The weekly standard. (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1865-1867, 1866-01-27
The Monroe DOctrine-Its true
s Meaning and Scope.
From the National Ihtellieen,


We cheerfullyt comply with the re-
quest which has been made for re-
publication in the 1ntelligencer of the
following communication to a New
York Journal. With whatever contro-
S5rsy our readers may meet the views
expressed by the intelligent writer, the
sincere among them will be pleased to
see what may be said on side of the
question to which so few of any class
of Americans have been disposed to ad-
here.
To the Editor of the Commercial Advertiser:
The Monroe doctrine is the negation
Of our own rights In foreign countries
Under the law of nations, and the vir-
tual extinction of the Acknowledgment
dence of all countries to which it may
be made to apply. It is an assump-
ton of o prptectorate on thepart ofthc
American government, by the mere
force of our own scau, Independent of
any legally established assent on the
part of the protected party. A protec-
torate of one government over another,
applies to the interests to be protected
or affected by it. The kind of protec-
torate which the Monroe doctrine
claims to extend over the now indes
pendent nations of the two continents
of America, applies essentially to the
political and social structure ofsths
whole fabric &of society extending
through its most intimate organization.
1t becomes a virtual absorption of ev-
cry characteristic of national indepen-
llence and self control. .tr 5snt
To dictate form of government to
a country is to dictate 30 ITS people ali
their civil obligations, their habits Of
thought and action.
This process OF alssorbtion, accor-
ding to the theories of the annexation
lists, is ultimately to embrace the whole
of North and South america, and by
n logical consequence to be made ap-
pGcable also to the whole of the West
I dia Islands, and all other islands ii
proximity to either shore ofthese great
continents,
The Monroe doctrine : therefore, in
its legitimate Acknowledgements, pro-
poses in the most summary. manner to
absorb some dozen or SO of indepen-
dent inationalities, by assuring to them
by our predominant influence, certain
forms of government for the aggran-
dizement of the political power and in
Auence ofthe United States, and looks
pro teAto to tlss establishment of uni
versal empire er aay approaches to it;
is against the law. of nations, and justi-
fes the armed combination of all ma
tions to defeat il by war 4'ta
National law recognizes, an the nor
NAL and peaceful condition Of the famiT
ly Of nations, that each should be self
governing, subject only to the obliga-
ton of doing Justice to each other in
their relations of neighborhood, and
their commercial and political inter-
course.
To attempt to break in upon this
peaceful arrangement, existing among
a family Of nations, and one by one to
render them stfbservient to the Single
will or policyof any one notion, how
ever great or exemplary. is to violate
the fundamental, principles Of national
individuality, and as far as this policy
of ABSORPTION extends, TO abolish both
nations and races, and to impose upon
the whole the empire yof ungestraiunsed rsgus
universal dominion. sa
Such, indeed, was the policy of an
cient Rome, and the proud conquerors
of Greece and Asia in earlier times.
Then, Whatever Sentiments of iAternaS
tional justice may have had faint ex-
iaeneein in the bos61ns Of the most %,
As1tened men, they were found wholly
Intellectual to stay the hand of power
and'conquest, or to plant successfully
the germs of equal justice among COM
munities and races Of men, Everything
Yielded to the power, free from the re-
straints Of any, acknowledged prinei-
PIES OF right on equal justice among
nations All political Institutions,
Wherever found, were assimilBted 20