The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1863-10-28
ORIGIN OF THE MONROE DOCTRINE,
letter OF John Qulnc, Adams.

! the American Government acted with the
, most sincere good faith toward u friendly
powcr--Spoin--au1 with the most open
and frank courtesy toward two other pow.
crs, who were az the time our rivals for
the possession Of Cuba It will DO seen.
too, that the agreement against European
intervention in American affairs, which af.
terward took shape and was formally an.
nouuccd as policy by Mr.. Monroe. in ono
OF his annual mo>sasus--wheuce the namo
/ OF" Monroe Doctrine had its origin in
suggestion or proposition made by tho
| British Government TO our own; so that
EnSlishmrn may claim the credit Of orig.
mating the celebrated Monroe Doctrine:'
QciNcr, August II, 1887.
Rcr, WiNicn' l., LHGaniNg, H. d., Netc.
port, r. J.:
My DEAR SIR II was in Sep
icmbcr, 1922, that tho events to which al
luded i'll my speech IN the House of Repre-.
scutotivcs Of the 2jth of May, 1856, took
place. II was the time whom the Spanish
Government of the Cortes, was overthrown
by the French invasion under the Duke
/ u DAagoulcmc. Great Britain became alarmed
lest under the shelter of that revolution the
laland of Cuba should pass into the posses.
! sion Of Franco. Tho French Government
fabricated or was imposed uron by n re-
port that the British Cabinet had deter.
mued to send q squadron and take posses.
sion of the Island Tho people of the lIa-
Nana, divided into parties between the Cor
tes aud the king, wcro terrified by prcmon-
itory symptoms of negro instruction and
! looking round for a protector. There was
q party for rcsorting TO Great Britain, "a
! party lor adhcring to Spain, and party for
seeking admission TO the North American
Cnion--thc last of which was the stronges,
\ proposition was then made by Il secret
agent from thcm to Mr.. Monroe to this uf.
tcct-that they 10y a popular movement, OF
! the success OF which they had no doubt
would declare the Island independent of
| spain, If the Government of the I lited
| States would promise them protection and
admit them into their Union under State
| constitution, on the model of those of our
southern States, and with the understand
ing that as the population OF the Islaud
should increase, they should be at liberty TO
! divide thom Owes into two States and, havo
that proportion of representation il the
| Congress OF the United states As tho in
| duccmcnt to the American Government to
! pledge their protection, they were as.
sured that the alternative would probably
he the prcvailancc Of the party in the Is'aqd
| for the colonial connection with Great Bri-
tain and a resort to her for protection.
While this proposition was under con-
sIdcration Of Mr., Monroe aud his Cabinet,
the French Minister at Washington, by Il
verbal, irresponsible communication, not To
| the Secretary of State, the only medium of
! ClliGJdl Intercourse bctwoan foreign Minis
! tc!s aud the Government of the United
States, but to Mr.. Crawford, the Secretary
OF tho Treasury assevcratcd that the French
| Government had secret but positive infor-
nation that tho British Government had
| deliberately determined to take possession
of Cuba.
The answer of Mr. Monroe to the propo.
sition from the Havana was that the friendly
! relations existing between the United States
| and Spain did not permit them TO promise
| cOuntenaucc or protection to any Insured
| tionNl movement against her authority
Their advice to the people of Cuba was 10
| adhere, as long as possible, to their allie
glance to Spain that an attempt of either
Great Britain or France to occupy the Island
would present tho proposal from tho
Havana under n different point of view,
| concerning which the President was not
authorized TO pledge prospcctivcly the nc.
| ton ot ihc States but that the people Of
tho Havana might he assured of the deep
! interest which, under all the circumstances
which might Oc cur, the American Govern
mcnt would take IN their welfare and their
wishes.
1t was the opinion of at least oncmcaibcr
of Mr.. Monroe's administration that the oc.
cupat on OF the Island of Cuba by Great
Britain should he resisted, even nj the cost
of a war. Their unanimous opinion was
that a very explicit though confidential
communication should he made TO Mr.. Can
ming, that the United States could not see
with indifference the occupation of Cuba by
! any European power other than Spain, and
! that ruInorS had reached the American Gov
ernment that such an intention was enter
! tanned by tho Brit sh Cabinet, which made
1t necessary to ask an explanation OF their
| views.
! Mr.. Rush was instructed accordingly; Mr..
| Canning disavowcd cmphatcally all inen-
| ton on the part Of Great Britain to take
/ possession OF the Island, but avowed her
! determination not 10 see, with Indifference,
| its occupation, either by France, or by tho
| United States, and he told Mr. Rush Of the
! squadron dispatched by Louis XVIII TO the
! West Indies, without notifying him of the
! expedition, and OF the schooling ne had or
de red the Britihll EmbassadOr mt Paris for
! that sin Of omission. Mr.. Canning then
proposed that, by II mutual understanding
! between the British, French and American
! Governments, without any formal treaty
I or convention, Cuba SNOuid be Ictt III tho
/ quiet possession of Spain. without iuterfer-
cucc in the government OF the Island. This
was precisely the policy which Mr.. Monroe
/ believed to lp best adapted t. the interest
and the duties OF the United States, and no
chccrfuly asscrted 20 it. There was no
/ further communication between him and tho
French Government on the subject. 80 far
rs France was concerned. the arrangement
! was left To be concerted between hey and
| Great Britain The people of the Island ot
/ Cuba submitted to the Government Of lcr
/ diuand, restored hv the Duke dAugouleme.
aud received a Niccyoy aua Captain General
+ in the person az General Wives, who had
/ been Minister from Spain TO tho United
/ States--onc Of the most upright aud honor
able men with whom il has ever been my
| fortune 10 hold political relations He was
/ precisely the man 10 trauquiliZe and con
ciliate the submission OF the people OF the
island to their own Government, and no So
clfcctually accomplished that purpose that
/ the Government OF The United States heard
nothing further of intended insurrectlon in
Cuba during The remainder Of Mr.. Monroe's
administration and the whole OF mine.
J Al these transactions We're at the timo
profoundly secret.
/ am, olcourse, your unalteruhle friend,
J, q, ADAMS.
The Confederate debt, says Robert Tay
lor, Register Of the Treasury at Rlchmold