And State Papers 7 1 ? 



across the Isthmus of Panama ; and if, after reason- 

 able time, it proved impossible to secure such treaty, 

 that then we should go to Nicaragua. The treaty 

 has been made; for it needs no argument to show 

 that the intent of the Congress was to ensure a 

 canal across Panama, and that whether the repub- 

 lic granting the title was called New Granada, 

 Colombia, or Panama mattered not one whit. As 

 events turned out, the question of "reasonable time" 

 did not enter into the matter at all. Although, as 

 the months went by, it became increasingly im- 

 probable that the Colombian Congress would ratify 

 the treaty or take steps which would be equivalent 

 thereto, yet all chance for such action on their part 

 did not vanish until the Congress closed at the end 

 of October; and within three days thereafter the 

 revolution in Panama had broken out. Panama 

 became an independent state, and the control of the 

 territory necessary for building the canal then be- 

 came obtainable. The condition under which alone 

 we could have gone to Nicaragua thereby became 

 impossible of fulfilment. If the pending treaty with 

 Panama should not be ratified by the Senate this 

 would not alter the fact that we could not go to 

 Nicaragua. The Congress has decided the route, 

 and there is no alternative under existing legislation. 

 When in August it began to appear probable 

 that the Colombian Legislature would not ratify 

 the treaty, it became incumbent upon me to con- 

 sider well, what the situation was and to be ready 

 to advise the Congress as to what were the various 



