Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1859-02-03
The Monroe Doctrine.---What is 1t!

: III we remember correctly. saystn
!, Memphis Avalanche, 10 1922 ther
was held at Verona, a Congress of tn
, Soyereigns of Europe, the same VIII
| had constituted till the exile of Ma
poleon, and subsequently. the "Hol,.
Alliance This Congress held Sc
cret sessions, and existed from Octo
Der till December. The Emperors G
! Austria and Russia, and the Kings o
Prussia and Sardinia, with the repre-
sentative Of the leading powers o
Europe were present.
| At this time Spain was governed
! by the Cortes-a species of legis'
Iative assembly-the King. Ferdi
nand, having been deposed. The
condition of Spain occupied for the
most part the atten tion of Congress,
and for a long time the question was
mooted whether Spain should be in
vaded by the Holy Alliance, and Fer
dinand restored to his throne. 1t
was urged by the representatives of all
the despots present, that the exam
pie of Spain was dangerous to the
peace of Europe, and therefore that
the Cortes should be suppressed and
monarchy re-established. Spain was
finally invaded by thearmies Of France
notwithstanding England's stIenu.
GUS objections to this line of argu-
ment-the Cortes was dispersed, and
Ferdinand re.seated on the throne Of
his fathers.
As soon as this was accomplished,
his American colonies being in state
of rebellion, Ferdinand called upon the
allied powers to aid him in their sub
jugation. Against this proposition
England protested, asserting that if
such course we're adopted by the
allies, she would at once recognize
the independence of the Spanish A
merioan colonies.
At this time Richard Rush was the
American Minister at London, and
George Canning, if we are not mis-
taken, Prime Minister. MIR. Canning
applied to MIR. Rush for an express
sion of tie opinion Of our govern
ment as to the policy proposed to be
adopted by the allied powers. Mr..
Rush at once called the attention Of
President Monroe to the subject, and
iu December, 1928, the President
sent to Congress the memorable mes
sage about which we have oflate read
so much, as containing what is f;'-
miliarly known as the "Monroe doc
trine," since become SO odious to the
English government. Mr.. Monroe
simply stated that we had neither par
ticipated directly nor indirectly in the
then recent European rebellions and
revolutions; that with the acts of the
allied powers on the continent OF Eu-
rope we had nothing to do, but with
these affected governments and coun.
tries in America, we must in seli-de-
fence intervene to prevent such ac-
tiocs. It was further declared that
the interference of European powers
with the existing state Of thugs on
this side of the ocean would be re-
garded by US as a manifestation OF
an unfriendly disposition towards the
United States,'' and ..hat while we
had been neutral both in European
and Spanish American e:ruggles, yet
we could not indiffereutly behold 9th
er distant nations adopting a different
line of policy.
This was precisely what England
wanted at the time; and in 1924 Mr.
Monroe gratifed Mr.. Canning by re-
iteration Of the same doctrines, asser.
ting that we cared nothing for the
balance of power in Europe, but that
no European governm snt could inter
fere with Southern american Re.
publics without seriously affecting
u.s." and it was gratifying to kooS
that some allied powers to whom these
views had been addressed had zap
peared to acquiesce in them"
England bad threatened the I'M
mediate recognition of the Spanish
/ American Provinces, if the allied pow
ers sought to aid in their suhjugasion
MIR. Monroe simply declared tina
! such Interference would not be looke'
on with Indifference by our govern
ment. The Monroe doctrine, wit
that Of England, had the desired el
feet, aud Bolivar and his compatriot
of the South triumphed.
In his message having reference I
the then pending controversy WIT