The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-11-17


The objections urged against them when he tolc
the British plenipotendaries that he had not be-
fore been atcare of the character and extent of all
these objections. If the principle advanced by
our Government against any further colonization
on this continent by European powersl be at
tempted to be supported on any other ground
THAN territorial claims,l it is in my opin-
ion, wholly slsuStainable, and is TO be classed
among those intentions of modern diplomacy
which are TO be defended not by the stcord but by
the PEN But, sir, if we were most thoroughly
satisfied of the justice of this principle why should
we commit ourselves to its support by any compact
with our South American neighbors?"
GA sensible and spirited" speech, quoth
the senior editor of the Union, on reading
it; speech which he paid the author of
the additional compliment Of saying, he
had read "aoiM great pleasue." And yet
in this speech, which, in the estimation of
the senior editor of the Union, was both
''sensible and Spirited" and the reading
of which afforded him so 'Egreat pleasure"
the author, as we have seen from the
above extract, urged as valid ground of
objection to the incorporation of the Mon
ROE principle into a compact or treaty
with all or any Of the South American re-
publics, that 1t might possibly get as into a
aUar with Great Britain Can we believe
our own eyes when we see the same Sc
nior editor indirectly charging the present
Administration with standing in craven
fear Of ga growl of the British lion," be-
cause, as he apprehends, they do not in
tend to insert the MONROE declaration in
treaty with Nicaragua Can we with
hold the expression of our especial won
DER" that after, in 1926, vehemently OPP
posing the project of Mr.. ADAMS, of send
ing members to the Congress Of Panama,
because, so far as we were concerned,
''the prominent Objects Of that Congress
were, s'to find the means of resisting the
interference of any third Power in the
war between Spain and the Southern re-
'publics, and to ascertain the means of
Opposing colonization on either continent
of America" the senior editor of the
Union should, at this day, be engaged in
the disreputable employment Of abusing,
in the coarsest terms, the present Admin
istration, because it will not "commit
themselves" to carry out those very OBJ
jects, to restrain Mr.. ADAMS from carry
ing out which, the said senior editor then
thought the interposition of the represen-
tatives of the people highly proper and
necessary
We had written thus far, when the
Union of Thursday last was laid on our
table, and in it we found, among other
things, the following communication, the
appearance of which in the Union may
justly be regarded as one of the richest
things of the season. We pity the Union
From the Union Of Thursday.
Communicated.
THE MOSQUITO QUEsTIoS-THE MOVEMENT OF THE
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. RIvEs's POSITION.
The Mosquito question recalls the attention of the
country TO Mr. Monroe's declaration, in his mes
sage to Congress. And the Diplomat, Wish OF Mr.
Rives to London in his route to Paris, in ancipa-
ton Of Mr. Lawrence, is of the incidents in our
diplomacy which has not received the notice due TO
it, and to the portent of evil which really attends
IT. Ii confirms, in my view, the limitations of the
Union, that the present Administration mean TO
conciate the favor of England by the abandon
ment of the principle" that is avowed in Mr..
Monroe's message. That principle was i'll recol.
ect correctly, first asserted in our negotiations
with Russia the Oregon boundary. Prior 10
that time we claimed To the 5lst degree of north
latitude; subsequently, to the 54th parallel of north
ern latitude And the correspondence with the
Russian diplomats supplied the occasion for Mr..
Adams 70 assert that these continents were, on
principle no longer open 10 European COLOMBIA
ton, reserving in exception TO its influence the
existing colonial rights Of the several powers who
held by prior tenure of possession. This principle
resisted by the British cabinet in their CORE
spondence with MIR. Rush, then our ambassador at
the Court Of St. James; and in the teeth of that
resistance Mr. Monroe announced to Congress, that
il was adopted into the code Of American inter
national creed. These are my recollections and
they furnish with key 10 the mysteries Of pre-
sent diplomacy. Thus stood this principle in
December, 1923, when Mr. Monroe announced il in
his message.
In the debate on the Panama mission at the ses-
sion Of 1886, it disclosed that Mr. Adams
and his Secretary Of State (Mr Clay) had made
this principle proper subject for dclibcration and
action by the congress Of nations that was OK.
pectcd 10 assemble at that sthmus. Mr.. Rivcs par.
ticpacd in that debate, and the stress Of his argu.
ment lay upon an amendment to the instructions
Of our commissioners to Panama, which amend
Inent offered by himself, and which positively
forbade our ministers to maintain Mr.. Monroe's
principle. In the discussion he took the British
side Of that principle, and repudiated the Ameri.
can His speech was ingenious-to borrow the
elder Adamss cpithets, il "ornate and CON
climate" lie fairly stated the issue between this
| country and Great Britain; and his amendment
and speech both did pointedly and explicitly deny
the principle If Monroc's message. This was in
April, 1876; and the Congressional Register for
that time will, | am confident, supply you the
proof. of what ! have cunfusedly and diffusely
stated. lie il now sent out of has ,cay, in the du.
| pick character Of minister 10 England whilst ON
his embassy TO France, 10 discuss the question now