The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-12-18
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

We have asked for nothing but what
is right, we will submit to nothing
wrong is the spirit Of President Cleve-
lands message to Congress on the sub
ject of the Venezuela controversy, and
the people of the United States, with
out regard to party utilization, will sus-
tain the President in the stand he has
taken. Lord Salisbury must have but
mean opinion Of the spirit of our
government and people if he thinks
they will abandon the Monroe doctrine
because he tells them that the reasons
for justifying an appeal to it are gen.
orally inapplicable 'tto the state of
things in which we live at the present
day. or because he tells them it has
not been generally accepted as inter-
national law. 1t is a doctrine en-
shrined in the traditions of the United
States government 1t has been the
doctrine by which all administrations
thereof have been guided for nearly
three-quarters of a, century; and
therefore" in the language Of the
Presidents message, 1--WE may properly
insist upon the doctrine without regard
live" since, as further remarked by the
President. 1T was intended to apply
to every stage of our national life and
cannot become obsolete while our Re-
public endures"
While it may be true that President
Monroe, as claimed by Lord Salisbury,
did not seek to establish a protectorate
over Mexico or the Central American
States. or even over the South Ameri-
can States which. at the time of the
declaration of the now famous doctrine.
were menaced by Spain, he did, in Ian
guage both plain and emphatic, serve
notice upon European nations that
they must not seek to extend either
their territorial possessions or mon
archial systems of government in either
Of the continents of America The first
part Of the declaration meets the
Venezuela case and Lord Salisbury will
learn. if he is not now aware OF it.
that the United States will maintain
that doctrine whether the nations Of
Europe recognize it as international
law or not.
We appreciate the seriousness of any
situation that threatens the peaceful
relations of two such countries as the
United States and Great Bri-
tain. bound together as they
are by so many ties of interest
and consequently, but the United
States cannot recede from the main
tenance of a doctrine which so nearly
concerns the preservation of our poEti-
cal institutions. The government Of
the United States has been moderate
in its demands. Neither in the past
nor now does it assume the cause of
Venezuela. 1t has only demanded that
the boundary line dispute be submitted
to arbitration, a proposition which
England rejects. Very well, then the
United States government, if it follow
the courageous recommendations Of
President Cleyeland-and we are of
opinion it will-will take steps to ascer-
tain for itself where the boundary line
should run. It may be that the COM
mission of examination asked for by
the President would find that all the
territory claimed by England right
fully belongs to her: if SO it would be
for England to enforce her rights. But
If the commission should find
that England is seeking to ex-
tend her frontiers and thus en-
large her possessions in America
in violation of the Monroe doctrine, the
DUTY of the United States would be
perfectly clear-it would be to main
tain the Monroe hoctrine-and to Eng
land there would be left the alternative
of arbitration or war. The question
that will agitate the public mind for
some time will be which will England
choose.