The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1895-12-21
OPELOUSAS, PARISH
The Monroe Doctrine or Disgrece.

The following article, from the N. O.
ficayune of the 18th, will place the
reader du courant with the controversy
between this country and England
winch may terminate, in war between
the two countries
The Monroe doctrine has come up for
nnai settlement as great internatiOn-
al issue.
Heretofore it has been only an as
sumption OF policy and an assertion of
principle by the United States, and,
While 1t has been mentioned incident
ally in negotiations with foreign ma
and resisted, and, therefore, has never
IN the past been made direct and pos
tive issue between this country aud
| any foreign nation.
But apparently that time has come at
last, and the issue has got to be made.
The people of the United State have
got to say whether they will maintain
their Traditional and much vaunted doc
trlne at every cost, and in every way
that may be found necessary, or ap-
pailed at the seriousness of the situa-
ton, blench from its demands, shrk its
responsibilities and, with the trembling
apprehension of dastardiy and con-
temptible cowardice, abandon the en-
America to be seized upon, parceled
out and appropriated by tue powerful
aud rapacious nations OF Europe.
This is the situation which was
placed before Congress yesterday by
the President of tho United States in
his able and dignified, but truly Ameri-
can message on the assertion of the
Monroe doctrine iu the dispute for ter
rtOry between Great Britain and Ven
ezuela.
This is case in which controversy
arose between the two nations men,
toned concerning Il considerable body
of territory whic! was claimed by Ven
ezuela, but upon which Great Britain
has seized Tie United States inter-
posed with AN earnest, but kind and
courteous, request for an arbitration of
the dispute; but the British Govern
ment, through its Minister of Foreign
Affairs, has fatty refused to abitrate
the matter, contendiBg that, in the first
place, no claim of Venezuela to the
property can be admitted, and, in the
secnnd, no right on the part of the Uni
ted States to interfere is recognized
Lord Salisbury, speaking for the
British Governments, declares that the
Monroe doctrine has never been ac-
cepted by the European powers, and
has, therefore, never been admitted
into international agreement known as
the law of nations.
President Cleveland, placing before
Congress all the correspondence that |
has passed between the United States |
and Great Britain on the subject, recog-
niZes that discussion has come to an |
end, and that now action must begin. |
To this end, he propos, that Congress
shall, with the least poi sible delay, au-
thDrIze il commission Il be sent to Ven
eZuela to investigate the claims and
rights of all parties to the disputed ter
ritory, and il it shall | Q found that
Great Britain has laid la''less and un-
hands upon 20 lands o. the
South American rep, ulic, then IL ra-
paciOus marauder is to be warned off
the premises, and refusal to i, gard
the warning will mean war.
1t ls to this point that the Issue has
come, and it remains to be seen whether
or not the American people are willing
to back up their Chief Executive in the
of great national policy
and in the presentation Of q great ma
tional right Of self protection, for that
is the real meaning Of the Monroe doc
trine.
President Cleveland's manly message
was received in the Senate with cheers
Of enthusiasm, while prominent public
men applaud it to the echo. 1t is true
that the United States are poorly pre-
pared for war, but that is a circum-
stance which cannot be allowed to in
teIfere with the vindicatiOn of the ma
lional honor and the national defense.
IL the Monroe doctrine is to be aban-
ioned, then the entire continent of
South America aud Mexico will be
placed at the mercy of the European
powers that are now rending Africa to
pieces, and haze been for years preying
upon the continent Of Asia. 1t is now
% be determined whether there shall
oe any definite American policy, or
whether this hemisphere is to be aban-
ioned to be plnndered and preyed upon
~ the great robber nations of the
earth.