Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-02-10
THE MONROE DOCTRINE.
Its Connection with Affairs I'm North
and South America.


by President Monroe, in his annual mes
sage to Congress, in the year 1923.
Some eight years earlier, and shor tly
after the fall of Napoleon, the holy ALI
ance was formed. The parties to it were
Russia, Austria, Prussia and France.
Their objects were very religiously, but
somewhat vaguely stated to be assistance
to each other in case of need, and the
treatment of their subjects as members of
a Christian family. The world in
general, however, understood it to be g
league of absolutisn against the rights
and freedom of the nations, a bond to
perpetuate monarchies and repress the
spirit of self government in the people.
Three years later the five great powers
of Europe assembled in congress at AK
la-Chapelle, and formed an alliance for
the exercise of a general supervisory
power over European affairs and the
suppression of dangerous revolutions,
limiting themselves, however, to the
strictest observance of international law.
Not long after the spirit of revolution
broke out in Spain, Naples and Sardinia,
and the Constitution of Cadiz was pro-
claimed in all three kingdoms at once.
This alarming state of affairs provoked
the coHvocation of a congress at Trop-
pan, in Silesia, IN October, 1920, which
was removed, near the end of the same
year, to Laybach, in Syria. Here, not
only the FIVE great powers were repre-
sented, but the King of Naples and some
smaller powers. Great Britain protested
against the proposed intervention in the
affairs of Italy, but was overruled, and
absolutlsm was restored in all its vigor
on the peninsula
In 1911 Royalist instruction occurred
in Northern Spain, to which France gave
comfort, if not aid. A congress had
been arranged to meet in Verona. when
that of Laybach broke up. The princi.
pal measure here agitated was armed in
reference in the affairs of Spain. Again
Great Britain protested against the pro-
posed action, and the Duke of yelling
ton, who was the British Envoy, not
only declared the refusal of his govern
ment to participate in any such proceed
ing, but also that England would not
even attempt to persuade Spain to con-
form to the views of the Congress. The
French ENJOYS, MOntmorency and Cha
teaubrland, against express instructions
of their court, urged forward the inter
vention, and were supported by the other
powers, notably Russia. The conse.
quence was that French army invaded
Spain, penetrated as far as Cadiz. over.
threw the Cadiz constitution, to which
the King had given his consent and left
him free, but the country enslaved. No
stretch of interference had ever gone SO
far as this.
These events, eliminating with the
TNrn0ac6innc Of Woyono
has been called the Monroe doctrine.
At Verona the subject was agitated of
attempting, in conformity with the
known wishes of the absolutists of
Spain, to bring back the Spanish colo
MES of America to subsection to the
mother country. This alarmed Eng.
land. In a speech delivered in the
House of Commons in February, 1928,
Brougham said that "the war of the
allies is not against freedom on the Ebro,
or freedom on the Mincio, but against
Electromagnetic freedom wherever
found; freedom by whatever means
achieved, by whatever institutions Sc
cured. Dir. Canning, then Foreign
Secretary, caused the scheme concerning
the colonies to be communicated to our
government, with an intimation that
England would join us in resisting the
project. The notification was received
with joy at Washington, where the al
lance was already causing some uneasi-
ness, and the popular cry of the people
was embodied in the Presidents mes
sage, issued a short time after. 1t was
blow which effectually put stop IT, the
then designs of the alliance. The mes.
sage then declared, first, that the United
States would regard any attempt on the
part Of the allied powers to extend their
system to this country as dangerous to
our peace and safety second, that
we would regard the interposition
of any European power to
Cypress the governments of this con-
tioent, which we had recently recognized
as independent, or to control their
destiny in any manner whatever, as mani
Testing an unfriendly disposition toward
the United States. There was another
declaration having reference to a contro-
versy with Russia and England concern
ing Northwestern boundarIes-to wit.
that the continents of America, by the
free and independent condition which
they have assumed and maintained, are
not henceforth to be considered as sub
JectS OF colonization by any foreign
power.
These declarations have been promi-
nently discussed once or twice since. The
government of Yucatan, in 1913, offered
the United States the sovereignty of that
country if we would undertake to sup
press the rebellion of the Indians against
the whites. If we declined, Great Brit
ain and Spain were each in turn to be Of
dor FNafn 81
tons. President Polk strongly recon-
mended the acceptance of the offer and
the occupation of the country, lest some
foreign power should get it in contraven-
ton of the Monroe doctrine, which the
President thought should by all means
be sustained. A bill was introduced for
the purpose, in the discussion Of which
Mr.. Calhoun analysed the doctrine in
his plain, logical style, reviewing
its origin, defining its terms, and
maintaining that it did not apply at all
to the case before the Senate Mr. Mon
roe had in contemplation oppression and
Interference on the part of the allied
powers. The declaration with reference
to colonization, DIR. Calhoun asserts, was
never submitted to Mr.. Monroes Cabi- |
net (of which he was a member), but in |
serted in the message by Mr.. Adams,
then Secretary of State, on his own
responsibility, and thereby caused a
GOODNESS on the part of England.
The question more nearly arose at the |
time of the Macmillan fiasco in Mexico. |
That was at time when we had all we |
could attend to at home, but Secretary
Seward protested with France against |
her part in the matter until our war /
closed, and then the French troops were |
withdrawn, leaving Macmillan to his |
fate
The doctrine, indeed, has never been
anything more than a declaration. 1t |
has not acquired the force of policy, and |
has never been maintained by arms or
Endorsed by Congress. The House of
Representatives once, by resolution, re-
pudiated the second and third divisions
of it. To conform to the popular inter
probation of it would involve us in all
the quarrels of the republics of Central
and South America, provided they
formed, or threatened to form, alliances
with any foreign power.
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