Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1895-12-20
SPECIAL MESSAGE
President Cleveland Communi-
Gates to Congress on the Ven
ezuelan Question.
He Is In Favor Of Enforcing the
Doctrine Laid Down by
Monroe.
spontaneous Demonstration in
the Senate When the Read
ing Ended.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18.-The president
has sent the following message to CON
gress, together with the correspondence
in the Venezuelan matter:
To the Congress:
In my annual message addressed to
the congress on the third instant, I
called attention to the pending bound
ary controversy between Great Britain
and the Republic Of Venezuela, and re-
cited the substance Of representation
made by this government to her Britain
mic majesty's government. suggesting
reasons why such disputes should be
submitted to arbitration for settlement,
and inquiring whether it would be so
submitted.
Devoted to Observations on Monroeism.
The answer of the British govern.
ment, which was then awaited, has
since been received and together with
The dispatch to which it is a reply, is
hereto appended. Such reply is en-
bodied in two communications ad-
dressed by the British prime minister to
S.r1Julian Pauncefote, the British am
bassador at this capital. twill be seen
that one of these communications is de.
voted exclusively to observations upon
the Monroe doctrine, and claims that
in the present instance a new and
strange extension and development Of
this doctrine is insisted on by the
United States; that the reasons justify
ing an appeal to the doctrine enunciated
by President Monroe are generally in
applicable .'to the state of things in
which we live at the present day." and
especially inapplicable to controversy
involving the boundary line between
Great Britain and Venezuela.
Thinks the Doctrine Is Sound.
Without attempting extended argu-
ments in reply to these positions, itmay
not be amiss to suggest that the doc.
trine upon which we stand is strong
and sound because its enforcement is
important to our peace and safety as a
nation, and is essential to the integrity
of our free institutions and the tranquil
maintenance of our distinctive form OF
government. 1t was intended to apply
to every stage of our national life, and
cannot become obsolete while our re-
public endures. If the balance of
power is justly a cause for Jealous anx-
iety among the governments of the old
world, and subject for our absolute
non-interference, none the less is an OBJ
servance Of the Monroe doctrine Of vital
concern to our people and their govern
ment.
Doesn't See Where It Doesn't Apply.
Assuming. therefore, that we may
out regard to s.the state Of things in
which we live,'' or any changed condi-
tions here or elsewhere, it is not appar-
ent why its application may not be in
voked in the present controversy If a
European power, by an extension of it's
boundaries, takes possession of the ter.
ritory Of one Of our neighboring repub-
lies against its will, and in derogation
of its rights, it is difficult to see why, to.
that extent, such European power does
not thereby attempt to extend its sys-
tenn Of government to that portion of
this continent, which is thus taken.
This is the precise action which Presi-
dent Monroe declared to be dangerous
to our peace and safety" and it can
make no difference whether the
European system is extended by an ad-
vance Of frontier or otherwise.
Tt is also suggested in the British
reply that we should not seek to apply
1 the Monroe doctrine to the pending dis
pute because it does not embody any
principle Of international law which
.sis founded on the general consent Of
nations and that mo statesman, how
ever eminent, and no nation, however
powerful, are competent to insert into
the code Of international law, a novel
principle, which was never recognized
before and which has not since been ac-
cepted BY the government Of any other
country Z s
It Is Peculiar to This Country.
Practically the principle for which
we contend has peculiar if not exclus-