Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1880-04-24

enter her protest against that particular |
feature of the Monroe doctrine which |
has long out-lived the political occasion
of Mr.. Monroe's message Of 1928, and
which has absolutely identified the
Monroe doctrine, in the minds and in
the passions of the American people,
with the assertion of our true national
position in the New World. The only
thing which led intelligent Americans
thirty years ago to tolerate the Clayton
Bulwer convention was the plea made
for it by the American negotiators who
had Numbered into the concessions out
of which it arose, that it involved
recognition by Great Britain of the
Monroe doctrine so far, at least, as con-
cerned any attempt at extending the
colonial empire of Great Britain on the
shores of Central America. This plea
was blown to the winds within two
years by the conduct of the British
Government in regard to the Bay
Islands, conduct which led Mr.. Marcy,
in a dispatch to Mr.. Dallas, dated May
"a, 1856, to inform the British Minis
try through him that "the act of Her
Majesty's Government in establishing,
in apparent contradiction TO the express
letter of the convention of 1850, a col
ony at Bay Islands, has left disagree
able impression on the minds of the
Government and the people of the
United States" This dispatch seems
to have escaped the attention of Mr..
Evarts when he was preparing his re-
cent reply to resolution of Congress.
1t will not escape the attention, how
ever, we suspect, either of Congress Or
Of the President. For the disagree.
able impression on the minds of the
Government and people Of the United
States" by the conduct of Great Britain
in 1852 and 1856 will now be revived
with considerable emphasis by the tone
which the leading organs of British
opinion seem to be disposed to take il
commenting upon what one of them il
good enough to describe as "the haugh
ty and almost defiant resolution of the
American House of Representatives.
The people of the United States have
not claimed, and they do not as nov
advised propose to chim, an equa
voice with Great Britain in securing
the freedom of the existing waterwa.
between the Red Sea and the Mediter
ranean." They are perfectly well awar
that Great Britain pretends to specia
and predominant share in the contro
of that waterway in virtue of what sh
regards as its vital Importance to tn
safety of her East Indian empire, ant
they have at present no interest whicl
makes it worth while for them to asceI
tain whether this pretension of Grea
Britain is or is not supported by 18th
law of nations" But the people of tn
United States do claim, and they meal
to ascert, not an "equal voice. but
paramount voice in the control of an,
proposed waterway between the tw
great American seas. There is no grea
probability that this claim of the Unite
States being calmly and firmly &C
vanced, will be seriously contested, an
there is no possibility at all that it ca
be successfully contested, by any othe
/ country. Our British contemporaries
are hardly discreet and dignifed, ther'
fore, when they holly call upon til
!, British Government to "watch and
: necessary to resist this claim" Th
] only effect likely to be produced b
$ such language in this country will |
to lead Congress at once into co-oper'
ting efectually with the Presiden
who has taken up his position wit
equal precision and moderation, in s.
curing thorough revision of any sc:
, isting treaties" under which any Europ
n an power whatever may pretend to q
t equal voice" with the United Stat,
# concerning matters as to which no Eur
e pean power whatever can pretend
}, an equal interest with the Unite
v States.