Colombian troops, coming to try to reconquer
Panama, were forbidden to land by our ships, acting under
President Roosevelt's orders. We were under treaty agreement to
preserve order on the Isthmus. Our Government recognized the new
Republic of Panama, an act which was promptly followed by all the
nations of the earth. We then opened negotiations with Panama,
paid the money to her, and built the Canal.
Of course the politicians in Colombia howled with rage. A tricky
horse-dealer, who has a horse which he has abused for years, but
desires to sell to a customer for four times its value, would be
angry if the horse ran away, and he lost not only the animal, but
also his chances of swindling the customer. So with the
Colombians. Some people in this country took up their cry, and
professed to feel great sorrow for Colombia. It was noticed,
however, that this sorrow seemed to afflict most pitifully the
people who were strongest in their opposition to Mr. Roosevelt,
and this caused a suspicion that their pretended horror at the act
of our Government was not so much based upon any knowledge of the
facts, as upon a readiness to think evil of the President. Others
who joined in an expression of grief at the time, and later
attempted to bolster up Colombia's claims for damages, belonged to
that class referred to in connection with the sinking of the
Maine, who always think the best of any foreign country and
suspect the worst of their own.
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