The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-05-02
DOCTRINES IND CANALS.

Our American organs of foreign opinion
are congratulating themselves on the lull in
the discussion of the Monroe Doctrine, and
assuring each other and the Count de les
seps that " II is not so much Of storm after
call" This rests on the idea that when
people cease to rciteratc their convictions in
cessantly they no longer hold them. 1t is
impossible to keep at n fever-heat about a
proposed outrage more than n limited time,
but the sense of injustice may continue as
keen and the intention to forcstal it as firm
through considerable period of silence.
We do not know but IL is unfortunate that
the American view of the interoceanic canal
question should he crystallized into the
phrase, "Mouroe Doctrine" though il is
undoubtedly convenient in some respects.
This gives the London Tunes a chance to say
with profundity that such doctrine has
never been adopted into the public law of
the world, and IL gives smaller journals the
means to befcg at least few minds with
misstatements Of the old doctrine itself, and
attempted misapplications of it to the ques-
| tlOl III CbuifuNtISN. we uU HUI lulih
| the Thunderer has made in any case such
point as some of its echoes here would have
us believe: the right of voluntary expatrin-
tion was not admitted into the public law of
the world until the United States put it
there, against protest, at a very recent date,
and insisted upon its being kept there, so
far at least as the United States itself was
concerned. International law IL progress
sive and historical science, and what may
not lie true of 1t to-day is so tomorrow, ac-
cording rs new principles are evolved and new
applications arise. The Monroe Doctrine as
a protest against the further original occu-
"pation " of territory in the New World, or
against interference by the Holy Alliance,
may indeed he obsolete and obscure. But
in the crisp phrases, "America for the Ameri-
" cans ~ and 4" Hands off I" to which it may
fairly be reduced, it is clearly intelligible
and very much alive. ltwoud seem better
however, to state simply the attitude of tn,
people of the United States on the question
of the isthmus canal, regardless of whether
the name of Monroe, or Hayes, or Smith i!
invoked in regard thereto.
Well handled, this subject will be full o
instruction to people and statesmen in tn,
matter of diplomatic dealings with foreign
powers, and the proper assertion of our SOW
ereignty, subjects apt to be forgotten in tn
absorption of our home interests; and it will
moreover rebound to our dignity and iniu
ence. Bungled over or tamely abandoned t
the control of outsiders it will set us bac
immensely in our own self-respect and tn
estimation of mankind. We canno
regard it as an assertion of a vagu
and unlimited protectorate over tn
whole continent, as the London Times d,
scribed it in the article before referred I,
for this Republic to vindicate pretminenc
=. in all continental affairs, which is a IKE
!, physical fact impossible to be made othel
wise even by ourselves. When Englan
o placed in her chief city statue of " tn
q ' United States directing the progress
s America she herself confessed in tt
>. most speaking way, the only claim this Co
ernment need now put forward. lio
v could we exercise this duty and pr
l. rogative with stream of foreign wat
It virtually cutting the New World in two
m its most vital point ! The phrase that IL
IN isthmus when cut is a prolongation of Il
i. seacoast of the United States is effective al
" telling enough in its way, but it is phras
- not an argument, and the object of this artc
is to protest as far as possible against sent
mentalities being imported into this We
w inatter-o of-fact problem. While this paper W
Mt among the first to protest against any me
in dog g-in-the-mange policy toward this ma
ly niiicent work of civilization, it will certain
lie adhere to the principle that the neare
e. great power, which is this, should be S
lis preme in whatever political control the
H. might be of the interoceanic connection.
ne foreign capital can be enlisted in the ente
re- prise under American auspices SO much L
lis better, but foreign complications, interft
to ence, and control can be better met al
We negatived at the outset than at any subs
go quent time.