On Wednesday a revolution broke out in the Isthmus of
Panama, that State of the United States of Colombia declaring itself independent and proclaiming a provisional Govern. ment. A Colombian war vessel has since been doing its best to bombard the town of Panama, and the Colombians will no doubt make an attempt to reconquer the Isthmus. It may be taken as certain, however, that the United States will not allow either the railway or the canal to be interfered with, and that if anarchy continues for any length of time, she will occupy the Isthmus. The revolution is no doubt the direct outcome of the refusal of the Colombian Legislature to ratify the treaty with the United States under which the United States was to take over and complete the work on the canal accomplished by the French Company. No doubt, also, the canal will now be made, probably under a treaty with a new "Republic of Panama." It need not be assumed, however, that the United States in any way instigated the revolution. That was not necessary. The local patriots were quite suf- ficiently anxious without any external encouragement to make a revolution. The creation of a Republic placed them at once in the possession of a most valuable commercial and political asset. If Colombia would not take the money offered by the United States, they would. It now remains to be seen whether Colombia will go to war with the United States if and when Washington deals direct with Panama.
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