The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-06-09
THE INTERFERENCE AND ENCROACH
MENT OF FOREIGN POWERS.

The sentiments contained in the message Of Pres
ident Monroe to Congress in 1929 are well worthy
of the consideration Of every true American and
statesman of lS45, and particularly applicable to
the present crisis. II cannot be Denied that in this
country, we do cherish the most friendly feeling to
our fellow-men on the European side of the Allan
tic and is quite natural that it should be The
constant, and it may be said daily, intercourse
which is now going on, well produces this effect.
Our wants and our necessities are mutual. The
great and increasing facilities of intercourse by
of steam bringing each day closer and closer
together, and the period has arrived when the firm
and settled policy of this country should be UNDER
stood and promulgated throughout the European
continent. In all the political and religious contro
versies of the European continent, it can be said
with justice and truth that the American government
has never medded or interfercd has it been our
policy interest individuals, or as nation, to
do so. The policy which the United States have
hitherto pursued, of avoiding all entanging alliances,
and all unnecessary foreign connections, has been
most scrupuously observed. Mindful of the ad-
vice which the father of country gave us in his
farewell address, we have been carried through all
the conflicting scenes of European wars; and it is
now to be hoped that all Europe will observe the
same course of policy towards these United States,
when any question or questions may arise between
the republics of this continent and ourselves. But
when our rights are invaded, or our policy inter-
ered with, any encroachment made upon the extern
sion of our free political institutions, 1t behooves us
10 rise in our national strength as one man, to de-
end our national institutions and to demand expla-
nations of the governments who seem disposed to
question the aforementioned principle, to prepare
for the defence of those rights and to resist in the
most decided manner all the influences against
them. .....s
To elucidate the correctness of these principles,
and to apply them the present state of our political
affairs and, if possible, to convince those who are
opposed TO the great measures of the day, which
were so fully and fairly discussed IN the last Con-
gress and during the late presidential canvass and
are now only being carried out by the present ad-
mnisration shall refer to the course pursued by
Mr. Clay, and endeavor to show short parallel
between the then and present state of things,
! have alluded to the supposed intended inter-
ference on the part of France in sending large fleet
to our shore, if the account which we have seen
published, that most formidable naval armament
is now our coast, (of which we shall speak
more fully hereafter then it becomes us to answer
and adopt the same policy, and take the same
measures Of defence that were adopted at that
time.
The statesmen of that day became jealous of the
movements of large French feet in the summer of
1885, our Atlantic coast, which feet consisted of
fifteen or twenty men of war, some of them of the
largest class The object OF naval armament so for
midabe in time of peace being unknown their
movements were regarded with just suspicion and
anxiety; and immediate instructions were given to
our minister resident at the court of the Tueres to
make immediate demand of an explanation of the
movements near the American coast, and to in
form the French cabinet to which he was accredited
that the object of such a movement in time of
peace ought, good faith, to be made known to the
government of the United States The object and
purpose of this naval movement was unknown; but
il supposed that its real destination was the oc-
cupaton of the islands of Cuba and Porto Rico
This government, at that time, went still further
and instructed Mr.. Brown to call the attention of the
French cabinet to the condition of the islands of
Cuba and Porto Rico; and to state that the United
States perfectly satisfied with the political con-
dition and sovereignty of those islands; and il was
distinctly and frankly minated that, inasmuch as
the United States were contented with their then
ownership, his government ouid not consent 10 their
occupation BY any other European po,cer than SPAIN
and this under no contingency uhateper
similar communication was made about the
same time to Mr.. Canning, and il is known that the
frank and amlcable representations ON the part Of
our government were most respectfully regarded on
the part of both England and France.
So diligently and perservngly were the doctrines
contained in the message OF Mr.. Monroe sought to
be impressed and inculcated throughout Europe,
that DIR. Middleton, our then minister at the court
OF ~. Petersburgh, instructed to have inter-
view through Count Nesselrode, and the Russian
government most literally and magnanimously re-
solved to dlscounenance any enterprise against the
islands of Cuba and Porto Rico, and to cooperate in
the maintenance Of that course Of policy which
would secure perfect balance Of power among