This program was carried out later on. The Panamanians had very little
trouble in overawing the few Colombian officers within their territory.
They knew that the Colombian Government had no navy, from the fact that
a year before the Colombian navy had been sent to the City of Panama
to coerce the authorities there who were disputing with the Colombian
Government over some items of revenue which were an issue; and meeting
force with force the authorities of the City of Panama had succeeded,
with the assistance of a small tug-boat and one piece of cannon, in
sweeping the seas of the entire Colombian naval power, and as evidence
of their success the two masts of the Colombian navy were sticking up
out of the mud-banks of Panama Bay.
Nor were the inhabitants of Panama or Colon much concerned as to
a possible attack from a Colombian army. That would entail a long
march of hundreds of miles through morass and jungle, and could not
be successfully accomplished in less than a year’s time. And so the
Panamanians were free to act in their purposes of securing independence
without danger of very much interference from the home government.
The result of the revolution was very gratifying to the Panamanians.
As soon as they learned that the treaty had been refused ratification,
they immediately wired to Dr. Varilla at New York. He apparently was at
his post waiting the news, for it was whispered in Washington that he
took the night train from New York, reached Washington in the morning,
and arrived at the White House early in the forenoon. And from all
indications President Roosevelt must have been waiting just inside the
door to receive him, for it is said that the President was on hand to
grasp Dr. Varilla by the hand and welcome him to the White House, and
that when he came out two hours later, Panama was virtually recognized
as an independent government. Within a few days a treaty was negotiated
between Panama and the United States.