Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-04-22
MONROE DOCTRINE.
Senator Hill Not a Believer in
Late interpretations.
ITS MEANING MUCH M1scoNsrRUED

And IT'S Author Given . Reputation He
Doesn't Deserve and Did Not Desire
The Much-Ouoted Doctrine Never AT.
frmed by Congress and Its Features Re.
jeeted When Put tn Trcaty->ome In.
terestinS Remarks.
ALBANY. April Am interview with
Senator Hill on the Venezuelan question
was given out last night. Senator Hill
was asked whether experts in public law
think the Monroe doctrine has given to
the United states special right to inter.
vene between Great Britain and Vene.
zuela in the pending boundary dispute. or
assume a protectorate over Spanish
American He answered tina. he had never
thought SO.
But does not the Monroe doctrine de.
clare thaetks United States cannot per-
NIT any Span;sh.American republic on
this continent to be oppressed or its des-
tiny controlled BY European state?"
Does Not Change the Laws of Nations.
That would not have REFERRED" thu
senator said. ITO legitimate dispute
such as we or any other government
might have tomorrow with Spanish
American state. 1t protested against
using such 4 controversy with an inten.
ton 20 increase European political do.
Tninion on this hemisphere or control tbs
destiny OF an American state or transfer
q colony like Cuba to a new European
owner, but did not change what was then
the law of nations"
WAS not the Monroe declaration to
congress q guarantee of cur intervention,
forcibie if need be. in behalf of each
Spanish republic which, in our
opinion. was oppressed by European
statef'
Declined to Ratify II in Treaty.
Think not. Not otherwise certainly
than if Chill shall cypress Peru or
Mexico shall be unreasonable in dealing
with Guatemala. Congress has never af-
frmed the Monroe doctrine In 1868 Presi.
dent Johnson projected treaty with
Colombia, which was signed, emhcdying
the Monroe doctrine. but neither the
Colon bian senate. nor our own senate
ratified it You remember that when two
years after President Monroe made his
declaration congress was convened by
Bolivia at Panama for the consideration
and discussion of an American alliance
to enforce the declaration there was sub
stantial concurrence of opinion between
President John Quincy Adams, who had
formulated the Monroe doctrine, and the
members of the senate and house-es.
pecially the Democrats, including Sena-
tor Van Buren,. of New York-partici-
pating in long debate. that the decIara-
tian did not pledge TIE United States to
forever thereafter prevent a European
power from interfering with the indie.
pendence or form of government OF a Gen.
trail American State"
Monroe Not Pr operly Understood.
do you think that President Monroe
has the reputation of having given his
name to a rule or condition by the United
States for which neither ne nor Adams
contendedf'
Precisely that" the senator answered.
1.-THE doctrine cannot be formulated in
a treaty or statute, but its moral influ-
ence has been. is, and ought to be very
great. Discrimination should, however.
be made between legitimate disputes and
illcgitimate purposes behind the disputes,
| sach imposing by force European po-
li;ical control over the destiny OF a reluc-
! tant SpaniSh-American state. Presiden t
| Lincoln must have felt that some thirty
years ago"