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Show STATE DEPARTMENT NOTE. The nolo sent by our Department of Stato to Nicaragua does not scom to be a well-eousidcred document. It iH said that tho noto is oxpoetcd to bo an admonition ad-monition to all tho LatinAmorican Republics, Re-publics, especially to the weaker ones. But, as wo do not, in fnct, conform to the substanco of that noto ourselves, wo could hardly expect that, any particular good can conio of tho sentiment carried in puch a note. This note states that this country desires de-sires to foster trim constitutional government gov-ernment nnd froo elections in the countries referred to, and to this ond 6trong moral support will bo given established es-tablished governments against revolution revolu-tion based upon tho selfish designs of would-be despots nnd not upon any principle prin-ciple or popular demand. The note continues: "Force will be used if necessary, in maintaining free communication communi-cation to nnd to protect American ministers and legations.' '' Tho note may be supposed to. bo an encouragement to governments already established in these weaker nations; but unfortunately unfortunate-ly the practice of our Stato Department, especially in Nicara'gua, has not borno this out; for, when Estrada revolted against the established government of Nicnrngua with Zelaya as President, the voice of this country "was emphatically for Estrada, wo claiming that he was tho people's choice, and tho Minister to this country from the Zelaya government govern-ment was given his walking papers as representing a government not in con-sonanco con-sonanco with tho will of the people. , And yet, our position was shown to bo wrong, for tho people ousted Estrada promptly when they got a fair chance s at him. i It is manifest that in carrying out I any policies outlined in this note, the United Slates makes itself the supervisor super-visor over tho affairs of nil of those ; weaker Latin-Amorican nations. Tn caso the question should over nriso whether truo constitutional government and froo elections wcro at stake in any of theso governments, this country would necessarily assume to decide the question. ques-tion. But a supervision of this kind does, in fact, destroj' the independence of those governments, and puts the nations referred to under tho tutelage of the United Sfatos. This is precisely what thoso countries have always complained com-plained of, and have charged against the United State3, and that this country coun-try has uniformly denied. By what right, thoso countries ask, shall the United Statos say whether constitutional constitu-tional government exists in those States or not, or whether tho elections have been free and do, in fact, express tho will of the people? It is evident that any power taking to itself tho right to' decide upon these questions assumes the right of overlordship in those countries, coun-tries, and is at liberty to intcrfero for the control of those governments at any time that it may sec fit. We regard the promulgation of a paper like this at tho present time as of extrcmel- doubtful propriet'. If we are lo treat Nicaragua and Honduras as under our suzerainty, as we necessarily neces-sarily must do in order to carry out the terms and meaning of this Stato Department note, on what principles can we evade a like responsibility in the case of Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, or Peru? With tho opening of the Panama canal our direct relations with tho countries of the west coast of South America will become far closer than heretofore, and it would have been the part of wisdom to be cautious in the assertion of overlordship such as this, lest we drive away whatever friendliness friend-liness may exist toward us among the people of thoso countries. Even now the Ecuadorian government is so hostile hos-tile to tho United States and its people that that government is undertaking to ignore tho bids submitted by American Ameri-can contractors for tho sanitary cleaning clean-ing up of Guayaquil, which has been long known as tho plague spot of tho coast. We doubt very much if Secretary Knox, had he been at home, would have either formulated or consented to the formulation of a note like this. |