Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1853-03-26
The Monroe Doctrine aHd the DE.
inocfney

advocates of the prcsen, day wonll have tho
country 10 believe. Ina party sense. in fact,
the doctrine is not aud never has been Demo
cratic Il springs from Wing source. lis
earliest and most consistent promoters were
Wing statesmen, and il encountered tho bitter
and successful opposition of prolcssed Demo-
Gratis An epitome OF Mr.. Claytons state.
meni upon this head will show Low much val
ne properly attached to The ponderous general.
tiles Of Mcssrs. Mason. Cass and Douglas.
Mr.. Monroe's "declaratiou" never amount.
ed. on lis part, 10 any more than recon.
mendsiion to Congress IN favor of the prnci
pie involved. Il occurred IN his message Of
December, 1928
I'VE owe it," SAID he ITO caLdor and 10 the
amicabe relations exiting between the United
States and the European powers, 10 declare
that We should consider any attcmp; on their
part to extend their system 10 any portion Of
this hemisphere as.dangerous 10 our peace
and safety. With the existing colonies aud
dependencies of any European rover We
have not inieriercd and shall not inre rlere.
Bot with the governments which have j-clar-
ed their independence and maintained il, and
Wnose independence VIC nave. on plchi CON
alterations and just principles, ACKNOWLEDGED,
We could not Wow any lnterposition. for the
purpose OF depressing them, or Of Controlling
IN any other Manner their destined. by
European power, in any other Ii aht than as q Is
manifestation of an uniriendly disposition to
ward the United Siaiesp
II will no, be pretended that n commenda
ton or suggestion, by President possesses
any binding efficacy or force without the
concurrence Of Congress Thia concurrence
was withheld by the Congress to whoa VI was
addressed, and has hot been expressed in nn
authoritative form at any subsequent period.
Mr. Cl,y, who was warm supporter of Mr.
Monroe's administration, proposed a rcsoll.
ton to the Hou>e of Repre- enaives cchoiug
the declaration in a acre., form. His resp
luton was
That the people OF these States would not
SEE, without serious inqnetudc. any /orctble
imerposition byNe aHicd poioers If Earope. |
III behalf of Spain. 10 reduce 10 their foy |
mcr Sab]ection those parts of the contlnent OF
America which have proclaimed ard establish
ell Tor themselves respectively independent
governments, and which have been solcmnly |
recognized by the United Stutcs."
Even in this shape, and notw hstanding tho
combined eloquence of Mr.. Webster and Mr.
Clay, ihe"Joc,ne" was rcie:tcd by the House
OF Representatives The fate of the resolution.
and the real nature of Mr. Monroe's recon-.
mendation, we're afterwards set forth hy Mr..
James X. Polk in the debate on tho Panama
mission. Mr.. Clayton quotes from the rcpors
OF the day as follows;
Before he concluded NJ. Polk said he
would say word III relation to the pledge
which it was said the nation had given in rela. |
ton t. our South American policy. When The
message Of the late President (Monroe) If the
Unhed States was communicated To Congress.
II was viewed. as ii should have been. as The
mere expression of opininn of the Executive
submitted 10 the consid GRAFTON and delbera
ton of Congress, and designed probably to
produce an effect upon the councils Of the no
ly alliance in relation to their supposed inten-
ton to interfere in the ar between Spain and
her former colonies. That effect it probably
had an agency in producing; and lso. it hid
performed its Office. The President had no
power to bind the nation by such pledge
lie sound and sober judgment oftle people
OF the United States had not oeen brought up
TO the conclusion that could in any event
make common cause with the republics OF the
South, or involve ourselves in the calamilies of
war their behalf; adj oar sympa,hies all our
good feelings We're with them We wished them
success; but self preservat is the frat law OF
nature and ot nalions;we were then,as he hop,
ed we st were, unprepared to depart from
our settled policy.
"As strong evidence OF what the opinion oil
this House then was. the present Secretary OF
State. Mr.. Clay, )then member of the House
had submitted resolution responding TO The
sentiments of the message of the President
The Greek resolution was submitted,too at the
same session. hy the honrable member from
Massachuset's;the fever was up; We seemed to
be then, if we ever had been, prepared To go
ona political crusade in behalf Of others The
sober Judgment Of the House interposed, the
greek Resolution sharedits fate. and sleeps up
cn'ne table Mr.. Clay saw clearly that the same
rate inevitably awaited his South American re.
so'u'ion'"'th only this difference, that il would
probably have been ncga,ived bv a much mare
a.