Central High School - EN EM Yearbook (North Manchester, IN)

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•• AS YOU LIKK IT. ’ loathed the excesses ot the revolution. Now the all absorbing question wa»—“Money. The national credit wa gone and no more money could be raised by taxation. No man in France had Huch a horror of bankruptcy as Mirabcau and his eloquence was never more convincing nor commanding but it achieved nothing. Finally. Talleyrand. an unscrupulous priest, suggested that the nation confiscate tjie church. Mirabcau was opposed to this, hut the Assembly such was the urgent need of money decreed that the church property should be put at the disposal of the state. This did not do the good that it was expected to do. At this time. April 2nd. 1701. Mira beau died, worn out with labors and passions, weakened by his youthful follies and perhaps, as some claim, by poison. The grief with which the Assembly received the news of his death was shared by the whole of France. Mirabcau regretted his early life for he said that he felt that he alone could save France from the distrust of her monarch and the catastrophe. When Mirabcau entered the Assembly, he was mistrusted, feared and despised by the majority of people, for his moral character was bad. Hut he was kind hearted, generous, made friends and used them till nearly all respected and loved him. Nearly all of the earlier writers aiul also the writers of the present day say that Mirabcau. had lie lived, could have prevented the dreadful outrage. The Panama Canal Audn Hoover. The first conception of a canal across the Isthmus of Panama is almost concident with Balboa's discovery of the Pacific Ocean in 1513. Since 1820 that idea has been assuming definite form and actual work has been done on a canal between Panama and Colon. As early as 1555 we find the navigators propounding the question of a short route to India and the western coast of America, by digging a canal somewhere across the narrow neck of land which joins North and South America. The canal question was one of the subjects proposed for discussion hi Clay's instructions to our representatives to the Panama Congress of 1826. This was the first definite step taken by the United States. Clay did not propose to give the benefits exclusively to the United States but toall nations on condition that they lend their aid to the construction of the canal. Hut our commissioners never reached the Congress and the project was not. therefore, raised. Other early efforts were put forth for the construction of a canal not alone by the government of the United States but by other nations, in 1828 jBolivar, president of Colombia, put forth efforts to construct a roadway between the two oceans. And in 182 ), the king of the Netherlands secured arrangements with Central America for a private company for the cutting of a canal, opened on the same terms to all nations. Tiie congress of the United States began to act on the question again in 1835. taking active measures. The senate adopted a resolution requesting the president to enter into negotiations with the governments of other countries, especially with Central America and Colombia for the pur-posc of protecting those who might attempt the opening and insuring “free and equal navigation by all nations.' Jackson and Van Burcn commit-sioned.agents to Panama in 183b and 183 ) but without permanent results. In 184b, the United States succeeded in making a treaty with Colombia, which put into effect the previous resolution of Congress, this treaty gave the United States the right of way across the Isthmus of Panama by any means of communication that then existed or that might afterwards be constructed. On the side of the United States, perfect neutrality of the isthmus was guaranteed and the rights of sovereignty of Columbia over the territory was extended to the Colombian government. England had been watching the proceedings of United States with jealous eyes, and the affair almost resulted in a war between the two countries. because the British laid claim to the coast of Panama and were themselves thinking of another route across the istlim(iThey finally formed a treaty with the United State- fora joint protection over the proposed canal. Neither country could colonize or erect fortifications. This treaty also provided for the neutrality of the canal. It was ratified but the countries afterward quarreled over the article stating that neither country should exercise any dominion over Central America, as the countries of Central America were in favor of the interpretation given by the United States. England was forced to come to terms. The Civil war of 1861 stopped the further progress of the quest ion for a time but the treaty was still considered binding. The question did not come up in the United States again until 1872 and from that time until 1880 many careful surveys were made. In ls7‘). the concession was secured from Colombia by which the old Panama canal company obtained the right to excavate a canal between Panama and Colon With this concession, active work was carried on from 1883 Page Twenty-Six

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•• AS VOL' LI KB IT. dragoon for his services in Corsica. His married life is a complex affair over which we would like to draw a veil. He was remarkable. if for no other reason than that no woman was able to resist his marvelous fascination. This seems strange, for he was as ugly as Wilkes and his face was hideously marked by smallpox. When he was in the cavalry he succeeded in winning the heart of the lady to whom his colonel was attached, a fact which led to such scandal that his father had him imprisoned. After being released from this imprisonment, to please his father he married a rich heiress. He quarrelled so much with her that his father again ordered him into exile. It would have been better if he had been kept in close confinement while here, for at this time began the most disgraceful part of his life. He met Marie Thcrese de Monnier. his ••Sophie as he called her. a married woman for whom he conceived a violent passion. The affair ended in his escaping to Switzerland where she immediately followed him on her own accord. Our hero was condemned to death for this aff.iir altho he was in no way to blame. He was seized and imprisoned by the French | lice in the castle of Vincennes where he was kept three and one-half years. With his release from Vincennes begins the second period of Mirabeau's life He found that his ••Sophie was an uncouth, uneducated woman, who had speedily consoled her- If after his departure with an officer of low rank. The sentence of death was still hanging over Mirabeau's head but by the aid of his eloquence he soon procured the repeal of the sentence. Now ! cgan his connection with Madame de Nelvia. a woman much more refined and educated that “Sophie. who sweetened the later years of his life. Altho Mirabeau's fame does not rest upon his literary work, his writings will always be kept and prized highly by the French people. Many of his best efforts were written during his different imprisonments. His first political work, written during his imprisonment at Vincennes, Letters de Catchct on French constitutional history showed that an existing actual grievance was not only philosophically unjust but constitutionally illegal. It was as an orator that Mirabcau takes one of the highest places that history can accord. His eloquence was transcendent when made vivid by his facial expressions. He knew how to move men. for he understood human nature, llis voice was full, manly and sonorous and pleased the car; always powerful and yet flexible, it could be heard as distinctly when he lowered it as when he raised it. When Mirabeau heard of the king's determination to assemble a States General, it became, of course, an object of ambition to him to have a seat in this ilIustruousassembly. He offered at once to assist at the preliminary conference of the noblesse of his district. They defeated him. Mirabcau was not, however, to be defeated. He renounced his rank, became a plebian. solicited the votes of the people, and was elected a deputy both from Marseilles and from Aix. He chose to represent tile latter place. He became, at once, the leader of the States General, because lie always knew his own mind and was prompt in emergencies. To him is attributed the successful consolidation of the National Assembly and the address to the king for the withdrawal of the troops assembled by l»e Broglie When the messenger from the king came to the Assembly with a message that they join the other orders. Mira- l eau answered in his voice of thunder: “We are here by the command of the people and will only disperse by the force of bayonets.” His success from that moment was assured; until his death he was the leader of the Assembly. The Assembly wasted days in useless and foolish debates. Mirabeau remonstrated with them and urged them to spend their time in working for the good of all the citizens. On the ever memorable night of August 4th. when the Assembly decreed the total abolition of feudalism. Mirabcau was not present. When he learned of it there was not a more outraged man in all France. He stigmatized it as an orgy, giving the people theoretical liberty while not assisting them to practical freedom; overthrowing the old regime before a new one could ! c established. No man in France had such clear insight and sagacity. He showed his remarkable forsight when he attacked the dilatory behavior of the Assembly, which led to the catastrophes of October 5th and 6th. He implored the Assembly to strike while the iron was hot. But the Assembly consisted of men inexperienced in practical politics, who wanted to draw up an ideal constitution in imitation of our American constitution and who wasted their time in discussing in what words it should bo expressed, while th country was in a state of starvation and anarchy. Mirabeau was in favor of a government which should be both popular and strong. lie wished to retain the kingdom but desired a constitutional monarchy like that of Kngland. He was very hostile to all feudal institutions and he did not seek to have any of them restored. It was the abolition of feudal privileges which was really the permanent bequest of the French revolution. Mirabeau, altho extravagant himself, doubtless Pago Twenty-Five

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•• AS YOU UKK IT. to 1889. With the exception of Cleveland' nil-ministration, the Panama project went through a steady change of policy. Until that time the United States had thot of the canal as being used by all nations on the most liberal terms. Now it wan clear that the policy had come to be “a canal under American control. Congress introduced resolutions declaring that the United States must exercise such control over the canal as their safety and prosperity demanded. In 1882 correspondence between the United States and the Central American governments with regard to the treaty was dropped and has not since been resumed. The Nicaragua treaty was withdrawn Commissioners were appointed to go to Central America and also to South America to learn the best methods of securing intimate international and commercial relations. This commission recommended that the United States extend ail invitation to the several other governments of America to join at Washington in conference to promote the commercial intercourse and prepare some plan of arbitration. The Maritime Canal company, which secured a concession for a canal by the Nicaragua route in 1885, and had carried on the work of excavation from 1829 to 1903. did not accomplish very much in those four years when the panic of 1903 came on, the company became absolutely insolvent and has never been a hie to resume work. It has lost its concession. Whin this private effort was seen to be a failure the American government decided to investigate the Nicaragua mute with the idea of constructing a canal by that route as a government enterprise. Congress, turned to this route mainly because it was the one in which an Amenc-m company had been interested and because scandalous failure of the Old Panama Company had brought its route into disrepute- In the last few years the thot of this route has been abandoned and that between Panama and Colon has received the consideration. In 1888 surveyors secured the contract for the Panama route for a canal, and a congress was held at Paris to consider the matter. United States commissioners were present and the congress adopted a scheme for a sea-level canal, which we know now was totally impracticable. The Panama route was again considered in 1892 and seemed the favorable location. This route between Panama and Colon was both shorter and could be made cheaper than the Nicaragua route. . It is also of lower elevation. On June 28. 1902, the President was authorized to proceed with the construction of a canal by wa v of Panama as soon as possession could be obtained. There were many diplomatic difficulties to be considered before making the canal. The United States must make treaties with all tile foreign nations. As was said before, there can be no tide level canal on account of the many obstacles, such as the swamps and volcanic ledges on the Panama side: while the marshes and quicksands on the Atlantic coast arc apparently unsunnonntable. The periodical overflow of the Chagres tills the valley of the isthmus, as in tlie flood of 1879, which swept all before it. and covered the railway with twelve feet of water. The wet season of nearly eight months, causes delays and damages to the cuttings. Earthquakes, too. occur as in September 1882 when much damage was done to the cities and to the Panama Railway. To this must be added the great cost of labor and living. January 22. 1903. Congress agreed upon a treaty which they thot would be favorable to Colombia. Hut in a special session of congress. Colombia failed to acknowledge the treaty. Not until November 1903 did the United States succeed in getting control of the proposed route. Colombia was forced to ratify the treaty and her independence was acknowledged in return. At the first session of Congress in 1904, the states instructed their representatives to vote f».r ratification of the treaty. Many democrats had already stated their intention of voting in the affirmative. January 18. three new amendments. relating to sanitation and the control of the harbors, were introduced. President Roosevelt asked that there be no more amendments added and that the bill be presented for ratification. At this meeting $14,009,000 were appropriated to be paid Panama for annexation: $15,000.-ooo to Colombia for loss of territory: $40,000.tNK» for the purchase of canal's rights. Congress decided to take final action on the treaty on or before February 23. On the 20th. Morgan made the last speech oil the subject, and on the 23rd. the treaty was ratified by a majority of seventy-one to seventeen, fifteen democrats joining the republicans in the affirmative. Work will l»egiii at the nearest possible time and preparations are already being made. Some ofShak ?speare’s Women Fern Hornaday. In reading the dramas of Shakespeare, one cannot help but notice the many types of women that he pictures. Hut they are not merely wooden puppets, tricked out to impersonate some virtue or vice needed in his plohscheme. but are real Page Twenty-Seven