The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-12-18
OLNEY'S NOTE.
The Monroe Doctrine Has Been Uniformiy
Acted Upon for Years.

Actco DPou hof hcars.
Washington. Dec. 17.-Accompanying
the presidents message Is the cores
pondence on the subject. II is started
with Secretary Olney's now celebrated
note reopenfng the negotiations with
Great Britain docking TO the arbitration
of the boundary dispute. dated July 20
last, and is addressed to Mr.. Bayard.
The secretary begins by saying that the
president has given much anxious
thought to the subject, and has not
reached a conclusion without a lively
sense of Its great Importance. as well
as Of the serious possibility OF any ac-
tion now to be taken. He then COM
ments on the long duration of the
boundary dispute. the fate of the va
rious attempts at arbitration of the
controversy and the part in the matter
heretofore taken by the United States.
He shows that the British claims since
ttbs 5chomberg line was run have NOV
ed the frontier of British Guiana
farther and farther to the westward
of the line proposed by Lord Aberdeen
in 1884"
The secretary then summarizes the
situation at the beginning of this year
and says that the status compels those
ed States to decide to what extent, II
any, the United States may and should
intervene in a controversy between
and primarily concerning only Great
Britain and Venezuela, and to decide
how far II is bound to see that the in
tegrity of Venezuela territory is not
impaired by the pretensions of its pow
erful antagonist. The secretary lays
down as a canon of International law,
that a nation may justly interpose I'm
controversy between other nations
whenever what is done or proposed
by any of the parties. primarily con-
cerned, is a serious and direct menace
TO its own integrity. tranquility or well
fare"
This leads up to an elaborate review
OF the Monroe doctrine. and Secretary
Olney. stating that the proposition
that America is in no part open to col
onization has very long been conceded.
says that our present concern is with
the other practical application of the
Monroe doctrine, Wig: That American
non-intervention in Europe. necessarily
implied n-intervention In American
affairs, the disregard OF which. by any
European power is to be deemed an
act Of unfrie eudliness toward the United
States. On this point the secretary
says: THE precise scope and hmita-
tions of this rule cannot be too clearly
apprehended. IL does not establish any
general protectorate by the United
States over other American states. II
does not relieve any state from Its OBJ
legations, as fixed by International law.
nor prevent any European power. d.
rectly Interested. from enforcing such
obligations, or from infiicting merited
punishment for the breach of them. 1t
does not contemplate any interference
in the International affairs OF any
American state. or In the relations be-
tween n and other American states
The rule in question has but a single
object II Is that no European power.
or combination OF European powers.
shall forcibly deprive an American
state of the right and power of self
government and of shaping for itself It's
own political fortunes and destinies.'
The secretary says that II is manifest
that a rule which has been openly and
uniformly acted upon by the legislative
branch OF the government for 20 years
must have had the sanction OF con-
gress. The most striking single achieve
ment TO. be credited to the rule is the
evacuation OF Mexico by the French.
But we are also indebted to II for the
Clayton Bulwer treaty. II has been in
fiuential In bringing about the definite
REIMBURSEMENT OF any supposed protec-
torate by Great Britain over the Mos
quito coast
American questions. II Is said. are
for American decision" says Secretary
Olney. and then applying this doctrine
in the reverse. he says: II all Europe
were suddenly 40 fiy TO arms over the
fate OF Turkey. would II not be prepos-
ferrous that any American state should
md itself inextricably involved in the
miseries and burdens OF the contest?
What have the states OF America to do
with the vast armies and fleets OF Eu-
rope. and why should they be impov-
erished by wars In which they can
have no concern? The moral interests
OF Europe are peculiar to her. and en-