The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-04-22
AIM OF THE MONROE DOCTRINE
SENATOR HILL EXPLAINs his IN
DERSTANDING OF IN.


AriSc-Its object Is to Prevent thc
Accomplishment of uIcRitimRtc
Purposes Looking 90 European
Control over an independent SPAN
iSh-AmcrlcRn state.
Albany. y. ", April si.-scnator Hm
was interviewed to-day upon the subject
OF the Monroe doctrine. The senator was
asked, among other things. whether cN-
pcrts In public law think the Monroe dos.
trine has given to the United States
special right not given by the general
law to intervene between Great Britain
and Noneuzela In tho pending boundary
dispute, or assume a proteotorate over
Spanish-America. lie answered that he
had never thought 80.
But does not the Monroe doctrine"
was inquired, declare that the United
States cannot permit any spanish-Amer-
lean republic On this continent TO be op-
pressed, or its destiny controlled by
European state?"
"That would not have referred" ho
said, ito "a legitimate dispute such as We.
or any other government. might have to-
morrow with a Spanish-American state.
IL protested against using such contro-
Versy with an intention to increase liu-
ropean political dominion on this hemis-
pherc or control the destiny or an Amcrl-
can state or transfer a colony like CUBA
to a new European power. but did not
change what was then the law OF ma
tions. The establishment. year or two
before 1923, of moro than a dozen ndepon-
dent states at the south OF us naturally
forced the United States into new lines
OF thought ana action"
John Quincy Adams, our then minister
of foreign affairs, had the eyes TO dis
ccrn &C. Entangling alliances on this sido
as well as ON the other side Of the ocean
were to be avoided SO far as cold be.
We had TO maintain impartial neutrality
In tho affairs of the new and indcpendant
Sr0nish-American Eaatols and suppress
as we should do to-day piratical expedi-
tions from our shores against any OF them,
or any remaining European colony, Tho
Monroe doctrine has eXertcd a powerful
influence at home and abroad IN regard
TO Cuba, Yucatan, Nicaragua and its
tribe OF Mosquito Indians, invented by
England; a Napolconic dynasty set up
thirty years ago IN Mexico and dominion
over All the regions OF projected inter-
oceanic canals"
But was not the Monroe declaration 10
congress a national pledge n guarantee
OF our Intervention, forciblo, N need be-
in behalf OF each Spanish re-
Pupnc whenever, IN our opinion, oppressed
think not" he replied. Not other
wise certainly, than II Chill shall oppress
Peru, or Mexico shall be unreasonable
IN dealing with Guatemala. Congress
mas never affirmed the Monroe doctrine.
In 1865 President Johnson projected a
treaty with Colombia, which was signed,
embodying the Monroe doctrine, but
neither the Colombian Senate nor our
own senate ratlned It. You remember
that when. two years after that President
Monroe mazda IN
was convened by Bolivia at Panama for
the consideration and discussion OF an
American alliance" to enforce the decla-
ration, there was substantial concurrence
or opinion between President John o.
Adams, who had formulated the Monroe
doctrine, and the members Of the senate
ana House, especially the democrats, in
Guiding Senator Van Buren, of New York
participating In long debate, that the
states 20 forever thereafter prevent
European power from interfering with
the independence, or form OF government,
of a Central American state"
so, you think that President Monroe
has the reputation OF having given his
name TO rule OF conduct by the United
states for which he nor Mr.. Adams CON
tended7"
Precisely that" the senator answered.
THE doctrine cannot be formulated In a
treaty or a statute, but yet its moral In
fiuence has been. Is and ought to be very
great. Discrimination should, however,
be made between legitimate disputes and
ulNUutNN.
such as imposing by force
the destiny Of reluctant In
dependent Spanish American state Pres
ident Lincoln must have felt that some
thirty years ago.
Again the treaty OF 1862 between Eng
land, Spain and France, negotiated TO
regulate combined military operation on
Mexico in order TO obtain redress which
Mexico had withheld, he did not ask con-
gress TO Intervene, but when the first two
Va 1rnV Vfn
and France remained In Mexico 10 pre-
vent us, as Louis Napoleon declared from
acquiring more Mexican territory, to es-
tablish an empire in Mexico favorable
to France and 10 prevent our influence In |
Central America, President Lincoln re-
fused to recognize, as did other govern
ments, the de facto sovereignty Of Maxi |
milan or the blockade he instituted under |
the influences then exerted ny us, France |
withdrew her army, MaXimillan was de- |
serted, and Mexico again became inde- |
pendent.
I'm 1879 when the United States Of COL |
ombia granted TO Frenchmen a concession /
for building and controlling an inter- |
oceanic canal at Panama, President Hayes |
did not intervene or ask congress 10 in |
tervene and congress did not intervene |
to prevent the work.
And vet in 1888 President Arthur did |
authorize Secretary Frelinghuysen to 20 /
80 far a. to say officially that the state |
bltration by European states OF South |
American difficulties even with the con- |
sent or the parties. TWO years DeiOIe undl /
Secretary Blaine had written TO our |
minister al Paris that the president |
would regard with grave anxiety an at /
tempt by France to force by hostile press
lire the payment by Venezuela OF her /
debt to French citizens.
''Interposing our good offices between /
England and Venezuela is one thing, but (
debating TO one or the other In a percmp- /
tory way is a very different thing, unless |
IL be a clear case of self-defensc. There /
are Isolated, casual sentences In the doc /
trine which have had a more general in |
terpretation, and have exerted controll- |
ing and most beneficient influence In the |
old world as well as In the new; but |
without accomplishing a change Of that |
law Of nations under which one state csu |
forcibly intervene IN the affairs Of another /
state or OF two or more contending states. /
The Monroe doctrine was, and Is, i'm /
menseiy popular. but It's application
should Of course, vary with the facts /
and situations which invoke it."