Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1895-12-22
Speclal to the Register.


Washington, D. c., December 21-
The Monroe doctrine, about which so
much is heard now, has been princi-
pie of the public policy of this country
ever since the nation came into exist
ence. 1t was, however, first declared
to the world in 1923, and curiOusly
enough the prompting which melted
that declaration came from England
herself.
In 1922, the restored monarchy Of
France, in conjunction with the abso-
lutist government of Austria, under
took to organize an international alli-
ance against revolutionary tendencies.
The Holy Alliance was formed, by which
Prussia, Russia, Austria and France
agreed to support each other in main
tanning their existing dynasties and in
/ suppreSsing revOltS in each others ter
ritOry. The armies of Austria were
marched into Italy to put down liberal
movements in Piedmont and in Naples.
A French army was sent into Spain in
the spring of 1923 to re-establish the
tyranny of Ferdinand VII. The plans
of the allies included the re-establish-
ment of the American empire of Spain,
which had been shaken to pieces by
revolutionary movements. Great ef-
forts were made to induce Great Brit
ain to enter the alliance, and as an in
ducement, offers were made that the
Holy Alliance would cooperate with
Great Britain TO crush the rising power
of the United States.
Had these offers not carried with
them the necessity OF acquiescing in
the restoration of Spanish rule over
Central and South America, Great Brit
ain might have lent listening ear, but
English capital had been heavily in
vested in the bonds of Spanish Ameri-
can States and English enterprise was
engaged in numerous schemes for ex-
plotting the resources of those cOun-
tries. The commercial Importance to
England of the independence of Spanish
America determined the British foreign
secretary, George Canning, to throw
the whole
WEIGHT OF BRITISH POWER
and influence against the re-establish-
ment in the new world of that exclu-
sive policy under which for three CEN
turtles Spain had closed the ports of
either ocean from the Gulf of Mexico to
Cape Horn against the commerce of the
world. To this end Canning sought in
terviews with the American minister
TO England, Mr.. Rush, of PENNSYLVANIA
and letting him know what was going
fruoH him To - !
stration on the part of the American
government which might give the con-
tinental powers to understand that they
would have to reckon with the active
opposition of the United States in the
execution Of their designs on American
States. This information Mr.. Rush
duly communicated to his government
and the result was the enunciation of
what has since been known as the Mon
roe doctrine. James Monroe was then
President. He was not a strong man.
but his secretary of state. John Quincy
Adams, was fully alive to the import
ance or the occasion. It was he who
drew up the statement of the Monroe
doctrine which was contained in the
Presidents S message, sent to Congress in
1928. After calling attention to the diff
ference between our system and that Of
the European powers, the messae pro-
ceedS to say:
This difference proceeds from that
which exists in their respective GOV
ernments; and the defense of our own,
which has been achieved by the loss of
so much blood and treasure, and ma
tured by the wisdom of her most en-
. lightened citizens, and under which
we have enjoyed unexampled felicity,
this whole nation is devoted. We owe
it, therefore, to candor, and to the amic-
able relations existing between
THE UNITED STATES
and those powers, to declare that we
should consider any attempt on their
part to extend their system to any por-
tiOn of this hemisphere as dangerous to
our peace and safety.
with the existing colonies and de-
pendencies of any European powers we
have not interfered, and shall not inter-
fere. But with the governments who
have declared their independence and
maintained it, and whose independence
we have, on great consideration and on
just principles, acknowledged, we could
not view any interpOsitiOn for the pur-
pose of depressing them or contmlling
in any other manner their destiny by
any European power, in any other light
than as the manifestation of an un-
friendly disposition toward the United
States.
This is the Monroe doctrine. At the
time it was promulgated England was
delighted with it. Canning took great
pride in the part which he played in as
suring the independence of the Ameri-
can republics, and in a speech in Par
lament, he declared: Il called the New
World into existence to redress the bal
ance of the Old"
Since il was promulgated the only
overt attempt to antagonize the Monroe
doctrine was the French expedition to
Mexico during the civil war. OF that
expedition. NJ Michael Chevalier, one
of the French emperOr's councillors,
DID NOT HESITATE
publicly TO say that it had been sent for
the double purpose of ''reafirming the
position of Europe, shaken by the AFRO
gance Of the American democracy, and
wounded by acts perpetrated in the
name of the Monroe doctrine, and of re-
,suming for Europe the exercise Of fac
ulties which belong to her in the general
interest of civilization, as well as in
her own interest"
The expedition sent ont so disastrous
" brought nothing but disaster and hu-
initiation to Napoleon Ill, and was a