Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1863-10-28
Origin of ihe ID ,nroo D nctrIue-Tae
United States and Cuha--AmerIcau
Cod Fslih. -

l. origin OF he ID ,nroo ID 16trlue-Td a
@ United States and Cuha--AmerIcal
It Good Fsiih.
:, The Providence Jourull lrint7 :, lct'er
. never before made public. from ,iohi
- Quincy Adams To Rev DIR Claiming, il
!, which is contained q curious bit of secre
i history showing the origin of what is call
a ed the Monroe Doctrine" Ii will b,
o seen by this letter tlfit under the mos
> ting circumstances and the severes
l .nptations, the American Government
!. acted with the most sincere good faith to
Z ward n friendly power-Spain--an with
. the most open and frank courtesy toward
, two other powers, who were at the time
. our rivals for the possession of Cuba. Ii
; will be seen. too. that the agreement
, against European intervention in Amer
. lean affairs. which afterward took shape
! and was formally announced as a policy
f by Mr.. Monroe, in one of his annual mes
, sages-whence the name of Monroe Doc
! trine"-had its origin in suggestion OF
proposition made by the british Govern
ment to our own; so that Englishmen may
claim the credit of originating the cele
! brated Monroe Doctrine"
: -b-q A QuINcY. Aug. IL, 1887.
Rev. W.iEaln E. Cha"ni,sg. D. D., NegpOrt,
r. l.: rsse ~.
MY DEAR SIR 1t was in Sep
tember. 1922, that the events to which |
alluded IN my speech in the House OF
. Representatives of the 2Tth of May 1886,
took place. IL was the time when the
Spanish Government of the Corfes was
I overthrow by the French invasion under
the Duke D'Angouleme. Great Britain
became alarmed lest under the shelter Oi
that revolution the Island of Cuba should
pass into fHe possession of France. The
French Government fabricated or was im-
p, sed upon by report that the British
Cabinet had determined to send q squad
ron and take possession of the Island
4 Fhe people of the Havanna, divided into
parties between the Cortes and the king,
were terrified by preinontory symptoms
of negro insuTt-cu6B and booking round
| for protector. iu-te was a party for re-
storing 10 Great Britain, party for adj
herring to Spain. and PARTY for seeking
admission TO the North American Union
the last of which was the strongest.
proposition was then made by a secret
agent from them to Mr.. Monroe to this
effact-lhat they by popular movement,
of the success of (which they lad no doubt,
would declare the IslSnd independent of
Spain If the Government of the United
States would promise them protection and
admit them into their Union under a
State Constitution, on the model of those
of our Southern States, and with the I'M
derstanding that as the population of the
Island should increase they should be at
liberty TO divide themselves into two
States, and have that proportion of repre-
sentation in the Congress of the United |
States. As the inducement to the Ameri- /
can Government to pledge their protec-
tion, they were assured that the alternl /
tive would probably be the prevalence of
the party in the Island. for the colonial /
connection with Great Britain and re-
sort to her for protection. While this
proposition was under consideration of
Mr.. Monroe and his Cabinet, the French
Minister at Washington, by verbal, ire
sponsible communication, not 10 the See
rotary OF State, the only medium of official
intercourse between foreign Ministers and
the Government of the United States, but
to Mr.. Crawford, the Secretary of the
Treasury, asseverated that the French
Government had secret but positive infor-
nation that the British Government had
deliberately determined to take posses
sion of Cuba. b. .ai--- ff. .sr
The answer of Mr.. Monroe to the prop
osition from the Hayanna was that the
friendly relations existing between the
United States and Spain did not permit
them to promise countenance or protec-
tion to any insurTectional movement
against her authority. Their advice to the
people of Cuba was to adhere, as long as
possible, to their allegiance to Spaia-that
an attempt of either Great Britain or
France to occupy the Island would pre-
sent the proposal from the Havanna un-
der different point of view. concerning
which the President was not authorized
to pledge prospectively the action OF the
United States, but that the people of the
Havanna might be assured of the deep
interest which, under all the clreumstan-
ces which might occur, the American
would take in their welfare
and their wishes.
1t was the opinion of at least one men,
Der of Mr.. Monroe's administration that $
the occupation of the Island of Cuba by
GIeit Britain should be resisted even at
tue cost of a war. Their unanimous opin-
ion was that very explicit though conf
Dental communication should be made
10 Mr.. Canning, that the United States s
could not see with indifference the occupa- !
lion of Cuba by any European power 9TH
ar than Spain. and that rumors had reach !
sd the American Government that such !
IN intention was entertained by the Brit ! !
sh Cabinet, which made it necessary to
Ask an explanation of their views.
Mr.. Rush was instructed accordingly;
Mr.. Canning disavowed emphaticslly all
Intention on the part of Great Britain to
lake possession of the Island, but avowed a
ner determination not tosee with indifier- T
ence its occupation, either by France or
oy the United States, and he told Mr.. a
Rush of the squadron dispatched by Louis e
XVIII. to the West Indies, without noti- {
iying mm of the expedition, and OF the a
he had ordered the British Em- $
oassador at Paris to give the French Cab v
net for that sin of omission. Mr.. Can T
aing then proposed that, by mutual an 4
between the British, French v
md American Governments. without sny I
ormal treaty or convention, Ca0S should G
be left in the quiet possession of Spain, S
without interference in the Government Z
IF the Island. This was precisely the poll
" which Mr. Monroe believed to be the ,,
best adapted to the interest and the du- +
lies of the United States, and he cheer I,
'ully assented to it. There was no fur r
her communication between him and the
French Government on the subject. So
ar as France was concerned, the arrange
nent was left to be concerted between her
and Great Britain. The people of the
Island of Cuba submitted TO the Govern s s
nent of Ferd n md, restored by the Duke :
D'Angouleme, and received a Viceroy and
Capt. General in the person of General
Wives, who had been Minister from Spain c
o the United States; oneof the most up h
light and honorable men with whom it r
las ever been my fortune to hold political
citations. He was precisely the man to Il
ranquilize and conciliate the submission n
If the people of the Island to their own \
and he so effectually accom- II
,lished that purpose that the Government I
r ~ = Il cN.I-I - L ..-.l G.. y