The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1895-04-29
THE MONROE h0CTRINE.
1TALK UITH SENATOR HILL AS TO
the RIGHrS IT GRINTS.
He Says 1t Does n OF Grant any speclai Flights
and IL Not q National Pledge or Guar
antee of Intervention, Etc.

and is Not q National Pledge or IA Guar
| antee of Intervention, Etc.
Albany. N. Y, April Ex-senator Hill was
interviewed today upon the subject Of the
Monroe doctrine. The senator was asked
among other things, whether experts in
public law think the Monroe doctrine has
given to the United States a special right
not given by the general law, to intervene
between Great Britain and Venezuela in
the pending boundary dispute, assume
a protectorate over Spanish-Ameriea? He
answered that he had never thought SO.
"But does not the Monroe doctrine" was
inquired. declare that the United States
cannot permit any Spanish-American re-
public on this continent to be oppressed,
it's destiny controlled by a European
state?'
THAT would not have referred" he said,
Ito legitimate dispute, such as we or
any other government might have tomor-
row with a Spanish-American state. 1t
protested against using such a controversy
with an intention to increase European po-
litical dominion OH this hemisphere, or
control the destiny of American state.
or transfer a colony like Cuba 10 Il new
European owner but did not change what
was then the law of nations. The estab-
lishment a year or two before 1873 of more
than q dozen independent states at the
south of us, naturally forced the United
States into new lines Of thought ana &C
ton. John Quincy Adams, our then min
lister Of foreign affairs, had the eyes to
discern il. Entangiing alliances on this
side as well as on the other side OF the
ocean were 70 be avoided far as could
be. We had to maintain impartial neutral
ity i'm the affairs OF the new ana lnue-
pendent Spanish american states ANA
suppress as we should today, pratic1l
expeditions from our shores against any oil
them or any remaining European colony.
The Monroe doctrine has CXcrtcd a power
full influence at home and abroad IN re-
gard 70 cuba, fucatan, Nicaragua ana It's
tribes Of Mosquito Indians, NapoleonIc
dynasty and dominion over all the regions
OF projected intcroceauic canals.
Was AGt u National Pledge.
"Eut was not the Monroe declaration to
congress a national pledge, a guarantee Of
our Intervention. forcible if need be, IN
behalf of each Spanish-American republic
whenever in our opinion oppressed by a
European state?' was asked.
Il think not" he replied Not other
wise certainly than if chile shall Cypress
Peru or Mexico snail be unreasonable IN
dealing with Guatemala. Congress has
never affirmed the Monroe doctrine. In
1858 President Johnson projected treaty
with Colombia, which was signed, emooGy-
iu2 the Monroe doctrine, but neither the
Colombian senate nor our own senate rau
fed it. You remember that when two
years after President Monroe made ms
declaration, a congress was convened by
Bolivia at Panama for the consideration
and discussion of an American alliance To
enforce the declaration, there was sGbstan-
tial concurrence Of opinion between prcsi-
dent John Quincy Adams, VINO had it"mulat-
ed the Monroe doctrine, and the members
Of the senate and house, Cspct tally the
democrats. including Senator NanBurcn,
of New York. participating in a long de-
bate. that the declaration did not pledge
lue United States to forever thereafter pre-
vent European power from interfering
with the Independence or form OF severn
mcnt of a Central American state
$50 you think that President Monroe has
the reputation of having given his name To
a rule of conduct by the United States for
which neither he nor MIR. Adams con-
tended?"
It's Moral Influence Is Great.
Precisely that" the senator answered.
''Ehc doctrine cannot ba formulated ia Il
treaty, or a statute, but yet it's moral nGu-
ence has bccA IS. and ought TO be very
great. Determinations should, however, be
made between legitimate disputes and ille-
climate purposes behind the disputes such
as imposing by force European political
control over the destiny of reluctant in
dependent Spanish-Americih state. prcsi-
dent Lincoln mUst have felt that some
thirty years ago. Again. when the
treaty Of 1862 between England.
Spain and France was negotiated to
regulate combined military operations ou
Mexico, in order to obtain reGress which
Mexico had withheld he did not ask con
gress to intervene, but when the FIRST two
governments had Withdrawn therefrom ana
France remained in Mexico to prevent as.
as Louis Napoleon declared. from acquiring
more Mexican territory and 10 establish am
empire in Mexico favorable TO France and
70 Gounteract our influence ina Central
America, President Lincoln requested 10
commence, as did other governments. the
de facto sovereignty of Maximilian, but
France withdrew her army. Maxi
milan was deserted and Mex
leo again became independent. In 1879,
when the United States OF Colombia grant
ed TO Frenchmen concession for building
and controlling an iutcrooean canal at
Panama. President Hayes did not intervene
or ask congress to intervene and congress
did not intervene TO prevent the work. And
yet, i'm 1888, President Arthur lid authorize
Secretary Freliushuyseu to so so far as
to say officially that the state department.
would not sanction au arbitration by Euro
peau states of South American difficulties
even with the consent Of the parties. TWO
years before that Secretary Blaine had
written to our minister at Paris that the
president would regard with grave anxiety
an attempt by France to force by hostile
pressure the payment by Venezuela of her
debt to French citizens. Intcrp1sing our
good offices between England and Ncne-
zuela is one thing. but debating to one or
the other in n pCrcmptory way is a very
different thing, unless it be a clear case of
lC-defense. There are isolated. casual
sentences in the doctrine which have had
a more general Interpretation and have cx-
erted n controlling and most bcnenecut in
fuence in the old world as well as in
the new, but without accomplishing a
change of thai law Of nations under which
one state can forcibly intervene i'm the
affairs of another state or Of two OF more
contending states. The Monroe doctrine
was, and is immensely popular. put its APP
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