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PANAMA, 



that some means or other should be discovered 

 for restoring the prosperity of this neglected 

 region. But the poverty of the Columbian 

 government, its distant inland position at Bo- 

 gota, and the weakness with which the president 

 maintains a nominal dominion over this pro- 

 vince, so remote from the seat of authority, have 

 rendered every scheme hitherto impracticable. 



One cannot exactly define the ground upon 

 which all the separate districts of a province 

 that has revolted from the mother country are 

 bound to adhere, either to each other, or to 

 the authority of any city or state that calls 

 itself the head. The division which has already 

 taken place, of one province into several inde- 

 pendent governments, would be a sufficient 

 precedent to justify the secession of the district 

 comprising the Isthmus from the authority of 

 any other American state ; more especially if 



