Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-01-03
TEE MONROE DOCTRINE.
An Interesting Discussion OF Great
National Subject.

TO the Editors OF the Appeal:
know of no subject at the present time
of more absorbing interest to us than the sou-
ton Of the great national question-e g. the
Monroe doctrine. Now, the question ia,
how is it to be decided If the decision oil
Mr.. Whittborne, of Tennessee, as q member
of congress, and appointed upon the Inter
Oceanic Canal Committee, is TO be the rule,
as it stands now in the house, mischief will
not be long in beginning to brew, for Mr.
Whitthorne isnot only opposed to the Panama
canal, but Is opposed to any other waterway
or ship railway across the American con-
tinept whatever. His reason for this de-
cision is that in time of war these canals
and ship railways will be the bone OF
contention between the nations. The
time ba' arrived however, when this
question must be decided. i will now ask
by what right can we dare to prevent or cut
off the commerce of the South American
Pacific States with Europe and the Medi-
terranean Sea? Let Carthage answer this
question. She has been an older nation
than that of the Romans Nothing would do
but she must Iun a line from north to south
cutting the island of Sicily in two, and
claiming the exclusive privilege for CONNER
cial purposes west of that line. Rome how
ever, would not recognize such selfish mo-
nopoly, and kept on trading in these forbid
den waters, until her shipping was burned
and her crews murdered to such degree
that the latter nation closed with Carthage,
and after terrible tussle for eighteen years
Carthage was destroyed. But let us come
nearer home. / would ask, are California,
Oregon and even British America going to
send their commerce across the continent,
and their wheat by Cape Horn, paying two
or three prices to send it to a competing mar
ket, such as that of Europe? No. II Mr..
Whitthorne can stop the French from con-
structiHg the Panama canal, by equippiDg
and cruising an American frigate to brighten
off the French, be may give it up for lost
work. Again, what if this imbroglio with
Chill that we are having should prove to be
serious matter. Why, as things stand, Chill
would have little to do, after her late tussle
with Peru, TO clean us off Inc Pacific coast
Even now there is no telling what might
turn up toy . ant OF canal or ship railway,
and that, too, on some of the finest territory
on this earik. Mr.. Whitthorne, to give this
matter the proper weight, has picked out
two well-known places, renowned in history,
to prove his position. The fortress of Glib
raltar is one; we will consider it first. This
fortress, although very strong, is rot point
OF strategy, had no Notifications before the
Saracens built them. 1t is now supposed
that it is the key to the Medit ,rranean sea,
and that Enyl nd holds it in defiance of the
whole civilized world. 1t does not command
the straits of Gibraltar. The facts are that
England took the fortress IRON Spain, which
was a constant irr t .tiou to her, on account of
permitting the smuggling of contraband goods
into Spain, free of duty, except what the Eng
lish get to support the garrison. Notwithstand-
ing this discreditable business, England has to
pay S15,0000O0 ye9r 10 support the fort
ress. Were it not for her honor, England
would b, glad to give it up. 1t is not paying
stock, from the fact that there is no territory
TO collect the revenues from, so that il is Of
no national importance to England. AL
though the Dardaneiles might be admitted
To be a point of strategy for shipping, it is
by no means check to an army. would
ask where was all that blood split, and those
fierce struggles that took place? The loca-
ton Of Troy was all of ten miles south south
east Of the Dardanelles. Nerxes cross ed
the Dardanelles at the very place where
Alexander crossed, but in an opposite way.
There was no blood split, however, nor any
fierce struggles at this time and place.
1t was not the Greek policy to spill the blood
OF the Persian in the strait. Right here /
feel gratitied that the foundation Mr.. Whit
thorne has taken to build upon has fallen to
the ground. l will now turn his arguments
upon himself by showing how his Monroe
doctrine works, that mud-built monument
of stupidity and dog-in-the- manger selfish
ness. / would ask by what right does Eng
land order Turkey TO shut up the gates Of
the Dardanelies against Russia, and by so de-
priyiug her of her biEthright of trading
aud buying at the best markets? She has
got no right whatever, Yet we are about to
do the same thing to Europe on the one side
and Chill on the other, and of all the pol
icies on the earth that has any use for a large
army and navy this is The very policy that
will create them. And now to recapitulate:
| have shown, hope, very clearly that Mr..
Whitthorue's policy, which is the Monroe
doctrine intensified, and from its late popu-
lsriiy in the States may do incalculable
harm. Let us be watchfnl 10 do nothing
that will call up the use of large army and
navy. Ii this should be done, then comes
large taxation, and when that takes place
civilization is all but failure. TIC.