Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1895-11-14
THE MONROE DOCTRINE.
How 1t Applies to the Case of the
Venezuela Dispute.

Oh lnteTudLlOnal pOlillcS, Is puDHSneQ
In The Chicago Times Herald, from
which the following respecting the
Monroe doctrine, and its application to
the case of Venezuela is taken
How is the Monroe doctrine in
volved in the dispute?'
Now you touch the main question
/ have once answered it, by anticipa-
ton, in an article in The North Amer
lean Review of December, 1881. | can
only answer 1t now in few words. To
be quite sure let me quote few au-
thoritative words from documents here
in my library. Here is the way
Quincy Adams. Mr.. Monroe's secretary
OF state, put it: We could not see
with Indifference any attempts :
to transfer any portion of ancient or
present possessions of Spain to any
other European power Mr.. Rush.
then our minister to England, offered
to Mr.. Canning. the English minister,
to unite with him in declaration that
we could not see any portion of them
transferred to any other power with
indifference Mr.. Jefferson was ready
to go to war with the principle, and
advised Mr.. Monroe to oppose their
transfer to any power by conquest,
cession or acquisition in any other
way President Polk in his message
184S) about Yucatan, which had vol
UNFAIRLY offered its sovereignty to
Great Britain, said. We could not
consent to transfer of this dominion
and sovereignty either to Spain, Great
Britain or any other European power.
Mr.. Madison had Endorsed war as
the last step if necessary to support
the Monroe declaration. 1t is we'll
known that Secretary Seward obtained
the imperial evacuation of Mexico
practically at the point of the bayonet.
There is the Monroe doctrine inter-
preted by history. If England is try
ing to acquire by force or by cession
or acquisition in any other way South
American country which Venezuela
lawfully held as successor to Spain,
then the cause for our Intervention ex-
lists according to the principles dear to
the American people,
What about arbitration"
That would relieve us of our re-
sponsibility, and assure the world of
England's equitable and legal inten-
TONS"
Would the United States fight for
Venezuelan"
Think minute. l will ask you,
have the Americans, as much
smaller nation than now, hesltated to
fight England for principle of right
and liberty or for the rights of COM
merce? Was there any lack of cour-
age in our civil war? Would Ameri-
cans be reluctant to receive Canada in
exchange for English conquest on the
plains of Venezuela? Would the
American conscience, remembering
how our ocean commerce was extin-
guished by English-fitted cruisers
thirty years ago, be offended If we
should restore the glories of Jones
and cambridge and Decatur on the
high seas?"
DO YOU think our government is
contemplating such a contingency as
a rupture with Great Britain?"
"Of that l know nothing. Let Mr..
Olney work it out. believe he has
the old-fashioned American pluck and
obstinacy fol- the right He will have
back Of his vigor the backing of TO-
100000 of people, who would not be
sorry to weld north and south to-
gether, II it must be so, by a just for
eign war. They do not wish to see in
troduced into either south or north
America the practice often applied in
Africa and Asia of lawless conquests
of territory from the weak by the
strong"
Are there any diplomatic means by
which Great Britain and Venezuela
can honorably escape the issue of
war;"
1T would seem so. If Venezuela has
in fact violated the law of nations in
her treatment of British subject she
ought to apologize and pay indemnity.
There is no dishonor in that. On the
other hand. if the whole question de-
ponds on the point of the territorial
sovereignty, it can be settled by arbi-
tration with equal honor to both
Venezuela can even agree in advance
to apology and indemnity if the point
shall be awarded in England's favor.
There is no difficulty for either on the
point OF honor If there be real dis
position to do justice in accordance
with international law. Repeated
precedents between England and the
United States prove that Besides this,
Venezuela can offer guarantees of ex-
listing rights and conditions of prop
erty If that question stands in the way
of peaceable adjustment"