The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-12-23
VOL. vi.

lection, until we hear the other side
But whether the statement of the Pho,o J..
true or false if the accounts which have ro.oL
ed this country be correct, France has taLo.
possession of Samana-in other words n F.
pean Government, ambitious of universal ..
pire, has colonized a portion of the New WorId
in defiance of the declaration first mad
MIR. Monroe, then repeated by Mr.. Polk ana
almost universally sanctioned by the DEM
cratic party. The declaration of Mr.. Mon,o,
was as follows:
We owe it therefore, to candor. and 10 a.,
amicable relations existing between tho IN tne
ted States and those powers To daclouo IN ni'
we should consider any attempt on Their 10.
TO ertend their system to any portion of t6;s r..
| isphere, as dangerous TO our peace and sor.,"'
With the existing colonies or dependencies ~
any European power we have not interfsrod
and shall not interfere. But with The Corr
'nents icao haze declared their independent, onJ
maintained 1t, and rchose independence IRE ham,
ON great consideration and on lust py;ur;nls,1
Acknowledged we could not view any interpos;
ton for the purpose of expressing them, or ron
trolling an any other manner their desip,, h.,
dry European Power, IN any other light hSn a.,
the manifestation Of an unfriendly dispo0t;on
totcdrds the United States" r0''''"'
AS this country has not Acknowledges H..
Independence of Dominica, it may be alleged
that the declaration does not apply to the in.
reference of France, with that Governmsn,
This is true, as to its terms, but not its spr;,
The principle was meant to apply to any case
| of foreign interference with the concerns If anv
independent Government in this hemisphere
with view to control its destinies.
Mr.. Polk re-affrmation of the prine;nle uss
claimed by the Democratic party to present it
in its true bearings.
"The United States" he SAYS, sineerelv
desirous of preserving relations of good under.
standing with all nations, cannot an silence nor.
mat any European interference on The North
american continent, and should anu such IN.
reference be attempted, wiH be readp 10 resist II
at any and all hazards 1t is well known 70
the American people and to all nations that
this Government has never interfered with
the relations subsisting between other Govern.
ments. We have never made ourselves parties
to their wars or their alliances we have not
sought their territories by. conquest; we have
not mingled with parties in their domestic
struggles; and believing our own form of Gov
eminent to be the best, we have never attempt
ed to propagate it by intrigues, by diplomacy
or by force We may claim ON this continent
like exemption from European interference
The nations of America are equally sovereign
and independent with those of Europe. They
possess the same rights, independent of all
foreign interposition, to make war, to conclude
peace, and to regulate their internal affairs.
| 10 &c L. -
fore, Uteac nth indifference attempts of Euro,
pean poicers to interfere nth the independent
action Of the nations on this continent The
American system of Government is entirely
different from that of Europe JEALOUSY
among the different sovereigns of Europe lest
any one of them might become too powerful
for the rest has caused them anxiously to de-
sire the establishment of what they term the
balance of power
1t cannot be permitted to have any appI-
cation on the North American continent. and
especially to the United States. We must
ever maintain the principle that the people of
this continent alone have the right to decide
their own destiny. Should any portion of them,
constituting an independent State, propose to
unite themselves with our Confederacy, this
will be question for them and us to determine
without any foreign interp0sition. We can
never consent that European powers shall in.
terfere to prevent such union, because it
might disturb the balance of power which
they may desire to maintain upon this con-
tlnent Near quarter Of century ago, the
principle was distinctly announced to the world
In the annual message of one of my predeees-
sors, that the american continents by the free
and independent condition Which they haze as
sunsed and maintained are henteforth not 10 be
considered as subjects for future colonization by
any European poWer. THIS principle alH Gp-
p, ,oith greatly increased force, should any Eu-
iop Norh es1tttsam to establish any new colony
ain the existing circumstance. - =, II,
the present is deemed proper occasion o
reiterate and reaf6rm the principle avowed by
Mr.. Monroe, and to state my cordial concur
renee in its wisdom and sound policy. The
reasserton of this principle, especially in
reference to North America, is, at this day, but
the PRONUNCIATION of policy which no Euro
pean power should cherish the disposition to
resist Existing rights of every European ma
| ton should be respected but it is due alike to
our safety and our interests that the efficient
protection of our laws should be extended over
our whole territorial limits, and that ii should
De distinctly announced TO the worn as our
Settfed policy that no future European colony
|
or established on any part of the North Amer
can continent"
Hayti is portion of North Amerca-the
West India islands are appendages of the North
American continent-"a European colony > has
just been established in one of them by France
The question now is, what will the Government
of this country do 1t is pledged by its decla-
rations to resist such colonization and such in.
reference as that undertaken by France. Shall
the pledge be fulfilled! Shall France be call
ed upon to give up SANTANA to abandon the
protectorate she has raised over an independ-
ent Government Of this hemisphere And if
she refuse compliance, shall we 60 to war, or
expose ourselves to the ridicule of the world,
by shrinking from the fulflment of our pledge
Can we shut our eyes to the causes which
have placed us in this dilemma! A prompt
recognition of Hayti, and the extension of the
usual international courtesies towards her
would have prevented such state of things
But we have played the fool in obedience to
Slavery; we have used our influence against
the Haytien Government; we have countenanc-
ed, if not fostered, disafection and revolt; and,
now, this very revolt is used as pretext by an
ambitious European Power, to gain foothold I'D
this hemisphere, to plant new colony, with
view doubtless to set bounds to the empire OF
this Republic. And, now, as the ultimate re-
suit of the working Of this internal Element oil
Evil in our Government, we must either fight,
OF be branded as coward and recreant in the
face of the civilized world.
What shall be said of the Washington Union,