The Feilding Star. THURSDAY, DEC. 20, 1888. The Panama Canal

Feilding Star, Volume X, Issue 74, 20 December 1888, Page 2

The Feilding Star. THURSDAY, DEC. 20, 1888. The Panama Canal

Had not M. de Lesseps arrived at that age when disappointment is said to be impossible, we could condole with him in the misfortune which has befallen him in the failure of his great scheme of connecting the two great oceans of the Atlantic and Pacific But, whatever his feelings may be they can, at the worst, be only those of sentiment. Our true sympathies lie with the tens of thousands of people who have expended the whole of their savings for years in what was made to appear to them to be an absolutely secure investment, which appeared certain, in the near future, to return them a fair reward for their enterprise, but which now threatens to be a miserable failure. The amount of money drawn from the French people is already enormous, and their only hope of saving a portion of it lies in the Government. Some mention has been made of the Rothschild family coming to then- assistance, but it is not likely they or any other capitalists would make any movement unless at the solicitation of the authorities now in power. It is feared that some dread political catastrophe, which has been threatening for some time, as being imminent in France, may be precipitated by Boulangerists taking advantage of the present excitement, in order to promote revolution. Such things have been done before, and may be done again. But, after all, that is only a very local part of the question. The real point ie that the other nations, England and America, who, as the great commercial powers, are, in point of fact, more interested than France in connecting the two oceans, should come to the assistance of the latter country. The burden would then become light, and the eternal gratitude of a gallant nation be earned for ever. We do not expect Germany to join because the feelings of the Goruxms and French towards each other are at the present time too imbittered for the one to ofter, or the other to accept a boon however welcome it might be were their relations of a wore cordial character. Whtttev«r

s to be done will have to be done quk-Kiy, because in Panama, where tropical vege- f< tation is so wonderfully rapid in growth, a one year would suffice to ruin the whole of the work already done, and thereby j double the cost of the new venture, should j it be undertaken. If aa ia anticipated there be internal trouble in France it may bo looked upon with certainty that every centime of the sixty millions already ex- a pendod will be absolutely loat to the invectors. c