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President Roosevelt instructs the members of the Isthmian Canal Commission on their duties and goals.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-03-08
President Roosevelt, Clark Howell, and the American people can congratulate themselves on the passage of the canal treaty. President Roosevelt was pleased with the support of the Southern senators.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-02-27
President Roosevelt encloses a letter from Dr. Welch which provides information about Dr. Wright. Sanitation and hygiene will be of the first importance on the isthmus of Panama. Employees must be healthy to complete their work and Roosevelt wants the best medical professionals in the country to supervise.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-02-24
President Roosevelt is pleased with Foster Vincent Brown’s comments and Southern support for the Panama Canal. Roosevelt does not want to set a general rule regarding office holders attending the Republican National Convention, but overall he feels that non-office holders should be favored.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-02-25
This newspaper article discusses President Roosevelt’s re-election campaign platform.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-09-06
William Jennings Bryan looks from a ship across the water to a sign which touts the achievements of the Republican party, including President Roosevelt, Congress, and Governor Frank Wayland Higgins, who have been passing reforms and bills and building the Panama Canal. The sign concludes, “Everybody working but Bryan.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-09-01
President Roosevelt found Otto Gresham’s letter interesting. Railroad interests are attempting to stop the Panama Canal but Roosevelt is confident they will fail.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-01-18
President Roosevelt was sad to hear that Cecil Spring Rice will not receive a position in Washington, D. C. Roosevelt and Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt have enjoyed the books sent by Spring Rice. Roosevelt reflects on the differences of Persian culture. He believes the Panama treaty will pass and the canal will begin construction. Roosevelt is confident the Panama Canal will be a benefit to mankind.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-01-18
President Roosevelt had a low opinion of Colombia and considered their government to be “cruel despotism.” He was happy to assist Colombia. The tyranny over Panama would end and the canal would not be blocked.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-01-04
President Roosevelt was pleased by John Temple Graves’s editorial and has been surprised at the opposition from Southern senators regarding Panama.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-12-28
President Roosevelt was surprised at the opposition to the Panama Canal from the South and Pacific slope. He believes the canal will be a great accomplishment. Roosevelt believes Senators Cockrell and McCreary will support the treaty.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-12-29
President Roosevelt has received several letters on behalf of Mr. Merrill and Roosevelt has not yet gotten around to the personnel of the Isthmian Canal Commission.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-12-04
President Roosevelt would like to discuss Isthmian matters with Marcus A. Hanna as soon as possible.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-11-05
President Roosevelt denies inciting a revolution or any form of conspiracy on the Isthmus. The people of the Isthmus favor the canal and separation from Colombia and Colombia’s bad faith on the signing of the treaty was their death warrant.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-11-06
President Roosevelt enjoyed Lawrence F. Abbott’s editorial and wishes he had shown Abbott his message on the construction of the Panama canal. Roosevelt remarks that both he and Secretary of State Hay were unprepared for the revolt which occurred on November 2, 1903, which led to Panama’s declaration of independence from Colombia the next day.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-11-12
President Roosevelt encloses a letter from the Minister to Colombia that shows there was no chance of securing rights to a canal by treaty. The other option was Nicaragua which many engineers strongly advocated against. Roosevelt is against supporting a secessionist movement in Panama but admits that he would be delighted if Panama was an independent state. He will not speak publicly on the matter for that would be taken as instigation for a revolt.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-10-10
President Roosevelt feels that acquiring the land for an Isthmian canal cannot be done by treaty and public opinion is not prepared to accept the land’s seizure by force. Roosevelt was disappointed that the Review of Reviews displayed a positive view of James Vardaman, recently elected Governor of Mississippi, who Roosevelt considers worse than John Edward Addicks of Delaware.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-10-07
President Roosevelt has not said a word about the Canal, however, he will have to mention it in his message and will confer with Senator Hanna on the final form of what should be said. Roosevelt disagrees that they only need patience and suggests that the fact that their patience could be exhausted should be made known.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-10-05
President Roosevelt agrees that nothing should be done in the Colombia matter at present. Roosevelt sees two courses of action; take up with Nicaragua, or wait to secure the Panama route without having to deal with the “homicidal corruptionists in Bogota.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-09-15
If President Roosevelt had received William Taft’s telegram in time he would have offered the position to Davis. Roosevelt is considering Davis for the Isthmian Canal Commission. Canal work could begin in Nicaragua over the winter or events may lead to the United States taking action in Panama.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-09-15