The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1864-04-20
The Monroe Doctrine.

/ Occasional" Of the Philadelphia
Press, in commenting on the action of the
/ House of Representatives in voting in
favor of the resolution reported from the
/ Committee ON Foreign Affairs writes:
| 1t was not simply declaration that
/ the people of the loyal States are a unit
against the designs of foreign potentates
| on the American continent, but it was an
admonition TO the crafty and dangerous
leaders of the rebellion, that their par
| tieipation in these designs. and their
hopes from the success of these doigns,
are not only understood, but will be
baulked and defeated at whatever haz-
ard. The resolution reported by Mr..
| Davis. and adopted by the House. was in
| emphatic affirmation of the Monroe doc
trine-a doctrine intended TO promote the
best ends by its distinguished Southern
| author when il was introduced forty one
years ago, but more latterlly prevented
by the descendants of the Southern states
men, when these descendants saw that
slavery was destined to make them a
wealthy and dominant aristocracy.-
Strange. vet full of instruction, are the
mutations of wears. When President
Monroe issued his celebrated manifesto
on the I'd of December. 1923, his object
was TO admonish deSpotic and monarch
ical Powers that the people of this coun-
try would not tolerate the importation
of their system of Government into any
of our sister republics on this continent.
This was, in fact a proclamation of free
dom. Study the words of President
Monroe, SO full of significance when they
were uttered, and SO full of significance
to day. Let the traitors who are now
begging a French despot to help their
slavery with his armies, ponder and pause
upon them.
EXTRACT FROM PRESIDENT MoNRoE's AN
NUAL MESSAGE, DEC. =, 1873.
The political system of the allied
Powers is essentially different in this re
spect from that of America This differ
ence proceeds from that which exists in
their respective Governments. And to
the defence of our own, which has been
achieved by the loss of so much blood
and treasure, and matured by the wisdom
of our most enlightened citizens, and
under which we have enjoyed unexam-
pied felicity, this whole nation is devo-
ted We owe it, therefore, to candor and
to the amicable relations existing be-
tween the United States and those Pow
ers, to declare that we should consider
any attempt on their part to extend their
system to any portion ofthis Hemisphere,
as dangerous to our peace and safety.
With the existing colonies or depend
encies of any European Powes, we have
not interfcred, and shall not interfere.
But with the Governments who have de-
clared their Independence and maintain
ed it, and whose independence we have,
on great considerations, and on just prin-
ciples, acknowledged, we could not view
any interposition for the purpose of OPP
pressing them, or controlling in any 9th
er manner their destiny, by any Euro
pean Power, in any other light than as
the manifestation of an unfriendly dis
position toward the United States.
This doctrine has passed through many
processes. When sought to be applied
at later period, it was denounced by
the Wings as only calculated to excite ir-
ritation in Europe, and subsequently by
the anti slavery men as indended to eX-
tend the slave power by the Southern
leader. The latter were right. The great
fear of the cotton lords before the REBEL
ion, was not SO much of monarchical ex-
amples, but because, up to that period,
French and English policy was a policy
of hostility to slavery; and in order to
prevent foreign colonization on this con-
tinent they flew to the Monroe doctrine.
behind which to shelter themselves and
their darling institution. And they east
ly cajoled the Northern Democrats by
cheap cries against the tyrants of the
Old World, and so rallied them to their
standard. The Monroe doctrine was thus
a favorite weapon of the Southern poll
ticians and their Northern allies. The
o. r, <tx -
or take Cuba from Spain, all men must
now see were not concocted in the interest
of freedom, but purely in that of slavery,
AT present, however, the Monroe doc
trine is rs much disregarded and dread
ed in the slave or seeded States as it is
and advocated in the free and
adhering States. The great Powers of
whom the South stood so much in awe
have dropped their strong anti slavery
professions, and are too willing to see
slavery triumph and the republic fall; and
the Shareholders appeal to them TO come
forward and help to complete the catas-
trophe. 1t is this contrast and historic
which give so much interest to
the unanimous vote in the House yester-
day The last dream of the traitors is
to see the whole Aztec region a vast
slave En- mpire, or the close ally and armed
supporter OF their conspiracy. 1t was to
encourage this dream that they sent
Slidell to Paris, and Preston to Mexico.
By yesterdays arrival from Europe,
however, it would appear that Louis Ma
poleon will pursue neutral policy in
Mexico as to this country; and also that
the agent of pageant, Maximilian, he
sends there, will play a silent, and proba-
bly, sad part in the drama The unani
nous action of the House on the reso-
luton from the Committee on Foreign
Relations, may help to confirm this wise
and wholesome diplomacy. Should the
Mexicans find a great leader, and be able
to re awaken the old Castilian fires. the
Emperor may discover a new Russia
amid the sierras and table lands Of the
Mexican Republic.