Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-17
OFF!
Mr. Cleveland Serves Notice
Upon John Bull
MONROE DOCTRINE REAFF|RMED
Will Resist British Aggressions in
Venezuela.
NATIONAL HONOR DEMANDS IT
NATIONAL HON OR DEMANDS IT
Vigorous Words in a Message
Sent to Congress.
S SAILS URY'S DIS A 7 CH

President Cleveland today sent to Con-
| gress the following message:
To the Congress: In my annual message
addressed to the Congress on the Sd instant
l called attention to the pending boundary
| controversy between Great Britain and the
republic of Venezuela, and recited the sub
| stance of representation made by this gov
! ernment to her Britannia majesty's govern
ment suggesting reasons why such dispute
| should be submitted to arbitration for set
Element and inquirng whether it 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 communi-
cations addressed by the British prime min
lister to Sir Julian Pauncefote, the British
| ambassador at this capital. 1t will be seen
that enc of these communications is de-
| voted exclusively to observations upon the
Monroe doctrine. and claims that in the
| present instance a new and strange extern
| sion and development of this doctrine is in
| sisted on by the United States, that the
| reasons justifying an appeal to the doctrine
| enunciated by President Monroe are gen.
| orally inapplicahle ito the state of things
in which We live at the present day." and es-
pecially inapplicable to a controversy involv-
| inS the boundary line between Great Britain
| and Venezuela
| Without attempting extended argument
in reply to these positions, it may not be
! amss to suggest that the doctrine upon
which We stand is strong and sound because
| its enforcement is important to our peace
| and safety as nation, ana is essential to
| the integrity of our free institutions, and
| the tranquil maintenance of our distinctive
, form of government. 1t was intended to ap-
| ply to every stage of our.national life and
! cannot become obsolete while our republic
endures If the balance of power is justly
| a cause for jealous anxiety among the gov
| ernments of the old world and subject for
| our absolute non-interference, none the less
is an observance of the Monroe doctrine of
vital concern to our people and their gov
| eminent
Its Present Applicability.
Assuming, therefore, that We may proper
| ly insist upon this doctrine without regard
to "the state of things in which we Hve,"
| or any changed conditions here or else
where it is not apparent why its application
may not be invoked in the present contro-
| versy.
| If a 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. 1t is difficult to see why, to that ex-
tent, such European power does not thereby
| attempt to extend its system of government
| to that portion of this continent which is
| thus taken. This is the precise action which
President Monroe declared to be danger
| Gus to our peace and safety" and it can
| make no difference whether the European
| tier or otherwise.
| 1t is also suggested in the British reply
| that we should not seek TO apply the Mon
| roe doctrine to the pending dispute be-
cause it does not embody any principle of
| international law which "fs founded on the
general consent Of nations" and that mo
| statesman, however eminent, and no ma
| ton, however powerful, are competent to
| insert into the code of interna tional law a
novel principle which was never recognized
before, and which has not since been ac-
cepted by the government of any other
| country
Practically, the principle for which We
contend has peculiar, II not exclusive,
relation to the United States 1t may not
| have been admitted in SO many words to
| the code of international law, but since in
International councils every nation is en-
titled to The rights belonging to it, If the en-
I forcement of the Monroe doctrine is some
thing we may justly claim, it has Its
| place in the code of international law as
certainly and as securely as if it were spe-
| officially mentioned, and when the United
| States is 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 its recognition
| in those principles of International law
| vhich are based upon the theory that
every nation shall have its rights protected
| and its just claims enforced
| Confident of Our Claims.
OF course. this government is entirely
| confident that under the sanction of this
| doctrine We have clear rights and undoubt-