The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-12-18
INTENSE EXCITEMENT
Prevails Throughout the Land
Over the Message.
CLEVELAND TELLS CONGRESS
MunrOe Doctrine Must be Maintained
in Venezuelan Matters RumOrs
of War-Irish Americans.
Special to the Astorian.

| Special to the Astorian.
Washington, Dec 17.-President Cleve
land today sent a special message to con
gress on the Venezuelan question. Re
plying to Lord Salisbury's statement that
the Monroe doctrine is inapplcable to the
present controversy the presidt mt says III;
Monroe doctrine was intended to apply
to every stage of our national life, anC
cannot become obsolete while our repub.
| lie endures. The message says:
"Inasmuch as Great Britain refuses tc
arbltrate, the dispute has reached such
stage as to make it incumbent upon the
United States to determine the true di-
visional line between Venezuela and Brit
ish Guiana. The president therefore sug-
gests that congress make adequate APP
preparation for the expense of a commits
sion to be appointed by the president to
investigate the claims of both par ties,
and If 1t is found that the disputed terri
tory belongs to Venezuela, 1t would be
the duty of the United States to resist
by every means in its power, as a w'lful
aggression upon our rights and interests,
Great Britain's exercise of governmental
Jurisdiction over or appropriation of It,
The message of President Cleveland to
congress, transmitting the correspondence
between Secretary Olney and Lord Sails
bury relative to the Venezuelan boundary
dispute, has created q real sensation in
Washington today. Although the nature
of Secretary Olney's vigorous commune
cation and of Lord Salisbury's answers
has been already accurately foretold in
thnh AHaeeia Press dispatches, there
was stu great popular craving to learn
Just how the presidentswould deal with
Lord BalisbhEels refusal TO submit the
matter to arbitration, and the message
was listened to with intense interest in
congress and was read with aVidlty on
the streets. Nowhere was there a voice
lifted in dissent from the doctrine so
firmly laid down by the president, but on
the contrary there was an outburst or
patriotic feeling that must have been
highly gratifying to the chief executive.
In the dignified United States senate, a
body that rarely exhibits emotion of any
kind, there was witnessed an unparalleled
spectacle of hand clapping and app ause,
which was the spontaneous expression of
approval of almost every senator, without
regard to party. On the streets it was
and old veterans of the late
war talked exultantly of what they were
prepared to undertake, at the call OF their
In the great hall of the pension build |
ing the employees gathered and sang win !
gueto the Star Spangled Banner" and |
my ountry, 'Tis of Thee"
At the White House messages poured |
In from every quarter of the country, |
the president upon his |
message They came from men OF all |
parties and every station. The matter of
course, was of the greatest inte est in
diplomatic circles, and the general Inn
preston on sober second consideration o.
he notes, was that the matter has not
ret reached stage where war is im~',
lent, and that the hint of Great Britain's
purpose to reopen negotiations with Ven.
'zuela, looking to the dispute between
themselves, perhaps may be regarded as
IN indication of how the whole matter
will end.