isan ▁national ▁policy ▁of ▁turning ▁over ▁the ▁Canal ▁to ▁Pan ama ▁had ▁been ▁established ▁by ▁pres idents ▁Johnson , ▁N ixon , ▁and ▁Ford , ▁but ▁negoti ations ▁had ▁drag ged ▁on ▁for ▁a ▁dozen ▁years . ▁Carter ▁made ▁the ▁c ession ▁of ▁the ▁Pan ama ▁Canal ▁a ▁priority , ▁bel ieving ▁it ▁would ▁implement ▁Carter ' s ▁call ▁for ▁a ▁moral ▁clean ing ▁of ▁American ▁foreign ▁policy ▁and ▁win ▁appro val ▁across ▁Latin ▁America ▁as ▁a ▁gra cious ▁ap ology ▁for ▁American ▁wrong do ing . ▁He ▁also ▁fe ared ▁that ▁another ▁post pon ement ▁of ▁negoti ations ▁might ▁precip itate ▁violent ▁up he aval ▁in ▁Pan ama , ▁which ▁could ▁damage ▁or ▁block ▁the ▁canal . ▁ ▁The ▁Carter ▁administration ▁negoti ated ▁the ▁Tor rij os - C arter ▁Tre aties , ▁two ▁treat ies ▁which ▁provided ▁that ▁Pan ama ▁would ▁gain ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁canal ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 . ▁Carter ' s ▁initi ative ▁faced ▁wide ▁resistance ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁and ▁many ▁in ▁the ▁public , ▁particularly ▁conserv atives , ▁thought ▁that ▁Carter ▁was ▁" g iving ▁away " ▁a ▁cru cial ▁U . S . ▁asset . ▁The ▁attack ▁against ▁the ▁treat ies ▁was ▁mobil ized ▁by ▁numerous ▁groups , ▁especially ▁the ▁American ▁Conserv ative ▁Union , ▁the ▁Conserv ative ▁C au cus , ▁the ▁Committee ▁for ▁the ▁Sur v ival ▁of ▁a ▁Free ▁Congress , ▁Cit iz ens ▁for ▁the ▁Republic , ▁the ▁American ▁Security ▁Council , ▁the ▁Young ▁Republic ans , ▁the