The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1855-10-27
The Monroe Doctrine.

New York Journal re-pubshes letter from
Mr. jefferson to Mr.. Monroe, published in the I'll
volume of Jefferson's works, Oh. A. Washington
ed,or1 showing that the assertion of this doctrine
was acauiesced in by Dir. Jefferson. That 1t was
proposed to our government by Mr. Canning Prime
Minister of England, is fact which has been often
stated and is well authenticated.
Mr. Jefferson declares that our first and funda
mental maxim should be, never to entangle our
selves in the brols of Europe; our second never to
suffer Europe to intermeddle with cis-Atlantic af
fairs He then speaks of the proposition of this doc
trne as coming from England, and says:
by acceedng to her proposition, detach her
from the bands, bring her mighty weight into the
scale of free government, and elnancipate continent
at stroke, which might otherwise hnser long In
doubt and difficulty. Great Britain is the nation
which can do us the most harm of any one all on
earth; and with her side need not fear the
whole world. With her, them should most sedu-
lousy cherish a cordial friendship; and nothing would
tend more to knit affections than to be fighting
more, side by side In the same cause Not that
/ would purchase even her amity at the price of
taking part in her But the war i'll which the
present proposition might engage us, should that be
It's consequence is not her war, but Its object
TO introduce and establish the American system, of
keeping out of our land all foreign powers of never
permitting those of Europe to intermcddle with the
affairs of our nations.
1t is to maintain own principle not to depart
from it. And if. to facilitate this, effect d.
vision in the body of the European powers and draw
to side its most powerful member, surely we
should do it. But am clearly of Mr. Cannings opin-
that it will prevent instead OF provoking war
With Great Britain withdrawn from their scale and
shifted into that of two continents all Europe
combined would not undertake such n war. For how
would they propose to get at either enemy without
superior fleets Nor is the occasion to be sighted
which this proposition offers of declaring our protest
against the atrocous violations of the rights ofnatons
by the interference of any in the internal affairs of
another so tagitiously begun by Bonaparte and
continued by the equally slawless Alliance calling it
self Holy"
How little could Mr.. Jefferson have foreseen the
French and English alliance, which now proposes
to regulate the affairs Of America as well as of
Furope
The remainder of Mr.. Jeffersons letter touches
upon the acquisition of Cuba, which, he candidly
confesses he has ever looked on as the most int.
resting addition which could be made to a svs-
TEN of States. He thinks its acquisition would
'lIl up the measure of our political welazbeing-
Yet he adds sensible that it can never be obtain
ed but by war, land its independence, which is
second interest, (and especallyits independence
of England) can be secured without it, he would
accept its independence, with peace and the friend
ship of England rather than its association at the
expense of war and her enmity. At the same time
he would not permit it to be transferred to any
other power by conquest, cession acquisition, in
any other way