Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1865-12-18
WHAT THE MONROE DOCTRINE

~ MEANS$ "a IA
Nearly every dispatch which comes 70
"a by telegraph from the Atlantic States,
relating to the Mexican question and IL
-incidentals, bot serves to confirm theimG
preston that q solution must speedily take
place. The appointment Of a Minister
Plenipotentiary accredited to the Republic
can Government. the proposed visit of
Gen. Grant to our lines on the Rio Grande,
the remarks Of President johnson on the
occasion of the reception of the credentials
Of the Brazilian Minister, the ominous 81
lence ofthe Annual Message, together with
the active movements Of Congress, all point
to a vigorous ~opposjtion to the interven-
ton of the Emperor Of the French in mat
tiers pertaining exclusively to this contin-
ent. q As every indication points 70 an
enforcement Of the Monroe Doctrine, it
may not be. amiss to see what were the
ideas which were promulgated nearly half
a century ago, which are destined here
after to have so important a place in his
tory.
President Monroe, in a special message
OF March 8, 1922, in referring to the revo-
~lutionary movements Of the time in the
Spanish provinces, after noting the general
feeling of sympathy manifested on the part
of our people towards the struggling peo-
pie Of South America, said:,
This contest has now reached such q
stage and beenyattended with decisive sue
cess on the part of the provinces, that it
merits the most profound, consideration,
whether their right to the rank Of indie
pendent nations, with all the advantages
incident to it., in their intercourse with the
United States, is not complete. Buenos
Ayres assumed that rank by n formal de-
claration in 1916, and has enjoyed it since
1910 free from invasion by the parent
country. The provinces composing the
Republic of Columbia, after having separ-
ately, declared their independence, were
united by a fundamental law Of the 18th
December, 1919. A strong Spanish force
| occupied, at that time, certain parts of this
territory within their limits, and waged a
| destructive war. That force has since
been repeatedly defeated, and the whole Of
it either made prisoners or destroyed, or
expelled from the country. with the ex-
ception of an uncomfortable portion only,
which is blockaded in two fortresses. The
provinces on the Pacific have likewise been
very successful. Chile declared its indo-
pendence in 1918, and has since enjoyed
it undisturbed; and of late, by the assist
ance of Chile and Buenos Ayres, the revo-
luton has extended to Peru. OF the
movement in Mexico u information is
less authentic, but it is, nevertheless, diS-
tinctly understood that the new govern
ment has declared its independence, and
that there is now no opposition to it there,
or any force to make any. For the last
three years the government, of Spain has
not sent a single corps Of troops to any
part of that country; norris there any
reason to believe it will send any in future.
Thus it is manifest that all those provinces
are not only in the full enjoyment Of their
independence, but considering the state Of
the war and other circumstances, that
there is not the most remote prospect Of
their being deprived of it.. cd
A year afterwards, in this Annual Mes
sage of March 4, 1928, referring i'll general
terms to the subject, he enunciated the
famous doctrine" that has since gone by
his name, as follows:
In the wars of the European powers, in
| - nN0as, rn1affpn 60 Nhnpoooluno MN hoy,a
never taken part, nor does it comport with
US to do so. 1t is Only when Jul rights
are invaded, or seriously menaced, that We
resent injuries, or make preparations for
our defense. With the movements in this
hemisphere we are, of necessity, more i'm
mediately connected, and by causes which
must be obvious to all enlightened and
impartial observers. The political system
of the allied powers is essentially different
in this respect from that Of America. This
difference proceeds from that which exists
in their respective Governments, and to
the defense 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 unexampled fell
cAy, this whole nation is devoted. We
owe it. therefore, to candor and to the
amicable relations existing between the
United States aud those Powers to declare
that We should consider any attempt Oh
their part to extend their system to any
portion Of this hemisphere as dangerous to
our peace and safety. With the existing
colonies and dependencies of any Euro
pean7 power we have not interfered, and
shall not interfere. But, with the Gov
ernments who have declared their indie
pendence and maintained it, and whose
independence we have, on great considera-
ton and on just principles, acknowledged,
we could not view any ~interposition for
the purpose of expressing them, or con-
trolling, in any manner, their destiny by
any European power, in any other light
than as the manifestation of an unfriendly
disposition toward the United States"
{" There is the Monroe doctrine in the
language Of its w author. Forty-two
years have passed since it was announced,
but its vital principle IS as animated to-
day as it was when the independence
achieved by the Spanish provinces could be
looked upon but as a new and sanguine
experiment. The principle will live as
long as this Republic. Each successive
vindication of it serves not only to sanctify
it more thoroughly in the hearts of our