The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-02-17


all this while European war was raging in South
America ..s.. .s
In view Of these facts, we nj a loss TO under
stand why the principles of Mr.. Monroe, " so far
as they reproduced in the message Of Mr.. Polk,
should now meet with opposilon-sven wing OPP
n poaition-but most all any democratic opposition IN
the Senate or out Of the Senate. Is ii pretended
that these principles have become the worse for
wssR Have they grown more dangerous with the
lapse of time' Are they less important less appli-
cable, less .fmeTiem now than they were in 1929
Are they now less guardedly announced Or is il
rather that there Is nothing IN the present state Of he
foreign affairs Of 7metca that demands their announce
menR
This is question coming every day with more
force before the public mind and ii is surely
question to which but one answer be given
Laying out Of view the present state Of the Oregon
controyersy-a controversy about a region which
a resolution of Congress in the time of Mr. Monroe
declared to be occuded against foreign colonization
certainly il cannot be denied that the recent inter-
Ference Of England and France to prevent The an
nexaton, and to bring about the nominal indepen-
dence of Texas, presents u Of foreign interview
ton of nearer Government to the interests and hon.
or of this country than any against which Mr..
Monroe called on TO protest.
| But the Intervention Of the European powers in
the case Of Texas is only the first Of whole chap
ter. We may say volume, Of such measures that
seem to realize all the dangers to which the pol
/ icy of Mr. Monroe foresaw and sought TO pre-
vent
| The South American States, with the exception
of Brazil) no longer, in 1929 struggling for their
freedom, now struggling under it, Surely in
PREVENTION from abroad is at this time even more
than then, to be dreaded and opposed.
Yet what, in this respect, is the spectacle which
these South American States now present. In which
one OF them on the South Atlantic senboard is no,
England interfering by dangerous intrigue, by arb-
trary law, or by open and wholly unjustihed force
How is il with MexicoI Rumor has gon,
abroad through the length and breadth Of III,
land that British policy has been busy in
producing Mexican reyoluton-while Mexican
revolution, to say nothing else Of it, means
to us non-ad justment of our differences, poi
cal and pecunisry, with that wretched. government
This is something, but not the worst. As early as
1887, the British government prevailed upon the
government of Mexico TO set apart, and place under
mortgage for the payment Of British creditors
lbs, 900, 900 of of unoccupied land, mainly in
California Already, we learn from WORK on
California by Mr.. Forbes, Engshman, "ther,
have been some thoughts Of proposing to the Mex
can government that it should endesvor to canoe
the English debt, which now exceeds fifty millions d
dollars, by transfer Of California TO the creditors! In
that case says Mr.. Forbes 'the creditors might be
formed into a company, with the difference that they
should have sort Of Sovereignty opsr hs territory
some,rhai in TIE manner Of THE EAST INDIA CoMPA-
N.Y. So far for present interference from abroad
in the affairs Of .Merieo. And now put it to any
candid man of any party, was there any exigency
in Mr.. Monroe's time which called so loudly this
for proclamation Of the doctrine--ay, and resolute
Legislative insstence too-upon the doctrine in Its
fullest extent of non-interventon, and non-cooniza-
ton on this North American CONTINENT Another
East India Company in California! Truly beau
tifu dfroueme,,t of the freedom, by the cradle Of
which tine Tinted States stood up sponsors in
1923 and 1884 On the whole subject, however, the
President has alr,adv spoken.
But British policy on this continent-thai, we be-
lieve, is the delicate name for such doings-by no
means stops with Oregon, and Texas, and Mexico,
and the mortgage California. The latest advices
bring the protest of the Brazilian government against
one of the most monstrous violations Of national
sovereignty on the high that British his
tory can furnish. We gave a careful analysis Of
this protest few days since Suffice it now to say
that without the slightest color of right the British
Parliament has lately enacted irg making Brazilian
vessels engaged in the slave-trade lawful prize In
British courts of admiralty and liable, as such
of course, be captured by British cruisers. And
more than this the petiest officer in the British
navy entrusted with the command Of armed
schooner may, under this law, take any Brazilian
merchantmen on the coast of Africa into British
port and so before British court Of admiralty, on
suspicion that she may be concerned in the slave
trade--that is, on suspicion that she is Of suspi
cious character! To pass such a law because Br
iii refuses make treaty provisions for the condem
nation Of Brazilian slavers, is to make short work
with the naval independence of Brazil. While thii
atrocious law backens and blots the British statute
book that independence is not even a name
But the worst yet remains 1.-The British violence
in the La Plata! We say nothing now of France
France certainly has one article Of her treaty o
1910 with Buenos Ayres to fall back upon, as a
least pretext-though we are clear in our convic'
ton that the cas stipulated for in that article ha'
not yet arisen between Buenos Ayres and uru'
quay. But England is now proved to have been IN
her Intervention absolutely without any pretex'
whatever. She claimed, at first very indirectly and
ambguously, however, to have interfered, because
she was mediator in the formation Of the treaty o.
1898, between the Argentine republic and Brazil
This pretence for interference was only ludicrous-
if the fact had been So The fact was not so
Official publications of the Argentine government
have shown that the treaty of 1928 was made cithos
British mediation. The papers are before us. We vii
quote them hereafter, if necessary The strong ant
armed hand which England stretches out over th'
waters and the shores of the La Plata finds itsel
sustained in solitary principle, phrase, or fc
ton Of public law. The deed of violence is with
out color Of legal pretert 1t is sheer brute force