The herald., 1895-12-29

effort to gain the alliance to her cause.
Nor we're the allies unwilling. At this
juncture George Canning, the British
foreign secretary--who never loved the
United States-suqgested to Mr.. Rush,
the American minister at London, that
| Great Britain would cooperate with
the United States in resisting the re-
subjugation Of the Spanish American
colonies. Nothing came OF this, but it
gave rise to the opinion that Canning
was really the Inventor, promoter and
| champion" of the Monroe doctrine.
| Charles Sumner in his "Prophetic
| Voices of America" so declares.
The situation when President Mon
roe sent his message to congress in De-
cember, 1928, was this: Spain was seek
ing to enlist the aid Of the European
| powers to recover her lost possessions
| in South America, and Russia WAS
| claiming the right to extend her colo
niZation schemes southwark on the
| Pacific coast from the region on the
| north.
In respect to Spain and the allied
powers Monroe said, after stating the
general situation and the difference OF
their political systems:
We owe it, therefore, to candor and to the
AMIGA Bile relations existing between the United
States and those powers TO declare that we
should consiier any attempt on their part TO
extend their system to any portion OF ms
hemisphere as dangerous to our peace and
safety. With the Xisting colonies or depend
encies OF any European power. we have not
lnterfered and shall not interfere. But with
the governments who have decla ed their In.
dependence and maintained it, and whose in-
dependence we have on great consideration
and on just principles acknowledged we could
~ n xiA INV tto ~ ne
oppressii them, OF controlling IN any manner
their destiny, by any European power in any
other light than as the manifestation OF an hn-
friendly disposition toward the United states.
This doctrine, 80 stated, has received
the Endorsement of every American
statesmen from that day to the pres-
ent time. We do not propose to suffer
any European government to over
turn the government of any South
American state or to establish new
government on its ruins. Daniel
few years later, said: "Sir, look on
the message of December, 1923, as
forming bright page in our history.
1 will help neither to erase it nor tear
1t out; nor shall it be by any act Of
mine blurred or bi otted. 1t did honor
to the sagacity of the government, and
l will not diminish that honor. 1t ele-
waited the hopes and gratified the pa
triotism of the people. Over these
hopes 1 will not bring a mildew, nor
will put that gratified patriotism to
shame"
This phase of the Monroe doctrine
has never been questioned by any
American writer on international law,
o. any American statesman.
Jefferson, with whom Monroe had
| consulted, warmly approved OF 1t. In
| writing to Monroe, he said:
Our first and fundamental maxim should ba
| never to entangle ourselves in he brolls OF
| Europe Our second never to suffer Europe
| to NEEDLE IN cisatlantc affairs. America
| Nortn and SOUTH hasa ct of interests distinct
| from those OF Europe ana peculiarly her own
| She should therefore have q system OF her
| own Sc parate end apart from hos OF Europe.
While the last is laboring to become the dom
| iciie uf despotisn, our endeavor shouid sur yly
| be to make our hemisphere that OF freedom
While congress has never given for.
NAL Endorsement to this doctrine, there
is no doubt but that it is now consid-
cred a settled part of the policy OF this
country. An illustration of this oc
Cured in 1861. In that year Napoleon
III landed French army in Mexico,
ostensibly to protect French interests
overthrow the Mexican army and gov
eminent, submitted the question of the
establishment of an empire to the Mex
lean people, which, under the influence
of French bayonets, as carried, ano
Macmillan was placed on the throne
We were in the midst of the civi
war, but Secretary Seward notified the
French government that such pre-
ceeding must lead to war between
France and the United States. The
French minister intimated somewhat
truculently that if war must be the re-
suit his government would naturally
eelect their own time to commence
hostilities. which would be the present
while the United States was burdenec
with domestic difficulties. Under the
circums ,auces. our government was
bound to temporize, but just as sooI
as our war was over portion oil oul
army was moved to the Texan frontier
the French army was Withdrawn ant
Maximiiiau fell
Such was correct application of thu
Monroe doctrine as it has been under
stood and received by all American
tate5men.
The mere announcement of thls doc
triue by Monroe foiled the holy ALI
arce and stopped all action looking to
ward European interpolation in Soutl
America, and the result was tho estab
lishment of independen by the Soutl
American states and their recognition
by the whole world.
In the same message of December
1923. was embodied the statemen
which had been made by Secretar.
Adams to the Russian minister in re
spect to the territory on the northwes
coast of America. 1t read rs follows
The occasion has been judged proper for as
serting a.a principle, in VIII ch the riohts an
principles OF the United States me inyoivec
| the' tSa American continents, by me rec an
;danardent condition which they have a
snmed and maintained, are lenceforth not t
he considered as subjects for future COLONIES
ton by any European power.