, 1870-06-04


oblige us by remembering that the great NM
1,erand variety Of advertisements in that issue,
require extra time for their proper classidca-
tion, and that it is uecessaEy we should re-
ceiye them az early as possible, in order to 60
to press in due season.
The miscellaneous matter Of THE SUNDAY
TBDrkE vii be found, as usual, in the accom-
psnying Supplement.
sAH DOMINGO AND THE MONROE DOC
TRIRE.
President Grant, in his last Dominican
message to the Senate, is reported as urging
that body to ratify tho treaty for the pur-
chase OF San Domingo, On the ground that
such policy is demanded by the Monroe
doctine. If it is not purchased, we are
told, the Monroe doctrine becomes a dead
letter Il is not, indeed, affirmed that the
Monroe doctrine in set terms calls for the
purchase by us of the whole American Con.
tinent, which it certainly must, if it demands
the purchase Of San Domingo, which is one
Of the least valuable PORTIONS of it, except
Alaska but it is claimed that the San Do
mingo Government (of Baez) sis weak and
unable to support itself any longer. Some
nation will have to give it helping hand
II the Cuited States does not, some Euro
pean government may, and then how can
VIC object to others assisting San Domingo
when We ourselves decline to do 80 7"
We thank the President for the confess
sion contained in this line of argument It
has heretofore been urged in various quar-
tcrs that we are buying the island Of an ad-
Sertu1e1-Baez-who, if our troops and pro-
lection were Withdrawn, would have no
guarantee of his own safety for an hour.
Baez obtained power by opposing the sale
Of his country to the United States, Nov
that he hns become broker for the sale of
his country, his real power among its people
is gone. President Grant comedies that he
is unable to maintain his power without
our aid. But if he is held in place by our
bayonets, in defiance Of popular hostility
that would otherwise overthrow him, and,
if this hostility, as is currently reported,
grows wholly out of his sale of the island,
and his manufacture Of pretended vote Of
the people in its favor, what a farce
does our whole purchase become! The
Presidents confession that Baez is unable
to stand alone, is confession that he is
unable to sell his country to US. If he can
not rule the country. still less ought he to
be permitted to sell it, As well might we
have bought MEXICO from Macmillan, or
Cuba from General Cespedea.
But Is it true that, because Baez cannot
sustain himself, some European nation
must or will sustain him, If we do not ?
Why should any power sustain hirn? He
obtained power On the trust that he would
maintain the Independence of his country.
Having betrayed his trust, and that too,
apparently, for bribes, he is despisedL Let
his people overthrow and remove him, or
execute him, if they want to, as
they have removed and executed
their previous leaders for less reasons
We are no more responsible for the naiu~
tenance of Baez than of Juarez, Lopez, OF
any other lawful or unlawful Executive Of
any American republic, II any European
government attempts to interfere, the Mon
Toe doctrine would apply; not before.
So far from the Monroe doctrine sane.
tioning the acquisition of any of ths re.
puhlics to the southward of US, it forbids
it. MIR. Jefferson, who WIS earlier and
more influential in the statement of the
doctrine than Mr. Monroe himself, in
writing to President Monroe, IN October,
1928, two months before the Monroe mes
sage was sent to Congress, on this ques-
Gon, said:
~ could honestly join In the declaration pro-
posed, thst We aim not It the acquisition OF any
ct those paEsaesluns, bnt thai we viii
oppose with III our means, the forclble inte1posi-
ton Of any other power. as auxiliary, supendiag,
or Under 2ny other form OF preteNtand most
quest, cesslon, Of acquisition in any other way.S
From 1908 down to that period, Mr..
Jefferson had steadily laid down the policy
of establishing mutual friendly relations
between al the American republics, SO rs
to unite the whole American Continent, if
need be. to resist European aggression
against tbs least Of our States. But this
was in order that each American
republic might preserve it's autonomy,
not that all might be swallowed
up in the stronger. This last doctrine is
fhbuste.iEm, and is as fatal to the Monroe
doctrine Is any Of the operations Of the
holy a]liance Of European powers could
have been, if, after having assumed to
regulate the condition of all European
powers, they had turned their attention, as
it was feared they might, to America The
Monroe doctrine is a protest against Euro
pean ascendancy IN America, and that is
all Any attempt to make it pretext for
the absorption Of other powers by the
Cnited States is SO unfair and so much at
variance with history as TO 1ecol upon the
heads Of its autho1z As set forth by
President Monroe himself, IN his message.
IN 1923, it is as follows:
Our policy in regard to Europe, which was
adopted at m early stage Of the wars which nave
thele6s remains the same, which ii moi tn frter.
1ere with the internal concerns o{ any OF lis
poKers 70 consider the government dt faeto as the
relations with It, and to preserve those relations
all instances the Just claims Of ever power Sub
hitting to injuries from none But In regard to
these continents, circumstances are cmlneutly
and consricuously different 1t Is Impossible that
1ne sas alltd powers should extend their pontt-,
ca ststem 70 any portion Of either
GEntnent without endange!ing our peace and hap
brethren, II left to themselves would adopt 1t OF
thelr Own accord. It Ia equally impossible, there
1osc, that VIC should behold such iuterposltion, il
my form, with Indifference II wc look to the
comparative strength and resources OF Spaln and
those new governments, and their distance from
each other, It muft be obvious rnht she can never
Euht1ue them. It Is stfll the true policy Of The
United States to leave the parties to themselves,
Nothing can be more untrue and unjust,
therefore, than to claim that the Monroe
doctrine can justify, or in any way apply to,
except to condemn, the present systematic
attempt to buy an island from pseudo
government, " which is supplied with it's
motives by our own bribes, and only kept
in existence by our own gunboats, which,
according TO cur own showing, will fall the
moment we let 60 Of il, and which stands
confessedly repudiated by the people whom
it attempts to sell.
The hill to facilitate the transportation
of foreign goods in bond, from the
seaports to all the interior ports of
the country, which has been prepared
by the Chamber of Commerce of San
Francisco, is well adapted to the purpose,
and shows the deep bold this question has
taken On the minds of the business men of
eli ,,or+e of fba countrv II s5npfv pro-