The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-12-25
4 BfT or HISTORY THAT SUITS THE


OF men and is now known only TO those
Interested in mnsty records. but seventy
years ago this county had an experience
IN connection with the Monroe doctrine
very similar to what We have been go
ing through with for the past week, and
a recurrence TO IL now may have a most
useful effect In clearing up the minds
OF men as TO what is really involved
now. and as to what this country ought
now 10 do a full and most interesting
account OF the whole business may be
found in the 25th chapter of the first
volume of Bentons' Thirty Years in the
Senate, page e5, from which we con
dense this article.
In 1925, the Spanish American republics,
havinc bu6 recently thrown on their
| European allegiance. and being threatened
/ by the holy Alliance" In its plan TO
| check the progress of human liberty,
! determined to hold a congress at Panama,
| 10 which the United States were invited
| 10 send delegates. John quincy Adams
was then President. lie was Secretary
| Of State TO Mr. Monroe when that Presi-
dent announced the Monroe doctrine"
| I'm 1893. and ii has always been claimed
for Mr.. Adams that he wrote that part
/ of the Presidents message. Mr.. Adams
took up the proposition 10 send dele
gates TO the Panama Congress and made
II an Administration measure, all con-
gressmen supporting ii being known as
special friends of the Administration,
while those who opposed it were under
stood to stand in presidential disfavor.
1t was not matter OF very much
moment in itself, yet Benton tells US:
1T was a master subject on the politi-
cal theatre of it's day, and gave rise to
questions of national and OF constitutional
law, and of national policy the import
! ance OF which survive the occasion from
which they sprang, and the solution OF
which (as then solved may be some
guide TO future action, II similar questions
again occur. Besides the grave ques-
tons to which the subject gave rise, the
subject itself became one Of unusual
and painful excitement. 1t agitated the
people. made a violent debate in the two
houses of Congress, innamed the pas
sions of parties and individuals, raised
tempest. before which Congress bent,
made bad feeling between the President
and the Senate, ana led to the duel be-
tween Mr.. Randolph and Mr.. Clay. 1t
was an Administration measure, and
pressed by all means known TO an Adj
ministraton. II was evidently relied
upon as a means OF acting upon the peo-
pleas "A popular movement. which
might have the effect Of turning the tide.
hon mir tcrh
Mr.. Adams and Mr.. Clay"
And Benton adds: All those who sup
ported the Administration in the contest
had afterwards, either for themselves. or
their relatives. provision made out Of the
public treasury, by large dispensations
Of Executive patronage which shows that
this is not the first time in our history
thas the Monroe doctrine has been
made the machinery for accomplishing
presidential political aims and ends.
As soon as the measure came before
Congress all the members of that body
who thought of the whole subject as The !
Times now thinks Of 1t. opened their bat !
teries upon it and the discussion result |
ed In the passage by the House OF Rep !
resentatives of the resolution which we |
quoted yesterday. but which is interest |
ing and important enough TO be printed |
again here. IL was as follows:
That the United States ought not TO |
become party with the Spanish-Amer- ]
can republics, or either OF them, TO any /
Joint declaration. for the purpose Of pre- |
venting interference by any of the Euro /
pean powers with their independence or |
form OF government or 10 any compact !
Tor the purpose of preventing COLOMBIA
ton upon the continents of America, but 1
that the people of the United States /
should be left free to act in any crisis |
in such a manner as their feelings and !
friendship towards those republics. ana |
as their own honor and policy may at |
the time dictate.
This is a very plain statement of what |
the people of the day when the Monroe
doctrine was announced thought IL
meant. and if President Cleveland ever
read the resolution and the history OF /
the period that brought it about he ought
to blush when thinking of the message
he has Just sent to Congress.
But the most significant and important
circumstance connected with the Incl
dent is the message President Adams
sent 20 Congress when recommending the
appointment of delegates to the Panama
Congress. lie was President Monroes
Secretary of State when the Monroe
doctrine was announced. and, as al
ready stated. is believed TO have written
the doctrine itself. II any man of
that day knew what was intended by
the Monroe doctrine, John Quincy Adams
knew. Yet in in his message. in stat
ing the objects of the proposed congress
at Panama, so far as the United States
could engage in them. he says:
AN agreement between all the parties
represented at the meeting, that each
will guard. by its own means. against
the establishment of any future Euro
pean colony within its borders. may be
found advisable This was. more than
two years since, announced by my prede-
cessor 10 the world. as a principle re-
suliing from the emancipation Of both the
American continents. 1t may be so de-
veloped TO the new Southern nations that |
they may feel il an essential appendage
to their independence
Here, then. is President Adams defini
ffon Of tho Nfof,rco doc.r;ro