Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1885-01-08
THE MONROE DOCTRINE.
A Hitherto Unpublished letter From
the Father OF His Country.

justice OF TINS country, has IN his pos
4 session an autograph letter from
George Washington to James Monroe,
then minister TO France, which he
+ received in trust from a miner named
Myers when the latter went to the
Frazier river mining country never to
return. The letter is lnciosed in
case marked on the outside Wash
ingtons letter. Judge Kings brother
compared the writing with official
documents, and proved beyond doubt
that the letter was ia Washington
handwriting. The letter is as fol
lows:
+ PHILADELPHIA, 25th August, 1856:
Dear Sir: Your favor of 9th of
March written in cipher, never, never
got to my hands until the 10th inst
at Mount Vernon, nor were contents
known to me.until my arrival in this
city on the 21st. For information
/ contained in it, and your attention
thereof, / offer you my best thanks.
Having no clew by which to discover
the fact, am very much at loss 10
conjecture by what means private
letter Of mine, written to q friend
and sent by an American vessel
should have fallen into the hands of
the French directory. shall readily
acknowledge, however, that the one
YOU alluded to, directed to GOuv-
erneur Morris, was a long, confidential
one, but | deny that there is anything
contained in it that the Frence gov
eminent could take exception
to, unless the expression Of an ardent
wish that the. United States might
remain IN peace with all the world,
giving it as my further opinion that
the sentiments of the mass of the
citizens of this country wereln unison
with mine. Confidential as this letter
was expected to be, | have no objec-
ton to its being seen by anybody, and
there is certainly some mistake IN
saying | had no copy thereof when
there is a press one now before me,
In which / discover no expression
that IN the eve of liberahty and
candor would be deemed objection
able.
To understand the scope and design
of my letter properly aud to give it a
fair Interpretation, it is necessary to
observe (as Will appear by the contents
of ID that it was written in answer to
a very long one from the gentleman
to whom it was addressed, which coR-
tanned much political information Of
the state of Things in different parts
of Europe, and related among
others the substance of conversation
in which ne and Lord Granville, as
private, had just been engaged, and
in which was observed by the latter
that if they were to judge from pub
LEGATIONS in this country, the DISPOSE
ton was unfriendly to Great Britain,
but ia free countries he could readily
account for such publications. How
ever, there was one which wore more
serious aspect and alluded to Colonel
Inne's report OF mis- proceedings in
Kentucky. In noticing this part OF
Mr.. Morris's communication / told
him that with respect to the publica
ton of that report it was an unau-
thorzed act and was so declared by
that geallemaH as soon as he saw it
in the Gazette to have been done IN
correctly and that with respect to the
temper of the people Of the United
States as respected Great Britain, his
lordship ought not to be SUI prlsee if
it appeared disturbed and irrltated, as
the sense Of the government had been
so often expressed In strong remon
suances against the conduct Of their
Indian agents, priVateersmen, I'M
pressment of our seameu, insults Of
their ships Of war, ETC., adding that it
afforded US very little satisfaction,
TINS disclaiming these as unauthorized
acts (Which British administration has
done in some instances), while the
actors we're suffered to go UNPUBLISHED.
/ dweit chiefly and fully onsthis part
OF his letter, and reminded him of the
indifference with which advances Of
United States TO form commercial
treaty with Great Britain, as well
since as before the establishment Of
the present government, has been
received, and concluded by saying
that liberal policy toward us Though
/ did not suppose sentiments of that
sort from me to a member Of the Brit
ism administration would have much
weighD was the only road TO perfect
reconciliation, ans that if he should
again converse with Lord Granville
90 this subject he was at liberty, I'M
officially, TO express these my senti
ments.
Thus, sir, you have the substance
candidly related of letter which you
say you have been told by person
who has read it has produced i'll
effect. when, in my opinion the con-
trary viewing 1t in the light OF az
unreserved and confidential communl
CATION ought to have been produced
For repeat it again, unless my pacl-
fic disposition was dlspleasing, moth
ing else could have given umbrage
BY the most rigid construction Of the
letter, or that will show III the re-
hottest degree any disposition on my
part to favor British interests in their
dispute with France. Ny conduct IN
public life as it relates TO the import
ant struggle in which the latter nation
is engaged, has been uniform from the
commencement of it, and may be
summed up in few words That |
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