The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-11-17
The Humiliation of the American Flag.


IN. Y. SUM-
The Stars and Stripes were literally
lowered in Hawaii some months ago:
and now the Starry Banner has been
practically humbled in the dust before
all nations of the globe by the Secretary
of State and the President. In his noto-
rious manifesto, Mr.. Gresham has an
nounced virtually two new principles of
government policy:
1.-The abandonment of the Monroe
doctrine.
ia willingness to aid in the restora-
ton or re-estalishment of monarchical
institutions in any territory subject to
the influence of our arms
In his seventh annual message, on Sept
Q 1923, James Monroe, then President
of the United States, spoke as follows:
ave owe it, therefore, to candor, and
to the amicable relations existing be-
tween the United States and those DOW
ers (the allied powers of Europe) to
declare that we should consider any at
tempt on their part to extend their sys-
TEN to any portion of this Hemisphere as
dangerous to our peace and safety.
With the existing colonies or dependen-
cies of any Eur Jpean power we have not
intefered, and shall not interfere. But
IN the governments which have declared
their independence and maintained it,
and whose independence we have, on
great consideration and on just princi-
pies, acknowledged, we could not view
any interposition for the purpose of OPP
pressing them, or controlling in any
other manner their destiny, by any Euro
pean power in any other light than as
the manifestation of an unfriendly dis
position toward the. United States"
This. we believe, was the first declara-
tion of what has become famous in his
tory as the Monroe Doctrine a doctrine
which. has found favor in this country
with all parties for the last seventy
years.
Mr.. Monroe's firm policy was spoken of
by John Quincy Adams, his successor,
as Strengthening and consolidating the
federative edifioe Of his country's union,
till heswas entitled to say, like Angus
tus Caesar Of his imperial city, That he
had found her built of brick, and left
her constructed of marblen
The advocacy of firm, if not aggress-
i've, foreign policy by Mr.. Blaire was one
of the secrets of his great hold upon the
people, and was probably that feature of
him to his followers. 1t was in striking
contrast to the tendency now developed
by the Secretary Of State to maiataiu
the interests of Great Britain in the
adoption of policy toward the Sand
witch Islands.
But aside from the question whether it
be right or not to adopt an American and
patriotic policy in reference to the
countries of this hemisphere, question
of grave constitutional Importance is
now presented , and that is the right of
the Executive branch Of this government
to interfere Tor the purpose OF restoring
a monarchy
The Constitution framed by our fore
fathers is a ssnicely balanced instrument,
of the Executive, the Judicial and the
Legislative departments; and careful
examination of its various provisions
and of the amendments thereto fails to
discover any authority or excuse for the
exercise by the Executive department. of
its powers in favor of a deposed mon
arch. The Constitution gives the Pfesi-
dent power, by and with the advice of the
Senate, to make treaties, but it gives
him no power to declare war, which
power is vested in Congress; and if there
be vested anywhere in our government
any such power as that which Mr.. Gresh-
am now seeks to exercise it rests alone
with Congress. While Congress has con-
sidered at times the propriety of express
ing the sympathy of the government for
new republics we know of no instance
in it's history where it has sought to in
terpose. in favor of the establishment
of an overthrown monarchy
The power of the Executive either by
proclamation or by theedict of Cabinet
Minister to expel intruders even from
our own Indian reservations rests upon
statute, and in the absence of any law
authorizing such expulsion it could not
be REINFORCED.
In 1886 certain intruders entered upon
the lands belonging to the Chickasaw
Indians and dispossesed the Iessees
and the question whether the Presi-
dent had the power, under the exist
ing laws, to expel the intruders by milf
tary force was submitted to Benjamin
F. Butler, then Attorney General of the
United States. Mr.. Butler held thu by
virtue of the fifth section of the act ito
regulate trade and intercourse with the
Indians tribes and to preserve peace on
.he frontiers, approved March 80, 1882,
the President had power to expel them
The act of 1902 provided shat at shall
be lawful for the president OF the United
States to take such measures and to en-
ploy such military force as he may Judge
necessaryrt to remove from lands beIong-
ing to or secured by treaty as aforesa ID
to any Indian tribe, any citizen or other
person who has made, or shall hereafter
make, or attempt to make a settlement
thereon
There is upon our Federal statute book
no law authorizing the employment of
military forces to remove the Provis-
ional Government OF the Sandwich Is