The sun., 1895-03-23
Why tho Monroe Doctrine IL Involved
in tho Venezuela Question.

Why the Monroe Doctrine Is Involved
in tho Venezuela Question.
II Is important to keep before the public
eye the precise :iature of the question pre-
snItcd 10y thc boundary controversy between
British Guiana and Venezuela: for then it
will DC clearly seen that the MONROE doc
trinc imposes on our Government the duty
OF insisting that tho dispute shall be sub
mitted tu arbitration.
The question is simply this; Shall Eng
lanI, by refusing to per;nit an international
tribunal to define the western limit OK the
Guiana provinces acquired by her from ITol-
land, aai by committing successive acts OF
encroachn,cnt on the tcrritory OF Venezuela,
eventually obtRin control OF the basin OF
the Oriuocnr There are five great river sys-
tens in the habitable part of the New
World, namely. those Of the st. Lawrence,
of the Mississippi, OF the Amazon, Of the
La Plata. and OF the Orinoco. OF these
England already possesses one. that Of the
st. Lawrence; unless we interpose to shield
Venezuela from violent aggression, a sec
ond, that of the Orinoco, will fall under
British dominion, and a great monarchical
power will be built up in the southern half
Of this hemisphere u counterpart of that
already erected in British North America.
We cali the Dominion OF Canada a mon
Rrchy, and unquestionably the term may be
applied to it as properly as to the United
Kingdom. Only the name is lacking and
even tn at was forthcoming in the original
draught of the British North America act.
We know on the authority Of the principal
author of that measure, Sir JOHN MACDoN-
AID, that he proposed to call the new con-
federation "kingdom," and to bestow
upon the English sovereign the title OF
"Queen of Canada"
Even more wide and ominous than this is
the scope of the question raised by the CON
troversy touching the Venezuela boundary
A glance at the map will show that the
same game of successive encroachments
which is being PLAYED to-day at the expense
OF Venezuela, may be practised tomorrow
to the detriment of Brazil On the south,
British Guiana is bounded with convenient
vaguenes, by the Brazilian republic. and
the east fork OF the Parma River, one of the
chief northern members of the Amazon
River system, takes its rise in British terri
tory. IT, Under color of frontier disputes,
which she refuses to refer to arbitrators.
England is now allowed to rob Venezuela of
the Orinco basin, what is to prevent her
from robbing Brazil hereafter of the great
valley OF the Amazon. Then again, why
should not precedent, once established for
South America, be followed in Central
America as we'll If, proceeding from
Guiana as a basis, England is suffered to
absorb large part of Venezuela. why
should she not starting from her territory
OF Belize. manage gradually to swallow
Honduras. Guatemala, and Yucatan.
Now. what attitude is prescribed by the
MONROE doctrine to our Government with
respect to the encroachments of any Euro
pean power on the territory of American
republics The leading tests, declarations,
and opinions in which that doctrine is set
forth, have been collected in pamphlet by
Mr.. f. K. JOHNES. ard the circumstance
that the author of the compilation sub
Bcribes himself as "of counsel" and NAV
therefore he presumed To be the paid attor-
ney of the Venezuelan Government, should
not detract from the cogencv of facts and
citations from authorities, which are easily
verifnble. The gist of all the evidence
bearing on the Interpretation given by our
State Department to the so-called MONROE
permit any fresh acquisition of territory in
the New World by any European power. or
the oppression of any American republic or
the suppression of republican by monarchi-
cal institutions in any part of this continent
How utterly this doctrine has been set at
nau-ht by Great Britain in the matter
of the Venezuelan boundary is clearly
and effectively eypoundcd by Gen. Gt-z-
Man BLANCo in memorandum reprinted
by our Spanish-American contemporary
Eel americana. 1t is demonstrated by Gen.
GUZMAN BLANCo that England in her deal
inRs with Venezuela, has defied tie MONROE
doctrine in all three of its aspects and aver
ments She has made fresh acquisitions of
territory on this continent: she has oppress-
ed IN American republic by robbing it of
the territorial resources which conduce to
strength and independence and constitute
the root of Il nations life: and she has sub
stttu.cd monarchical for republican instit,,-
tions throughout most OF the broad and
fruitful tract between the Essequibo and
Orinoco rivers
Unless the CLEVELAND Administration is
prepared to abjure the MONROE doctrine. it
should make a peremptory demand upon
the British Foreign Office that the Venez,l-
ella boundary dispute be submitted to arbi-
tration. Should that demand be refused,
Vcnezuclans will I've driven to light for their
rights, and it will become the duty OF Amer
lean citizens to support them What we
did for Mexico against the French, we must
do for Venezuela against the English
Tho Biuefleids Affair.