Connecticut western news., 1895-12-19
A RINGING MESSAGE.
CLEVELAND ADDRESSES CONGRESS
 ON THE MONROE DOCTRINE.

The rresidsnt Notifies Great Britain In
 vrgoroa. Terms That She Must Keep Her
 Involved.
 WASHING TON, Dec. ls.-The president has sent to congress the following message on the Venezuelan boundary dispute ao- companied by the correspopdenoe-Seore- tary Olney's letter os inquiry and the British premier's answer.
 To the Congress: e
 In my annual mesrage addressed to the congress on the 3d inst l called attention to the pending boundary controversy be- tween Great Britain and the republic of Venezuela and reoited the substance of a representation made by this government to her Britannic majesty's government, suggesting reasons why such dispute should be submitted to arbitration for set clement and inquiring whether 1t would be SO submitted.
 The answer of the British government, 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 oommu- nications addressed by the British prime minister to Sir Julian Paunoefote, the British ambassador At this capital It will be seen that one of these communica- tions is devoted exclusively to observa- tions upon the Monroe doctrine, and claims that In the present instance new and strange extension and development of this doctrine are insisted on by the United States; that the reasons justifying an ap- peal to the doctrine epunoiated by Presi- dent Monroe are generally inappiicable ito the state of things in which we live at the present day." and especially map | piioable to a controversy involving the boundary line between Great Britain and Venezuela.
 Without attempting extended argument | in reply to these positions, 1t may not be amiss to suggest that the doctrine upon which we stand is strong and sound be- cause It's enforcement is important to our peace and safety as nation and is essen | tial to the Integrity of our free institutions | and the tranquil maintenance of our dis tinotive form of government.
 | The Mssaroe Doctrine Applies. It was intended to apply to every stage | of our national life and cannot become | obsolete while our republic endures. If 1 the balance of power is justly cause for jealous anxiety among the governments | of the old world and a subject for our ab- solute noninterference, none the less Is an | observance of the Monroe doctrine of vital | concern to our people and their govern | ment. Assuming therefore that we may 1 properly insist upon this doctrine without regard to "the state of things in which we live" or any changed conditions here l or elsewhere, 1t Is not apparent why Its | application may not be invoked in the present controversy.
 If European power, by an extension of Its boundaries. takes possession of the ter | ritory 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 government to that portion of this oonti- | nent 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 European system Is extended by an advance of frontier or otherwise.
 n Is also suggested In the British reply that we should not seek to apply the Mon. roe doctrine to the pending dispute be- cause 1t does not embody any principle of international law which lis founded on the general consent of nations," and that mo statesman, however eminent, and no nation, however powerful. are sompet nt to insert into the code of international law novol principle which was never recognized before and which has not since been accepted by the government of any other country"
 Practically the principle for which we contend has peculiar If not exclusive rela. ton to the United States
 Our Plain Right. and CIaims-
 It may not have been admitted in SO many words to the code of international law, but since in international oounsels every nation is entitled to rights belong ing to 1t, if the enforcement of the Monroe doctrine is something VIC may justly claim, it has It's place in the code of international law as certainly and as securely as if 1t were specifically mentioned, and when the
 United States is a suitor before the high tribunal that administers international law the question to be determined is whether or not we present claims which the justice of that code of law can find to be right and valid
 The Monroe doctrine finds It's recoRni- tion in those principles of international law which are based upon the theory that every nation shall have its rights protected and It's just claims enforced.
 Of course this government is entirely confident that under the sanction of this doctrine we have clear rights and un- doubted claims. Nor Is this ignored in the British reply. The prime minister,
 while not admitting that the Monroe doc
 Urine is applicable to the present oondi-
 tions, states, "In declaring that the Unit ed States would resist any such enterprise
 If 1t was contemplated, President Monroe
 adopted policy which received the entire
 sympathy of the English government oi
 that date.n
 He further declares. Though the Ian.
 guage of President Monroe is directed te
 the attainment of objects which most EngIishmen would agree to be salutary il is impossible to admit that they have beer ] inscribed by any adequate authority in the
 code of international law" Again hs
 says, "They (her majesty's government
 fully concur with the view which Presi
 dent Monroe apparently entertained thai any dIsturb banoe of the existing territorial
 distribution in that hemisphere by any fresh acquisitions on the part of any ku
 ropean state would be highly inexpedi
 ent change"
 Involves Our Safety and Welfare. ] In the belief that the doctrine for whicf , We contend was clear and definite; that fl was founded upon substantial considera [ tions and involved our safety and welfare
 that it was fully applicable to our present
 conditions and to the state of the world , progress, and that 1t was directly related to the pending controversy and without
 any conviction as to the final merits o
 the dispute, but anxious to learn in a sat
 isfactory and conclusive manner whothe, Great Britain sought under claim O boundary to extend her possessions oi this continent without right or whether she merely sought possession of territor, fairly included within her lines of owner ship, this government proposed to th' < government of Great Britain resort t arbitration as the proper means of set tling the question, to the end that yexa tious boundary ti,apute between the tw'
 contestants might be determined and ou
 exact standing and relation In respect
 tha Chf he made Clear.