New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-16
CLEVELAND VERSUS MONROE
THE FORMER EXPECTED TO EXPLAIN
HIS POSITION IN HIS MESSAGE

REPORTS THAT HE Will ADVOCATE VIGOROUS
FOREIGN POLICY APPARENTLY CONTRA
DIcrEp by THE ACTION or THE STATE
DEPARTMENT IN CIRCULATING PRO
FEssoR MOoRE's PAMPHLET
lRY TFIsor ApH TO THE rRIBrNEl
Washington Nov l5-No portion of President
CleveIand's forthcoming message to Congress Is
likely TO excite more general interest than the au-
thortative statement which II IS expected 10 con-
tain OF the Adminstra tons View of the oohga-
tons and responsibilities imposed on the lni'ed
States by the Monroe Doctrine. Many confusing
rumors have been put IN circulation recently by
cuckoo" followers OF the Administration. all h'n'-
ing darkly a an Unexpectedly vigorous ih'erpre
tation OF the Monroe Doctrine in the December
message. What foundation there may be ior these
suggestions remains TO be seen. Yet II Is curious
fact wholly overlooked by the sanguine forecas'efs
of the Presidents purposes. that the only inter-
probation of the Monroe Doctrine which has 80 var
received even a semi-offcial sanction at the S'a'e
Department is one of the narrowesi ana most mega,
tive character which goes almost TO the Iens'h o'
explaining away the doctrine OF Monroe as d 'ai''
less piece of political sentlmentalism
II may not be generally known or acknowie0geu
tina; the State Department has practically adop'eu
as rs own the iconoclasiic view OF Inc Monroe
Doctrine enunciated by Professor Johh =. Moo'e,
OF Columbia college and exploited in the cuckoo
originally for distribution as Democratic csmpa's"
literature has been repubshed. however al GOV
eminent expense. and - now beng cTc""'on 0E
the state Department. With the seal o. me Au'i'"
istrations jealous approval To any one Appearing
TO the Department .or information about the Mon
roe Doctrine Mr. Moore's pamphlet IS recommended
as final and authoritative Interpretation o. th!s
famous dictum IN American diplomacy
NEGATIVE CONSTRUCTION.
Thai Mr. Moores colorless construction Of the
Monroe Doctrine should be eagerly grasped al bF
this Almlnis ration Is not AZ all suIpiislhS hu'
In the face OF the State Departments open efforts
TO disseminate and establish so narrow an inter-
probation Of this countrys obligations under Mon
roes declaration OF principle Il is difficult 10 see
how the vigorous policy of the new message IS
TO be launched without involving a palpabe ana
violent contradiction between the White House
and the State Department. Mr.. Moore ; pamphlet
,s important in so FAR represents or seems TO
represent the views which underl!e the Admins
tra;ion's diplomatic policy. The book certainly
takes a view Of the mission OF the United states
as he controlling power OF the New NoriJ more
marrow even than one has right to expect from
q scholar Of the Democratic school and IL "oud
seem 10 be right on this account. that few OF
the fallaces ii sets forth should be pointed out.
= re, of all lei IL be stated briefly what the Mon
roe Doctrine is. An article in "Ihe North -'iiei'-
can Review for April. 1876. says:
The Monroe Doctrine" as i, is popularity desiS-
mated purports to be founded certain decdratons
TO the Congress whlch asSriio;,u ~. s,das a.
1873 In thae executive paper M. MonloS ~
our own Government and that Of Russia respecting
the boundary OF our Northwestern IeiritoiN. tuIei
!nr Claims Advanced by the two countries with re-
gard 20 their respective Sn he nontroversy
between them would find d satisfactory soIutoh' 'ne
I'm the dscnsslons to which this interest has given
rise ana in the arrangements in which they may
ASSERTING a. a principle in which the rights and IN
ierests OF the United States are invoVed that u.
comditon which they have assumed and maintained
The second part Of the Monroe Doctrine Is set
diste cause which prompted /, the manifest de-
Sire Of the allied Powers of Europe reduce the re-
y0ns VI Sea 9i S St proeeed
IN the vars Of the EuE9pea ave tnn ann
part mo- does win our e pSE SS re GE
are Of Me i more Immediately connected ami
by causes when mus; be obvious 10 al. enlightened
ana a lnSI Powers Is essentay deren IN this re-
spect from that Of America. This difference pro-
ernments And to the defence of our own. which
has beer achieved by the loss Of 50 much blood and
treasure. and maurcd b. the wisdom Of their m ost
eaghtenea CITIZENS ana under Which we have en-
Voted Ne owe it, therefore, to candor and to the
amicab.e relations existing between the United
consider any attempt on their part 10 extend their
system 10 any portion Of this hemisphere as danger
onies or dependencies of any. European Power we
have rot in,erfered and shall not interfere But
dependence ami maintained it, and whose ndepen-
principles acknowledged, could not view any
interpositon for the purpose of depressing them.
any European P5weT in any other light than as the
manifestation Of an unfriendy disposition toward
the United States"
SOME OF PROFESSOR MOORE's OvERsIGHTs
Professor Moore begins by considering the first
the question OF European colonization in America
"Now what was meant by the term Colonial
tion'?' asks Mr.. Moore. The answer is simply
what meant by the terms settlement and
colonial establishments previously employed by
Mr. Adams The word colonization has defnitive
meaning II signifies the settlement by emgrants
OF a region not under the control OF any civilized
Power unless that OF the parent country. They
used 1t to describe method Of acquiring title to
unoccupied territory"
In his eagerness 10 explain away the term "colon-
cation" Mr. Moore has failed 10 attach proper i'm
portance 10 Monroe's expression: american CONT
by the free and Independent condition which
they have assumed and maintain" How can "a
region not under the control Of any civilized Power
unless that OF the parent Stae"-that is. an unoc-
cupied. uncivilized territory-assume and maintain
independent condition? As a matter OF fact
there no such territory In America. according
Monroes view. lie considered that all America
under the control Of civilized Independent
country except such portions as were already
European colonies, and this is proved beyond a
peradventure by examining the events OF the next
three years after the message was written. In 1926
in message 10 Congress the proposed Panama
Congress, President John Quincy Adams, who was
Secretary OF State when MOI roe's message was
written. said that when it was sent 10 Congress
with the exception Of the existing European colo
MES, which IT was in wise intenrcd 10 disturb.
the two continents consisted Of several sovereign
and independent nations whose territory covered
their whole surface" This seems conclusive
But Mr.. Moore says 1T by no means gem
orally admitted that the American continents were
West HhSt.