And State Papers 741 



Throughout he behaved in the most creditable man- 

 ner. In the New York "Evening Post," under date 

 of Panama, December 8, there is an article from a 

 special correspondent, which sets forth in detail the 

 unbearable oppression of the Colombian Government 

 in Panama. In this article is an interesting inter- 

 view with a native Panaman, which runs in part as 

 follows : 



... We looked upon the building of the canal 

 as a matter of life or death to us. We wanted that 

 because it meant, with the United States in control 

 of it, peace and prosperity for us. President Marro- 

 quin appointed an Isthmian to be governor of Pan- 

 ama; and we looked upon that as of happy augury. 

 Soon we heard that the canal treaty was not likely 

 to be approved at Bogota; next we heard that our 

 Isthmian Governor, Obaldia, who had scarcely as- 

 sumed power, was to be superseded by a soldier 

 from Bogota. . . ,>. .: 



Notwithstanding all that Colombia has drained 

 us of in the way of revenues, she did not bridge for 

 us a single river, nor make a single roadway, nor 

 erect a single college where our children could be 

 educated, nor do anything at all to advance our in- 

 dustries. . . . Well, when the new generals came 

 we seized them, arrested them, and the town of 

 Panama was in joy. Not a protest was made, ex- 

 cept the shots fired from the Colombian gunboat 

 Bogota, which killed one Chinese lying in his bed. 

 We were willing to encounter the Colombian troops 

 at Colon and fight it out ; but the commander of the 

 United States cruiser Nashville forbade Superin- 



