The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1895-12-25

"
i'm portant stage in the growth of the
national sentiment. From the begin
ming of the republic, the idea Of nom
intervention in European affairs, and
of opposing European interference in
American affairs, had been obtaining a
hold in the minds of the people, and
when the occasion came it was asserted
as a national doctrine by the highest
constituted authority.
In Europe, for long period of time,
there had been generally acknowledged
right of interference whenever the
designs of any of the great rulers had
tended to disturb proper distribution
of power. When, in the latter part of
the eighteenth century, this right had
received full confirmation, it was fol-
lowed by the avowal of the right to put
down any revolutionary movement on
the continent of Europe, even when
interference was not invoked by the es-
tablished government. The success of
the American Revolution had produced
disquietude among the crowned heads of
Europe, which assumed an acute form
when the French Revolution broke out
When that great political convulsion
occurred, the continental powers in
terfered by force of arms in the affairs
of France. After the downfall of Ma
poleon, the Holy Alliance was formed,
which was followed by con crosses of
the allied powers at different periods.
Hostility to popular rights and the free
dom of nations was manifested at these
meetings, and the principle of inter-
ference in the affairs of kingdoms
whose subjects were in rebellion, and
where absolutism was endangered, was
proposed and adopted.
During the wars of Europe in the
early part of this century, Spain's
American colonies had revolted and
had set up independent governments
which the United States had recognized.
In 1921 an instruction broke out in
Spain itself, and the following year a
congress of European powers met at
Verona to consider the matter of sup
pressing the revolt. For this purpose
a French army occupied Spain and re-
stored divine rights to the places
of power. At the Verona congress the
subject of helping Spain recover her
American colonies was discussed, and
these proceedings fastened the publica-
ton of the declaration known as the
Monroe Doctrine.
England opposed the proposition to
assist Spain to reconquer her American
possessions. With these she was hav-
ing large and increasing trade. If
sympathy with a struggling people
played any part in her opposition, her
chief motive was unquestionably sell
fish one, in all political matters the
dominating English motive. The Brit
ish secretary of foreign affairs, Mr..
Canning, proposed at this time to the
American minister at the court of St.
James that the governments of Eng
land and the United States should pub
lish joint declaration in opposition to
the designs of the alliance in respect of
the American continent, but when Mr..
Rush, the minister of the United States,
made as condition precedent to join
ing in this declaration, the requirement
that England should acknowledge the
independence of the Spanish-America
republics, Mr.. Canning declined, and
the declaration was not made. Never
theless, the British minister, by way of
misunderstanding apparent designs of
France, notified that government that
Great Britain would not permit any
European Intervention in Spanish
American affairs, and France dis
avowed any intention of interference,
expressing the belief that the reduction
of the colonies by Spain was utterly
hopeless.
The time was ripening for formulat-
ing and declaring this important article
in the American political creed. 1t is
little singular that Russia received
the first premonition of its coming.
That power was claiming, as were also
Great Britain and the United States,
the northwestern territory of North
America. In July, 1928, just before
the conversation of Mr.. Rush and Mr..
Canning in London, Mr.. Adams,
President Monroe's secretary of state,
had told the Russian minister in Wash
ington that "we should contest the
right of Russia to any territorial estab-
lishment on this continent, and that we
should assume distinctly the principle
that the American continents are no
longer subjects for any new European
colonial establishments" The presi-
dent sought the counsel of Jefferson