Republic was started.  The duty of the United States in the premises was clear.  In strict accordance with the principles laid down by Secretaries Cass and Seward in the official documents above quoted, the United States gave notice that it would permit the landing of no expeditionary force, the arrival of which would mean chaos and destruction along the line of the railroad and of the proposed Canal, and an interruption of transit as an inevitable consequence.  The de facto Government of Panama was recognized in the following telegram to Mr. Ehrman: 

“The people of Panama have, by apparently unanimous movement, dissolved their political connection with the Republic of Colombia and resumed their independence.  When you are satisfied that a de facto government, republican in form and without substantial opposition from its own people, has been established in the State of Panama, you will enter into relations with it as the responsible government of the territory and look to it for all due action to protect the persons and property of citizens of the United States and to keep open the isthmian transit, in accordance with the obligations of existing treaties governing the relations of the United States to that Territory.”

The Government of Colombia was notified of our action by the following telegram to Mr. Beaupre: 

“The people of Panama having, by an apparently unanimous movement, dissolved their political connection with the Republic of Colombia and resumed their independence, and having adopted a Government of their own, republican in form, with which the Government of the United States of America has entered into relations, the President of the United States, in accordance with the ties of friendship which have so long and so happily existed between the respective nations, most earnestly commends to the Governments of Colombia and of Panama the peaceful and equitable settlement of all questions at issue between them.  He holds that he is bound not merely by treaty obligations, but by the interests of civilization, to see that the peaceful traffic of the world across the Isthmus of Panama shall not longer be disturbed by a constant succession of unnecessary and wasteful civil wars.”

When these events happened, fifty-seven years had elapsed since the United States had entered into its treaty with New Granada.  During that time the Governments of New Granada and of its successor, Colombia, have been in a constant state of flux.  The following is a partial list of the disturbances on the Isthmus of Panama during the period in question as reported to us by our consuls.  It is not possible to give a complete list, and some of the reports that speak of “revolutions” must mean unsuccessful revolutions.  May 22, 1850.—­Outbreak; two Americans killed.  War vessel demanded to quell outbreak.  October, 1850.—­Revolutionary plot to bring about independence of the Isthmus.  July 22, 1851.—­Revolution in four southern