which always passes over the 

 highest ground, and explore the country be- 

 yond the ordinary line of travel, we shall 

 probably find a valley transversely dividing 

 the Cordilleras, or at least a lower ridge than 

 any yet surveyed. Our most trustworthy 

 engineers in these regions, Trautwine, Michler, 

 Prevost, McDougall, and others, tell us that it 

 is impossible, from the very limited inspection 

 of the country taken on the Indian line of 

 travel, to form any conception of the nature 

 of the ground, even in the immediate vicinity." 



In order to gain control of the isthmus for 

 the purpose of constructing the canal, over- 

 tures were made by the American Government 

 in the latter part of 1868 to the United States 

 of Colombia, which led to the negotiation of 

 a treaty between the two Governments. By 

 this treaty, which was concluded on the 14th 

 of January, 1869, the United States is em- 



powered to survey a route and construct a canal 

 at any point across the isthmus, except that it 

 shall not be constructed across the route of 

 the Panama Kailroad without the consent of 

 the company. The United States shall have 

 sole control of the canal, shall pay all expenses 

 and damages, and may keep a military force 

 not exceeding 500 men on the canal after its 

 completion. The Government of Colombia 

 stipulates not to undertake or permit the con- 

 struction of any other oceanic canal or rail- 

 way across the isthmus without the consent 

 of the United States, and appropriates all the 

 territory, including land, ocean, and tributary 

 waters, besides ten miles of waste and unim- 

 proved lands on each side of the canal through- 

 out its entire length. Each Government, how- 

 ever, is to be entitled to alternate water-fronts 

 not exceeding 3,300 yards. After the canal 

 shall have been in operation for twelve years, 

 Colombia shall receive ten per cent, of the net 

 proceeds annually, after the capital expended 

 shall be reimbursed to the United States, such 

 payment to be made semi-annually in New 

 York. Colombia shall retain political control 

 over the canal and adjacent territory, but the 

 United States shall have free passage for 

 troops, munitions, and vessels, except when 

 engaged in war, when the use of the canal 

 shall be denied to all nations. The grant is to 

 continue for 100 years from the time the canal 



goes into operation, when it shall revert to 

 olombia. 



The Senate of the United States did not act 

 upon this treaty at the session of 1869, but 

 awaited the action of the Government of Co- 

 lombia. The treaty having been submitted to 

 the Senate of that country, was rejected on the 

 1st of March by a large majority. This result 

 has been attributed to the condition of politi- 

 cal parties in Colombia, and it is believed that 

 a large majority of the new Congress, subse- 

 quently elected, will favor the treaty. On the 

 15th of October a resolution was passed by 

 the Legislature of Panama requesting the 

 national Senate to reconsider their rejection, 

 and accept the treaty. September, 1870, is 

 the limit of time prescribed in the treaty in 

 which a ratification may be made, and it is ex- 

 pected that within that period this important 

 treaty will be duly ratified by both Govern- 

 ments. In the mean time the Colombian Gov- 

 ernment has given permission to the United 

 States to explore the isthmus, with a view of 

 determining upon the most practicable route. 

 An exploring expedition, comprising a compe- 

 tent force of scientific men and engineers, and 

 fully supplied with all necessaries requisite for 

 the undertaking, has been fitted out by the 

 Government, and ordered to survey "the most 

 direct route across the Isthmus of Darien for the 

 proposed ship-canal provided for by the treaty 

 between the United States and the Colombian 

 Government." The expedition having proceed- 

 ed to its destination, the work is now progress- 

 ing under the general superintendence of Bear- 



