The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-12-18
TIE MONROE DOCTRINE.

JAMES MONROE was the fifth President
OF the United States He served two
terms in the office. 1sl7-25, and prior to
that he had served his state, Virginia
in the Assembly and as Governor, and was
q Representative anu a Senator i'm Con-
gross, Secretary Of State, Secretary OF War
and minister to Great Britain. No man OF
his time was better fitted by training to
express the sentiment OF the American
republic on either domestic or foreign
affairs. The period OF his administration
is known in history as the "era OF good
feeling, - but peaceful as were the times
JAMES MONROE had occasion to engraft
on the Declaration OF independence the
sentimt ms that bave lived in history as
the "Monroe Doctrine" an eluoidation
for specific contingencies Of the spirit
OF the Declaration and OF the Constitution.
The promulgation OF the Monroe Doc
trine was necessary to express explicitly
the attitude OF the American nation in
| it's relation with foreign countries in
matters affecting the Western Hemis-
| pherc. 1t was uttered at a time when
| the South American colonies OF Spain
| had freed themselves and set up repub-
lies, just as the United States had freed
themselves from England .orty-nine years
before. at that period the United
States had commanded the respect OF the
European monarchies as milf
tary and naval POWER of tho
first rank. England had been whipped
twice and France once. The Algerian
pirates, existing by the submission Of
Europe. had been swept from the sea by
Yankee ships Spain humbIed, bot
eager to regain her South American pos
sessions, suggested the possibility OF a
tacit understanding between European
| powers to reduce the young republics to
their former state Of submission to the
rule of far away monarchies. Then 1t
was that JAMES MONROE, in his annual
message Congress its conyening,
Dec. /, 1923, promulgated the doctrine"
that today,72 years later, GROVER CLEvE-
LAND has re-announced and incoreed on
Behalf O his patriotic countrymen as the
policy OF the United States to be main
tsined without equivocation or COM
promise. Here are the words OF President
MONROE:
relations existing between the United States
and the allied powers TO declare that we
should consider any attempt on their part 80
extend their system TO any portion Of this
hemisphere as dangerous TO our peace and
safety. With the existing colonies or depend
encics OF any European power we hayo pot
interfered. and shall not interfere. but with
the goveynments which have declared their
ind fnta al 90 h1o
independence we have. on great consideration
and just principles. acknowledged. we could
not view an intorposition for expressing them,
or controlling in any other manner their
destiny. by any European power. in nny other
lieht than as "a manifestation Of an unfriendly
disposition toward thhe United States"
The language OF President MoNRoE Is
clear, plain and incorporating. The
language OF President CLEVELAND is
equally clear, plain az d uncompro missing.
These United States rightly consider
it their business to interfere with any
European power that seeks to oppress or
control In any manner the destiny OF our
sister republics, 10 wrongfully seize any
part OF their territory or TO interfere with
their absolute autonomy as sovereign
states. Such interference cannot be
viewed sin any other light than ss q
man nifestation OF an unfriendly disposition
toward the United States" That's fiat.