756 Presidential Addresses 



was affected by them, remains bound in honor and 

 in justice. The stipulation now referred to is of 

 that character. 



The principle thus asserted by Mr. Adams was 

 afterward sustained by an international commission 

 in respect to the precise stipulation to which he re- 

 ferred; and a similar position was taken by the 

 United States with regard to the binding obligation 

 upon the independent State of Texas of commercial 

 stipulations embodied in prior treaties between the 

 United States and Mexico when Texas formed a 

 part of the latter country. But in the present case 

 it is unnecessary to go so far. Even if it be ad- 

 mitted that prior treaties of a political and commer- 

 cial complexion generally do not bind a new state 

 formed by separation, it is undeniable that stipula- 

 tions having a local application to the territory 

 embraced in the new state continue in force and are 

 binding upon the new sovereign. Thus it is on all 

 hands conceded that treaties relating to boundaries 

 and to rights of navigation continue in force with- 

 out regard to changes in government or in sover- 

 eignty. This principle obviously applies to that 

 part of the treaty of 1846 which relates to the 

 Isthmus of Panama. 



In conclusion let me repeat that the question 

 actually before this Government is not that of the 

 recognition of Panama as an independent republic. 

 That is already an accomplished fact. The ques- 

 tion, and the only question, is whether or not we 

 shall build an Isthmian Canal. 



