The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1876-02-04
TIE MONROE DOCTRINE.

the London Times, We must be permitted +
say, either that its language is misquoted o
else that it misunderstands an item in popu
lar American sentiment Our dispatches o
Thursday morning quote an article from tn
Times ct length which need not be repeated
Our readers will remember that it's purpor
was to suggest that Mr.. Fish, Secretary
State, in late circular from his department
to the chief diplomatic representatives OF tht
United States in Europe, had invited the CO.
operation of European powers in relation tc
Cuba, and had thereby ignored the monroe
doctrine" and upon this assumption the
Times accuses the honorable Secretary OF
"minimi zing obsolete principles" Of IRE.
scinding an untenable position" and OF
backing, filing and hauling away from the
Monroe doctrine altogether.
We have not Mr. FISH circular before us,
Europe are not invited to take any action in
the matter of our relations with Cuba. They
are not asked to join the United States in any
line of action. Their permission is not asked
for nything which our government may see fit
to do. They are not even requested to suggest
in advance what course they would approve
or what line Of action they would condemn.
This government is in delicate and embarras-
sing relations with the government Of Spain.
For series of years American citizens have
suffered countlt IS annoyances from tie repre-
sentatiyes Of Spanish authority in part OF
the territory Of Spain, either by their direct
official procedure, or by their know
ing permission, or by their INABILITY
to repress illegal action. American
citizens have been robbed Of enor-
nous sums of money, have been swim
died out of vast areas of landed property,
have been driven away in poverty and dis
tress from the island, and have been badgered
and prosecuted during their residence A
fair pecuniary estimate of the damages suf-
fered by citizens of the United States resid-
ing in Cuba would be enough to mortgage
half the island. But worse than all robbery
and all persecution, the lives Of our innocent
countrymen have been most brutally wan
torly, causelessly and savsgely sacrificed
through the capricious malice of local mill |
tsry or civil officials, for whose malfeasance |
no apology has ever yet been made. There
nave been made, on the part Of the Spanish
Government, qualified promises of restitution
md indemnity, SO far as past offsnses are con-
'erned. With very little earnestness, and
ometimes quite without sincerity, reforms of
Arious kinds have been adopted looking to
he future safety of citizens Of the United
hates in Cuba.
OF this condition of affairs the American
'eople have long been weary. They want
ONE promise of amendment. Our govern.
aent, in way not in all respects satisfactory
0 all parties and very unsatisfactory to many,
las been for some time laboring to impress
lpon the Spanish Government the necessity
+ remedial action adequate to indemnity and
ecurity. This has been made known to
arious governments with rather more candor
han characterizes the diplomacy of Europe.
ct the circular Of Mr.. Fish was not what the
Tines represents. It was notification rather
an an invitation to intervene.
\
Z and cooperative counsel, or even interven-
on concurrently with the United States, it
ould in no sense have initiated against
hat is known as the Monroe doctrine.
In his message Of December 2, 1929 Presi.
ent Monroe. in allusion to the establishment
new Russian colony somewhere on the
osty shores of the northern Pacific. made
20 of the following memorable sentence:
In the discussion to which this interest has
wen rise, and in the Arrangements by which {
icy may terminate, the occasion has been {
ldged proper for asserting as q principle in .
hich the rights and interests of the United
tates are involved, that the American CONT
ents, by the free and independent conditi IN s
hich they have assumed and maintain, are
'ncJorth not 10 be considered as subjects for ,
t,re colonization by any European po,oer.
This explicit and comprehensive declaration
ndenses and crystalizss the prevailing SEN
nent of the American people as it was half :.
century ago, as it has been ever since, as it
at this hour, and as We trust it will be IS
ng as constitutional liberty, the soul of the
,pubic, vitalizes its body and members 8
1t the sentiment existed long before this
'arly cut, brief and comprehensive defini- !.
n was applied to it. Americans regard
ese continents as dedicated to free institu- =
ms, and while leaving it to their neighbors
choose their own forms and methods Of
vernment they will not suffer foreign
'narchs to plant new colonial batteries armed
sinst the representative Institutions OF our !.
lited States. "
It was, however, only branch Of the :
lericsn sentiment that Mr.. Monroe so ::
'orously defined. Our people were from :.
} beginning and are now opposed to any :.
reference, actual or threatened, from "
road. Whether the foreign intermeddler is =
ak or powerful, his interposition is equally -
at all times unwelcome The American 3
70 to the world: "Let our continent alone r =
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