Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1895-03-28
Venezueala and the Monroe Doctrine

Venezuela and the Monroe Doctrine
Has President Cleveland taken the
measures requisite to give effect to the
resolution passed by the last Congress
that the British Government should be
urged to submit to arbitration the dis
pute regarding the boundary between
British Guiana and Venezuela? 1t is
his duty to obey that resolution in let
ter and in spirit; and, if the British
Foreign Office shall refuse to comply
with the request, it will be for him to
consider what further steps should be
taken to enforce the Monroe doctrine
on this continent.
England has undertaken to annex to
British Guiana Il vast aud valuable ter
ritory comprising more than $4,000
square miles, lying westward of the
EsseXuibo River and constituting an
important part of the basin of the Ori-
noco. TO every square mile of this
territory Venezuela maintains that she
has cleare and indefeasible title by
reason of the boundary fixed by the
treaty of Munster concluded in 1913
between Spain and the Dutch United
Provinces, which boundary during the
next century and half was repeated
" reaffirmed in transactions between
those powers. We scarcely need to
say that of the rights of Spain on the
one hand and of Holland on the other,
Venezuela and Great Britain are re-
spectively the inheritors. To only a
small part of the 10000 square miles
practically annexed has England ven
tured to put forward a theoretical
claim in diplomatic correspondence.
She has simply robbed Venezuela of
the territory, and thus far has evinced
a determination to hold her stolen
goods by force. Although aware that
this boundary dispute cannot be settled
by treaty, for the reason that the Ven
ezuelan Constitution ferbids the Car
acas Government to dismember the ma
tional territory, the British Foreign
Office has stubbornly refused to adopt
the sole rational and peaceable expe-
dent, namely, a reference Of the con-
troversy to arbitrators. The calcula-
ted and inevitable effect of such a re-
fusal will be to drive Venezuela into a
defensive and unequal war, which En-
gland would expect to make the pretext
for still more grevious mutilation of
the South American republic. In 9TH
er words, England entertains the hope
of applying to the fairest portion OF
South America the scheme of conquest
by alternate strokes Of fraud and force,
whereby she has made herself the mis-
tress of India and of Burmah.
Will it be said that we are not par
ties to the quarrel, and have no bust
ness to interpose9 We must, then, alb
jure the Monroe doctrine, which was
originally promulated, and has been
ever since asserted, upon grounds iden-
ticgl with those presented by the actual
aggression on sister
American republic. 1t was because
the European powers united in the Ho-
ly Alliance were disposed to aid Spain
to recover her revolted American col
onies that President Monroe in NS23
made the memorable declaration that
..we should consider any attempt on
the part of foreign powers to extend
their system TO any portion of this
as dang Gus to ouI peace
and safety" and again: I'VE could
not view any interposition for the pur-
pose of expressing Governments on
this side of the Atlanta. whose inde-
pendence we had acknowledged, or of
in any manner their desti-
ny by any European power. in any
other light than as a manifestation of
an unfriendly disposition toward the
United States" Of the two great
American principles thus propounded,
the former, which affirms the duty of
resisting attempts to overthrow the Ii
berties Of the Spanish American re-
publics. was described by President
John Quincy Adams as zone of most
righteous self-defence, and on vital i'm
portauce. And as SUCH" he adds, lit
viii. probably always be regarded. if
similariuncture should arise" On the
same point the following comment is
made by DR.. Woolsey. who. it will be
remem mbered, was a member of the
Geneva Board of Arbitration, and the
very apostle of peace: ITO resist at
tempts of European powers to alter the
of States on this side of
the water, is wise and just opposition
to interference.
Will it be argued that the forcible
of an American repu-
public's territory is distinguishable
from an attempt to subvert its liberties
or TO control its destiny3 Venezuela
might fittingly reply that ..You take
nv life when you do take the means