Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-02-04
The Monroe poctrine-shall Europe Respect i'll

III there was any Statc WHICH, We lnlSu
imagine to be exempt from the shacklcs OF
tradition or routine, and which We might cx
pect to scepursuing IN uncmbarrassed course
without reference to hereditary policy. that
State would certainly be the American Union
1t is found. however, that the Cabinet OF
Washington, in its communications with Eu
rUpean Governments, makes constant appeals
to Il certain doctrine and t. 4 doctrine OF
more than thirty years standing. Tn,
standing policy of the United States il pre-
sumcd to be enshrined in the principles o
James Monroe, who from 1871 to 1926, was
President of the great Transatlantic Contcde
racv. The Monroe Doctrine forms Il sta
Pile of American Diplomacy, and is produced
on all fitting occasions as Il solemn text FOL
the summary determination OF argument
For all this. we doubt very much whether one
person in thousand knows what the Monroe
Doctrine means, and this lack of information
indeed. is perfectly natural. for the Doctrine
SAYS one thing and means another.
Alta time when the Absolute Sovere gnS OF
Europe. victorious at last over the principles
of revolution. had combined in Holy ALI
anre To assure themselves against recur'
renee OF such perils for the future, there
was some talk of their carrying their inter
vention across the Atlantic. for the benefit OF
society in those distant regions. The vibra'
tons of European CONFUSION had. in fact,
become pcrceptihle in America. The Span
sh colonies had reyulted: Brazil had revolt
ed. and small Republics were sprnging up
on all sides, to the prejudice Of monarrhical
prctcnSions. 1t was thought, under such cir
cum>tanccs. that the Allied Powers, having
got their hands in at home, mi ht attempta lit
tie business abroad, and rr-establish Divine
Right in America. as they had done in Europe.
This was the con uncture which found Mr..
Monroe at the head OF the American Govern
ment. and this was the policy. actual or A.
sllmed. on the part Of European Powers,
which he encountered by the "Doctrinc"
stamped with his name. lie warned the
Holy Alliance of American soil. lie plain
" declared that the United States would not
allow the independence of any other Ameri-
can community To be put down. He said
that they would not interfere with existing
politics bnt that where any people had de-
rlared themselves independent, and had re-
ceiy.d the recognition Of the L. States, the Co
vernment of the Union would make their cause
its own for lit was impossible that the ALI
I'd Powers should extend their political sy>-
tenn To any portion Of either continent without
endangrring our peace and happiness
There. then. is the Monroe Doctrine. and
| it is about rs reasonable Il doctrine Is need
be. Its principles have been av"wed by
States of all kinds, time out of mind. The
French of '93 ayuwed them when they prof
iercd their support To all nations who might
choose to do as they had done. We in Eng
land make the same avowal in n modified
form. when We express our sympatheS with
any Constitutional Government. AMI applaud
any people in their struggles for rational lib
rrty. The Allied Soyere gus themselves. in
short, were but acting on these identical prin-
ciplcS when they contemplated that nterven-
ton in America which produced Mr.. Mon
rocs reiolnder. They wished To multiply
Governments of their own pattern. and sup
press Governments Of m opposite model.
They thought their principles the hest prin-
ciplrs, and in the true spirit Of political or
thodoxy, were for making them everywhere
prevail observation-disclosures, however had an
orthodoxy of his own. and declared, very
justtiably, that he and his countrymen would
maintain it and support it on their own
ground. This is what the Monroe Doctrine
says, and what it or gina " meant, but it l.
now interpreted to mean something very diff
fcrcnt. indeed.
In the mouth of Young America, the
/ ''Monror Doctrine" implies that no European
/ Power has any real business on the American
/ Continent. or at any rate IN its northern por-
ton The Suferancc extended by Mr.. Mon
IT." toexisting institutions, is by them applied
! to existing interests. They abstain from
l,,t
! look upon America H. pertaining to Amer
leans, invest themselves with Il reyersonary
interest in all its States, to be realized, sooner
or later by manifest destiny and protest
with the utmost yehcmcncc against any act
! calculated 10 extend. enforce "r confirm the
interests still retained by other Powers
/ Such aS exist may br allowed to die out,
| without violent extinction. but nothing must
! be done to invignratc or renew them, and
nothing suffered which may resemble an adj
mission that any European Government has
any title to interfere with affairs on the other
sid" of the Atlantic. For this new doctrine
! it is plain. from what we have sad. that
President Monroe's authority cannot truly
be pleaded. and the cxtr;nagance of its pre-
tensions, ali authority apart, is certainly
! considerable
! What is North America. and how is it ii
! vidcd? The area of that enormous continent
embraces about S,OUO,OOO square miles. OF
that territory, we are the actual and lawful
| posscssorS Of more than Il third. The lnmin-
ions of the British Government cover about
3.oOOWO square miles: chose of the United
States about the same. or little more. OF
! the rest Russia has about half a million.
| Denmark rather less and France just foot
ing on some fishery islands. Drducting the
un"ccuprd lands Of the Arctic Regions, We
find more than one-half of all North Ameri-
"a in the possession and occupation of Euro
pean Statesa possession uncontested in it,
legality, and traceabie. in fact. To- exactly
the same title ~ that of the Americans them
selves. With what justice, then, can it be
pretended, in the face Of such notorious facts,
| that American matters are beyond the sphere
! Of our legitimate interference? Does the
ownership Of 4 province like Canada carry
with 1t no interest in the affairs Of the North
American Continent, If the Americans
have u California. have not we a British Co
lumbia: We say nothing Of British llondu-
ras, British Islands in the Gulf or British
Guiana on the Southern Main We take
North America alone, ~ usually understood
and, as almost half it, territories are our un
disputed property, it is surely Il somewhat AZ
bltrary doctrine which would exclude Us from
It's politics ~ an alien or ntruding Power.