The Irish standard., 1895-12-28

and our own states OF Washington and
Oregon, was still open to colonization and
settlement by European powers.
| john Quincy. Adams was secretary OF
state under Monroe and in his diary un-
der date Of July II, 1923, he notes an in-
I,terview between himself and Baron Tuyl,
the Russian minister. 81 told him speci-
ally that we should contest the right OF
Russia to any territorial establishment
on this continent. and that we should as
sumo distinctly the principle that the
American continents are no longer sub
iects for any new European colonial es-
tablishments,''' -:@ ,;..s
In. that sentence lies the germ of one
branch Of the Monroe doctrine. This
nation would not recognize the right Of
European nations to plant colonies and
establish authority over any portion Of
the western hemisphere, as they had done
in the sixteenth and seventeenth cen
turtles. - - - *1<, ~
Shortly after this the Russian emperor
Alexander L., substantially acknowledged
our contention by making no more preten-
sion to press his possessions southwark
from what was then known as Russian
America, and is now known as Alaska.
In the southern hemisphere the case
was different. In Mexico and throughout
South America the Spanish colonies had
Nrevolted and estab lished republican gov
ernments The United States had ac-
knowledged their independence but
Spain was still making an effort to recon-
quer them. In 1922 she hoped by the aid Of
the holy alliance a federation composed
of France, Prussia, Austria and Russia,
to win back her colonies, and made every
effort to gain the alliance to her cause.
Nor we're the allies unwilling. At this
jllneture George Canning. the British for
eign secretary-who never loved the
United States--slggeste to- MI. Rush,
the the American minister at London,
that Great Britaih would cooperate with
the United States in resisting the rasubjn
cation of the Spanish-American colonies.
Nothing came of this, but it gave rise to
the opinion that Canning was really the
inventor. promoter and champion" CT
the Monroe doctrine. Charles Summer i'll
his prophetic Voices of America" SO de-
clares.
The situation when President Monroe
sent his message to congress in December
list the aid Of the European powers to re-
cover her lost possessions in South Amer
ca, and Russia was claiming the right TO
extend her colonization schemes south
ward on the Pacific coast from the region
on the north.
In respect to Spain and the allied pow
ers Monroe said. after stating the general
situation and the difference of their po-
litical systems:
We owe 1T, therefore, to candor and to
the amicable relations existing between
the United States and those powers to de-
clare that we should consider any attempt
ON their part to extend their system to
any portion of this hemisphere as dan
gerous to our peace and safety. With the
existing colonies or dependencies OF any
European power, we have not interfered
and shall not Interfere. But with the
governments who have declared their in
dependence and maintained it, and whose
independence we have on great considera-
ton and on Just principles acknowledged,
we could not view any interpretation for
the purpose of depressing them, or con-
trolling in any manner their destiny, by
any European power, in any other light
than as the manifestation of an unfriend-
ly disposition toward the United States.
This doctrine, so stated has received the
Endorsement OF every American states
man from that day to the present time.
We do not propose to suffer any European
government to oyerturn the government
of any South America state, or to estab
lish new government On it's ruins.
Daniel Webster, speaking on the subject
a few years later, said: Sir. look on
the message of December; 1923, as form
ing bright page in our history. I witt
help neither to erase it nor tear it out;
nor shall it be by any act Of mine blurred
or blotted. It did honor to the sagacity
of the government, and | will not dimin
ish that honor. 1t elevated the hopes and
gratified the patriotism Of the people
Over those hopes will not bring a mil
dew, nor will l put that gratified patrio
tism to shame" m
This phase of the Monroe doctrine has
never been questioned by an American
writer on interatioal law, or any Ameri-
can statesman. .....
Jefferson, with whom Monroe had con-
suited warmly, approved of it. In writ
ing to Monroe, he said:
Our first and fundam entail maxim
should be never to entangle ourselves
in the broils of Europe. Our second, new
er to suffer Europe 10 NEEDLE in cisatlan-
tic affairs. America, North and South,
has a set Of interests distinct from those
of Europe and peculiarly her own. She
should therefore have a system of her
own, separate and apart from those of
Europe While the last is laboring to
become the domicile Of despotism; otr en-
deavor should surelybes to make our henli-
sphere that of freedom. y
While congress has never given formal
endorsement to this doctrine, There is no
doubt but that it is now settled part Of
the policy of this country An illustra-
ton of it occurred in 1851 In that year
Napoleon Ill landed a French army in
Mexico, ostensibly to protect French in
terests overthrow the Mexican army and
government, submitted the question of
the establishment OF an empire to the
people, which under the influence
of French bayonets, was carried, and
Macmillan was placed on the. throne.
We were in the midst of the civil war,
but Secretary Seward notified the French
government that such a proceeding must
lead to war between France and the
United States. The French minister in
timated somewhat truclllently that if war
must be the result his government would
naturally select their. own time to COM
mence hostilities. which would be the
present, while the United States was bur-
dened with domestic difficulties Under
the circumstances our government was
bound to tsn1poriZe, but just as soon as
our war was over portion Of our, army
was moved to the Texan frontiery / the /