River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1895-12-19
A BOLD STAND.
The President Sends a Mes
sage to Congress on the
Venezuelan Question.
He Strongly Endorses the Monroe
Observation-Disclosures 1t Inter-
national Law.
England Must Be Brought to
Terms = Boundary Line to
Be Determined.
President Asks for Power to Appoint
Commission to Settle the Boun-
Diary Line at Once.

Washington, Dec. 1.-THE president
sent To congress Tuesday the Venezue-
Ian correspondence, accompanied by
the following significant message:
To THE CONGRESS: In my annual mes
sage addressed tO the congress on the
third instant called attention to the pend
Ing boundary controversy between Great
Britain and tn republic of Venezuela and
recited the substance of a representation
made by this government to her Britain
mic ma1esty's government, suggesting rea-
sons why such dispute should be sub
mitted TO arbitration for settlement and
fnquiring whether 1t would be so sub
mitted
which was then awaited, but has since
been received. together with the dis
patch TO which 1t is a reply, is hereto APP
pended.
Such reply is embodied in two commune
cations addressed by the British minister
to Sir Julian Paumcefote. the British am
bassador at this capital 1t will be seen
that one of these communications IS de-
voted exclusively to observations upon the
Monroe doctrine, and claims thai in the
present instance a new and strange extern
sion and development of this doctrine is
insisted on by the United States; that the
reasons justifying an appeal 70 the doc
trine enunciated by President Monroe are
generally inapplicable Ito the state of
things in which we live at the present
day." and especially lnapplicable TO con-
troversy involving the boundary line be-
tween Great Britain and Venezuela.
The Monroe Doctrine strong aud sound.
Without attempting extended argument
in reply TO these positions, II may not be
amisS to suggest that the doctrine upon
which we stand is strong and sound be-
cause it's enforcement is important to our
peace and safety a nation and is
essential to the integrity of our free insti-
tutions and the tranquil maintenance of
our distinctive form of government 1t
was intended TO apply 10 every stage of our
national life and cannot become obsolete
while our republic endures. If the balance
sar.f1 N..NrE
anxiety among the governments of the old
world, and subject for our absolute nom
interference. none the less is an observ-
ance of the Monroe doctrine of vital con-
Germ to our people and their government.
Assuming. therefore. that we may prop
erly insist upon this doctrine without re-
gard to the state OF things in which We
i've" any changed conditions here or
elsewhere, it is not apparent why its APP
DlcatiOn may not be invoked in the pres
ent controversy.
If a European power, by an extension
OF its boundaries, takes possession of the
territory Of one OF our neighboring re-
publics, against its will and in derogation
of its rights, 1t is difficult to see why, TO
that extent, such European power does not
thereby attempt to extend its system of
government to that portion Of this CONT
nent which is thus taken. This is the pre-
else action which President Monroe de-
clared to be dangerous to our peace and
safety" and il can make no difference
whether the European system is extended
by an advance of frontier or otherwise.
II is also suggested in the British reply
that we should not seek to apply the Mon
roe doctrine to the pending dispute, be-
cause IL does not embOdy any principle OF
international law which is founded on the
general consent of nations, and that mo
statesman, however eminent, and no ma
ton, however powerful, are competent to
insert into the code of international law
a novel principle which was never recOg-
med before. and which has not since been
accepted by the government of any other
country.
Place in international Law.
Practically the principle for which we
contend has peculiar if not exclusive rela-
ton to the United States Ii may not
have been admitted in so many words to
the code of international law, but since
in international counsels every nation is
entitled to the rights belonging TO IL, il
the enforcement of the Monroe doctrine is
something we may justly claim il has its
place in the code of international law as
certainly and as securely as If IL were
specifically mentioned. and wien the
United States is sutton before the high
tribunal that administers international
law the question to be determined is
whether or not we present claims which
the justice of that code of law can find to
be right and valid.
The Monroe doctrine finds its recogni-
tion In those principles of int nrnational
law which are based upon the Il cory that
every nation shall have its rights protected
and its just claims enforced.
OF course this government is entirely
confident that under the sanction of this
doctrine have clear rights ana I'M
dehted claims. Nor is this ignored in the
not admitting that the Monroe doctrine
Is applicable to present conditions, states:
I'm declaring that the United States would
resist any such enterprise if it was con-
templated, President Monroe adopted a
policy which received the entire sympathy
Of the English government of that date"
He further declares: Though the lam
guage OF President Monroe is directed to
the attainment of objects which most
EngfiShmen would agree to be salutaTy,
II is Impossible to admit that they have
been inscribed by any adequate authority
In the code OF international law Again
he says: They Cher maJesty's govern
menO fully concur with the view which
President Monroe apparently entertained,
that any disturbance of the existing ter
ritoriaI distribution i'm that hemisphere by
any fresh acquisitions on the part of any
European state, would be highly mex
pedient change.
The Propositions to Arbitrate.
In the belief that the doctrine for which
we contend was clear and definite. that It
was founded upon substantial consider
atoms and involved our safety and welfare,
that il was fully applicable to our present
conditions and to the state of the worlds
progress, and that 1t was directly related
to the pending controversy, and without
any conviction as to the final merits of the
dispute, but anxious to learn in a salts |
factory and conclusive manner whether
Great Britain sought, under a claim of
boundary, TO extend her possessions on this !
continent without right, or whether she
merely sought possession of the territory |
fairly included within her lines of owner |
Ship this government proposed TO the gov |
eminent of Great Britain resort to arbi- |
tration as the proper means of settling the |
question, to the end that a vexatious |
boundary dispute between the two contes-
tants might be determined and our exact |
standing and relation in respect to the con- |
troversy might be made clear.
1t will be seen from the correspondence
herewith submitted that this proposition |
has been declined by the British govern |
ment upon grounds which in the circum- |
stances seem to me to be far from salts
factory. 1t is deeply disappointing that I
such an appeal actuated by the most 1
friendly feeling towards both nations |
directly concerned. addressed to the sense /
of Justice ana to the magnanimity of one I
Of the great powers of the world and touch /
ing its relations to one comparatively weak /
and small, should have produced no better
The Course to BE Pursued.
The course to be pursued by this govern
ment in view of the present condition does |
ing labored faithfully for many years to |
induce Great Britain to submit this dis !
pute to impartial arbitration, and having 4
been now finally appraised of her refusal to +
do SO. nothing remains but to accept the 1
situation, TO recognize its plain require 4
ments and deal with it accordingly. Great 4
Britains present proposition has never /
thus far been regarded as admissible by /
Venezuela, though any adjustment of the /
boundary " lich that country may deem
for her advantage and may enter into or
her own free will cannot of course be OBJ
jected to by the United States.
Assuming, however, that the attitude Of /
Venezuela will remain unchanged. the
dispute has reached such stage as 10 I
make il now 7.Icumbent uDon the United i
States to take measures to determine with
sufficient certainty for its justification
what is the true divisional line between the
republic of Venezuela and British Guiana
The inquiry 20 that end should of course
be conducted carefully and judicially, and 4
due weight would be given to all available
evidence, records and facts in support OF
the claims of both parties.
Asks for Commission.
In order that such an examination
should be prosecuted in a thorough and
satisfactory manner, / suggest that the
congress make an adequate appropriate
for the expenses of a CommiSsiOn, to be
tba ubo