THE REPUBLIC OF PANAMA. 813 



two presidential terms and did not close until 1841. In IS-iO the prov- 

 ince of Cartag-ena seceded from the new republic, and immediatel}" 

 thereafter the neighboring- provinces of Panama and Veragua took the 

 same step. This was the tirst period of independence of the Isthmus 

 of Panama. The revolting States were soon reunited under a consti- 

 tution reformed in 1843. The Republic of New Granada enjo>'ed little 

 tranquillity, being su])ject to domestic disturbances of greater or less 

 magnitude almost continuously, but various measures signif3'ing gen- 

 eral advancement in civilization were adopted from time to time. 

 Among those was one by which slavery was entirely abolished in 

 1852. 



An important alteration of the constitution took place in 1853, 

 under wdiich the provinces were merely federated into the Republic, 

 each l)eing granted the right to assume its independence at any time. 

 This right under the constitution was asserted by Antioquia and 

 Panama in 1856 and 1857, this being the second independence of the 

 Province of Panama. Stornn^ times followed these national upheavals, 

 and the independence of the provinces was not long undisturbed. A 

 congress at Bogota established a republic under the name of the 

 United States of Colombia in 1861. adopting a new federal constitu- 

 tion for the purpose of including all the territor}^ hitherto held by 

 the Republic of Colombia, including the Isthmus of Panama. The 

 opposite party, however, victorious in the western portion of the 

 countr}", declined to acknowledge the authority at Bogota. Internal 

 disturbances of all degrees, including the assassination of leaders and 

 bloody battles, constituted the programme until 1862, when the oppos- 

 ing parties came to terms to a sufficient extent to permit the appoint- 

 ment of a provincial government and the drawing up of a constitution. 

 At this time another attempt, not successful, was made to reestal)lish 

 the former Republic of the three countries — Venezuela, Colombia, and 

 Ecuador — but under the constitution adopted May 8, 1863, the Republic 

 of Colombia was erected, and it has endured to the present time. Insur- 

 rections and internal disorganizations prevailed for a number of 3'ears, 

 and the history of the Republic has been accentuated by frequent 

 revolutions, many of whicli have taken place in Panama. 



EXTENT OF THE PRESENT REPUBLIC. 



This brings us to the consideration of tiie Repu))lic of Panama as it 

 now stands, having declared its independence on November 3, 1903. 

 The Republic of Panama is identical in territorial limits with the 

 Department of Panama of the Repul)lic of Colombia. This Depart- 

 ment extended from Costa Rica on the west to a line drawn lirst nearly 

 due south from Cape Tiburon at the southern limit of the Gulf of 

 Darien, then southwesterly to a i)oint on the Pacific coast a short dis- 

 tance southeast of Punta Cocalito. This last or eastern limit of the 



