Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1895-12-19
TEE MONROE DOCTRINE:
Speech Of Hon. Shelby M. Cullom, Of
Illinois, in the U. 8. Senate.

| ton TO one OF the Striking Iact8 OF the
situation which confronts the United
States. Probably very few of us have
given careful attention to the vast ex
tent Of the European dominion upon
THE hemisphere. We may have easu-
ally Understood, AS fact Of some Sig
nifcance, That the area of che United
States, including Alaska, spproximates
$500, 900 square miles, but. have we at
the same time understood that the
Dominion of Canada contains total
area Of about 3, 400 900 square miles?
Now, II we ada TO this the area Of
British Guiana, British Honduras,
and the British West India Islands,
l3O,0O0 square miles more, It will give a
total OF 8. $50, 900 square miles OF terri
tory over which the British flag floats
upon this hemishere. II we had not
purchased Alaska few years ago, and
added thereby a half million square
miles to our domain, we should now
fall mauy thousands Of square miles
short Of the British Possessions 10
America
1t would be useess for me to attempt
to d dstall to you the thousand ways In
which this close proximity OF 30 vasI
an area of British territory affects oui
national well-being. Our entire north.
ern boundary from Puget Sou I'd
to the Gulf OF st. Lawrence
bears the inslgna OF the British
lion, aud over the hundreds
of Islands which compose the West
1ndian Archipelago the British flag IL
flying. Not sail of American com.
msrce enters the Gulf Of Mexico ex-
cept by the tacit consent of foreign
powers. With our 85, 900. 900 people,
and their VIGOROUS self-assertion, there
nas been no danger that such consent
would be Withheld. Any foreign
smbargo upon our free apptosch TO the
Mexican Gulf would be- blow which
would recoil with deadly and terrific
force upon those who attempted IL.
Its recoil would not stop with the
oaked assertion ofthe Monroe doctrine,
out an American policy would develop
into an imperial but honorable com.
mand Of American affairs.
Look at the map. Between Canada
and the United States there exists but
An imaginary boundary line, over
which mere step takes US in a
moment fLom n republic into a mon.
archy. Between the Bahama islands
aud the state Of Florida sail Of only
four or five hours covers the distance.
Oae can almost see the British Gag
from Southern Florida. 1t floats over
a number of smaller Islands and coral
ceefs aud keys few miles away from
Key West. A Gordon OF islands under
foreign control swings all the way
couEd from a point 90 or go mi les of
Florida nearly to British Guiana,
on the South American coast.
But started to present the strikl ng |
fact that great foreign power already |
possesses, at our very corners, a terri.
tOrial area nearly Lal to ourg. mol
matter whether that power is warlike
Or peaceful, it is here. Its presence Is
Al actual fact, and our experience with
It In the past has been, that 30 long as
We could command peace We could |
nave peace. So long as we were able
10 protect our own interests, CONNER.
clal and political, against adverse
domination, so long those interests
would continue and prosper.
All our diplomatic intercourse with
the government Of Great Britain dur
Ing the years In which we have been
At peace has necessarily been character
Ized by constant watchfulness upon |
our part. AT no time could we permit
loose or umeaning language In our
diplomatic correspondence lest II
should be taken advantage Of And
for good many years the nations Of
The world have been ohary about
leaving any unocoupled territory, or
Auy scattering islands, unpr otected |
over night, for fear the morning would |
tind them under the paw Of the British
lion. The United States does not covet
what possessions England may
nave, aud We have no desire
10 establish a protectorate over
others, but we are bound to insist that
Ihe status quo Of 1923 shall be held
InYiolAte Ia 30 far AS the territorial
limits OF European establishments on |
this side OF the Atlantic are concerned. !
This government has already indi- |
1ated that the control Of CubA by any |
other European power than Spain
would be regarded Rs inimical to our
own welfare, and that the only alter
native TO which Americans would
consent would be the absorption OF
Cuba by the United States. This pol
cy regarding Cuba is probably well
by the world. and it Ia In |