The herald., 1895-12-18

upon as field for European colonization;
and, second, that Europe must not attempt
to extend it's political system to America
or to control the political condition of any
OF the American communities who had re-
Gently declared their Independence. The
dangers against which President Monroe
thought it right to guard were not as imag-
mary as they would seem at the present
day The formation of the holy alliance;
h con ,resses of Laybach and Verona; ths
va,rn of Spain ~ France for tue pur-
pose of forcing upon the Spanish people a
form of government which seemed likely
to disappear unless il was sustain
fresh in the mind of President
Monroe when he penned his celebrated
message. The system of which he spe Aks
and of which he so resolutely deprecates
the application TO the American continent
was he system then adopted by certain
poA erful states on the Continent of Europe,
oil combining TO prevent, by force OF arms,
the adoption in other countries of political
institutions which they disliked, and to
uphold by external pressure those which
they approved. Various portions of south
America had recenl y declared their indie
pende ce. and that Independence had not
been recognized by the governments of
pain and Portugal, to which. with small
exception, the whole of Central and south
America were nominally subject.
NOT IMAGINARY CONDITIONS
1t was not an imaginary condition that
he fores aw, if he feared that the same
spirit which had dictated the French expe.
ton into Spain might inspire the more
powerful governments of Europe with the
idea of imposing, by the force of European
arms. upon the South American commune.
ties the form of government and the politi-
cal connection which they had thrown off.
In declaring that the United States would
resist any such enterprise if it were con-
templated, President Monroe adopted a
policy which received the entire sympathy
of the EN-. fish government of that date.
The dangers which were apprehended by
President Monroe have no relation to the
state of things in which we live at the
present day, There is no danger of any
Holy alliance imposing its system upon
any par of the American continent, and
there is no danger of any European state
treating any part of the American conti-
nent as a fit subject for European coloni-
cation. 1t is Ineligible that Mr. Olney
should invoke, in defense of the views on
which he if now insisting. an authority
which enjoys so high popularity with his
fellow-countrymen. But the circumstances
with which President Monroe was dealing
and those to which the present American
government is addressing itself, have very
few features in common.
WHAT GREAT BRITAIN WANTS.
Great Britain is imposing no system"
upon Venezuela, and is not concerning
herself in any way with the nature of the
political institutions under which the
Venezuelans may prefer to live. But the
British empire and the republic of Vene-
zuela are neighbors, and they have differed
for some time past, and continue to differ
as to the line OIL which their dominions are
separated. 1t is a controversy with which
the United States have no apparent
practical concern. 1t is difficult, in
deed, to see how it can materially
affect any state or community outside
of those primarily interested, except per-
haps other parts of her majesiy's domains,
such rs Trinidad. The disputed frontier
of Venezuela has nothing to do with any of
the questions dealt with by President Mon
roe. / is not question of colonization by
an European power of any portion of
America. 1t is not question of the inn
position upon the communities of South
America of any system OF government de-
yised In Europe. 1t is simply the determin-
alton of the frontier of Bri ish possession
which belonged TO the throne of England
long before the republic of Venezuela came
into existence. But even if the interests
of Venezuela were so far linked to those of
the United States as to give the other a
locus stand in this controversy, their gov
. ernments apparently have not formed and