The Butler weekly times., 1895-12-19
HANDS OFF, ENGLAND!
The President Sends a Vigorous
Message to Congress Strongly
Upholding the Monroe
Doctrine.
AMERICAS FIRM POLICY.
The Principles Involved in the Nenezu-
elan Dispute Declared of the
Gravest National Import

elan Dispute Declared or the
Gravest National Import
ance.
Washington, Dec. 17,-Soon after
both Houses of Congress met to day,
the President sent, by Executive
Clerk Pruden. the expected message
in regard to the British Venezuelan
complication. 1t was at once read
in both Houses, as follows:
To the Congress: In my annual
message, addressed to the Congress
on the Sd inst, 1 called attention to
the pending boundary controversy
between Great Britain and the Re-
public of Venezuela, and recited the
substance of a representation made
by this government to Her Britanic
Majesty's government suggesting
reasons why such dispute should be
submitted to arbitration for settle
ment and inquiring whether it would
be so submitted.
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 embodied in two
communications addressed by the
British prime minister to Sir Julian
Pauncefote, the British ambassador
at this capital. 1t will 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 de
velopment of this doctrine is insist
ed on by the United States, that the
reasons justifying an appeal to the
doctrine enunciated by President
Monroe are generally inapplicable
s'to the state of things in which we
live at the present day" and especial,
ly inapplicable to controversy in
volvlng the boundary line between
Great Britain and Venezuela.
THE MONROE DOCTRINE UPHELD.
Without attempting extended ar
guments in reply to these positions.
it may not be amiss to suggest that
the doctrine upon which we stand is
strong and sound, because it's en-
forcement is important to our peace
and safety as a nation and is essen
tial to the integrity OF our free
institutions and the tranquil mainte
nance of our distinctive form of
government. It was intended to
apply to tvsry stage OF our national
life and cannot become obsolete
while our republic sndures. If the
balance of power is justly cause
for jealous anxiety among the gov
ernments of the old world and a
subject for our absolute non inter
ference, none the less is an observ
ance of the Monroe doctrine of vital
concern to our people and their
government
Assuming, therefore, that We may
properly insist upon this doctrine
without regard to ''the state of
things in which we live" or any
changed conditions here or else
where, it is not apparent why its
application may not be invoked in
the present controversy. If a Euro
pean power, by an extension of it's
boundaries, takes possession Of the
territory of one of our neighboring
republics 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 system of gov
ernment to that portion of this con-
tinent which is thus taken. This is
the precise action which President
Monroe declared to be dangerous
to our peace and safety" and it can
make no difference whether the Eu.
ropean system ia extended by an
advance of frontier or other wise.
CLEARLY INTERNATIONAL LAW.
1t has been suggested in the Brit
ish reply that We should not seek to
apply the Monroe doctrine to the
present dispute, because it does not
embody any principle of information
al law which "is founded on ,he gen.
eral consent of nations" and that
mo statesman, however eminent,
and no nation, however powerful.
are competent to insert into the code
of international law q novel principle
which was never recognized before,
and which has not since been accept
ed by the government of any other
country" Practically the principle
for which we contend has peculiar.
if not exclusive, relation to the Unit
ed States. 1t may not have been
admitted in so many words to the
code of international law, but since.
in international counsels every ma
tion is entitled to the rights belong.
tnrr fn ~ ~ tha Al