Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1865-03-02
gradford geporter,
Towanda, Thursday, March 2, 1866.
THE MONROE DOCTRINE.

sion of Mexico, public attention has been
more or less drawn to the Monroe Doctrine,
as it is called, and which naturally grew
out of our last war with England. The ex-
act boundaries, the limitations and appli-
cations Of this doctrine, were never fully
settled and to this day, there is much di-
versity of opinion on this point. The Mes
sage of President MONROE, III which this
policy of our government towards the 9th
er States on this continent, was first pub
licly announced, though it had been fully
discussed, and generally entertained, some
time prior, declares "That any attempt on
the part of European powers to extend
their system to any portion of this hemis-
phere, would be regarded by the United
States, as dangerous to our peace and safe
ty" 1t Was however, subsequently declar-
ed in Congress, by leading republicans,
THAT the President had taken too wide
range on this particular subject and that
it was never intended by the republican
party of that day." which was at that time
dominant, " to extend the protection of the
government beyond the independent South
American States" So that the correct in
depreciation of the Monroe Doctrine, is far
from being settled and we think it is well
that our government is not in condition, and
not in disposition, to attempt its practical
u, h. a. J.,
examine its merits, and the more experience
we have as government, the more its i'm
practicability becomes manifest. Besides,
when we remember the condition of the
country, and the causes which give rise to
! this doctrine, we cannot fail to see addition
| al reasons for the exercise of circumspec-
tion, and for holding in allegiance theory
so clearly surrounded with trouble, so pos
itively aggressive i'll its tendencies, and SC
at variance with every consideration of
public tranquility. 1t will be borne in mind
that some time before the war broke out
between England and the United States, in
1912, some under-handed means had been
resorted to, on the part of the former, to
seperate the Eastern States from our gov
ernment, with the view of attaching them
to the British provinces. For this purpose
JOHN HENRY, an Englishman, was employed
by Sir JAMES CRAIG, governor general o.
Canada, to undertake a secret mission tC
Boston. Craig had promised HENRY for this
service, an office worth a thousand pounds
a year But failing to fulfill this engage
ment, the latter, in letter written i'll Phil
adelphia, on the Goth of June, 1913, dis
closed the whole affair to Mr. MONROE, ther
Secretary of State for fifty thousand dol
lars. This project with others of similar
though less notorious character, very great
aggravated public sentiment in the United
States against Great Britain. These trans
actions, together with the English blockade
pressment of our seamen, eliminated in {
war, wherein we were triumphant. TX
master, as we did then, after we got fairly
to work, both by land and sea, the mos
powerful nation on the earth, and one whicl
had whipped out all the other nations o
Europe, was well calculated to excite the
vanity of JEFFERSON, MADISON, monroe, AD
ANS, CALHOUN, CLAY and their democratic
compeers, who had wrested the govern
ment out Of the hands of the federalists
broken them down, and against their coun
sells, and with little of their aid, had made
the war success, and glory Under
such circumstances, they were excusablt
for feeling, themselves competent to protect
the whole continent 1t may too, have beer
wise, in view of the propensity of England
to meddle with our affairs, to proclaim {
determination to protect in future the hem
isphere on which the United States were
located, from those insiduous wiles of the
mother country, she was ever projecting
against it for purposes of aggrandizement
While thel efore, we can, not only excuse
but justify, this position of our government
at the time referred to, because of her pc
culiar surroundings, yet we are not SC
ready to admit that it is either the part Of
wisdom, or of good morals, to insist upor
the same position now, not only for the
reason that it is not tenable, but for thai
stronger, and higher reason, that it is moi
right. A government makes itself redicu
lous, in assuming to command that which
it has no means of controlling !; and if We
now declare the Monroe Doctrine to be the
policy of our government, how will it ap
pear before the world, with British anC
Russian possessions on one side of us, Mex
leo and Brazil on another, and the Other
| South American States, as much, at least
under foreign, as under our control? The
doctrine thus viewed and this is its true
aspects positive nullity and such il
reality, it has been ever since it was pro
claimed Aside from this, how would il
look, if a rich, successful, proud man, should
proclaim that the particular district, OF
| township in which he resided and which
was thickly populated with property-hold
ers, was under his protection, and that nc
system offarming different from that which
he practiced, would be tolerated in it
JV,,,l1 ,o+ +hic no lnoEnd ,nor n. ,,o,,, ,,r