75 2 Presidential Addresses 



the delegate of Colombia. Little could it have been 

 foreseen that two years later the Colombian Govern- 

 ment, led astray by false allurements of selfish ad- 

 vantage, and forgetful alike of its international 

 obligations and of the duties and responsibilities 

 of sovereignty, would thwart the efforts of the 

 United States to enter upon and complete a work 

 which the nations of America, re-echoing the senti- 

 ment of the nations of Europe, had pronounced to 

 be not only "worthy of the greatness of the Ameri- 

 can people/' but also "in the highest sense a work 

 of civilization." 



That our position as the mandatary of civiliza- 

 tion has been by no means misconceived is shown 

 by the promptitude with which the powers have, 

 one after another, followed our lead in recognizing 

 Panama as an independent State. Our action in 

 recognizing the new republic has been followed by 

 like recognition on the part of France, Germany, 

 Denmark, Russia, Sweden, and Norway, Nicaragua, 

 Peru, China, Cuba, Great Britain, Italy, Costa Rica, 

 Japan, and Austria-Hungary. 



In view of the manifold considerations of treaty 

 right and obligation, of national interest and safety, 

 and of collective civilization, by which our Govern- 

 ment was constrained to act, I am at a loss to com- 

 prehend the attitude of those who can discern in 

 the recognition of the Republic of Panama only a 

 general approval of the principle of "revolution" 

 by which a given government is overturned or one 

 portion of a country separated from another. Only 



