The record-union., 1895-12-18

WASHINGTON, Dec. 17.-President
Cleveland to-day transmitted to Con-
gress the following message on the Ven
ezuela incident:
ITO the Congress of the United
States: In my annual message ad-
dressed to Congress on the Sd inst. /
called attention to the pending bound
ary controversy between Great Britain
and the republic of Venezuela, and re-
cited the substance of the representa-
tions made by this Government to her
Britannia Majesty's Government Sug-
Eesting the reasons why such disputes
should be submitted to arbitration for
settlement and inquiring whether II
would be so submitted.
THE answer of the British Govern
ment which was then awaited, has
since been received, and together with
the dispatch to which it is reply is
hereto appended. Such reply is embod-
led in two communications, addressed
bv the British Prime Minister to Sir Ju-
liam PauncefOte, the British Embassa-
dor at this capital. 1t will be seen that
one of these communications is devoted
exclusively to observations upon the
Monroe doctrine, and claims that in the
present instance a new and strange eX-
tension and development of this doc
trine is insisted on by the United States,
and that the reasons just1fylng an ap-
peal to the doctrine, as enunciated by
President Monroe, are generally lnap-
plicable 10 the state of things in which
we live at the present day, and eSpe-
cially in their application to the con-
troversy concerning the boundary line
between Great Britain and Venezuela.
Without attempting extended argu-
ments in reply to these positions, 1t may
not be amiss to suggest that the doc
trine upon which we stand is strong and
sound because its enforcement is i'm
portant to our peace and safety as a
nation and is essential to the integrity
of our free institutions and the tranquil
maintenance of our distinctive form OF
government. 1t was intended to apply tC
every stage of our national life, anc
cannot become obsolete while our re-
public endures. If the balance of power
is Justly a cause for jealous anxiety
among the Governments of the Ole
World and a subject for our absolute
n-interference, none the less is the
observance of the Monroe doctrine o1
vital concern to our people and thefl
Government.
Assuming. therefore, that we may
properly insist upon the doctrine with
out regard to the state Of things II
which we live, or any changed condl-
4ions here or elsewhere, it IS not appa-
rent why its application may not be IN
voked in the present controversy. 1
any European Power, by an extension
of its boundaries, takes possession o.
the territory of one of our neighborine
reDublics against its will. and in de
ropation of its rights, ii is difficult to se'
why. to that extent such European
Power does not thereby attempt TO ex
tend its system of government TO tina
norton of this continent which is thus
taken. This is the precise action which
president Monroe declared to be dan
gerous to our peace and safety' ana
can make no difference whether the Eu
ropean system is extended by an ad
Vance of frontier or otherwise.
s'Tt is also suggested in the British re
S,lv that we should not seek to apply th'
Monroe doctrine to the pending dispute
because il does not epbody any princi
pie Of international law which Il
founded on the general contest OF ma
sions.' and that no statesman. howeve
eminent. and no nation, however power
full is competent to insert into the cod
of international law novel principl
which was never recognized before an
which has not since been accepted o,
the Governments of any other country.
Practically the principle for whicl
we contend has peculiar, II not eXclu
sive. relation to the United States. l
words to the code of international law
but since in international council
every nation is entitled To the rights be
longing TO it. If the enforcement of tn
Monroe doctrine is something we ma,
Justly claim, it has it's place in the cod
of international law as certainly and a
securely as if II were specifically men
4ioned, and when the United States is
suitor before the high tribunal that ad
ministers international law, the ques
sion to be determined is whether or no
we present the claims which the iustic
of that code Of law can find to be righ
and valid.
"The Monroe doctrine finds its recog
milton in those principles OF interna
tional law which are based upon III
theory that every nation shall have il
rights protected and its Just claims en-
forced.
"Of course. this Government is en-
tirely confident that under the sanctio,
of this doctrine we have clear right
and undoubted claims. Nor is this ig
nored in the British reply The Prim
Minister while not admitting that tn
Monroe doctrine is not applicable L
the present conditions, states: In de