The herald., 1896-04-02
THE VENEZUELAN BOUNDARY
DISCUSSED IN A MESSAGE BY THE PRES.
IDHNT OF MEXICO
He Is Not Certain That England Is Attempt
ing the Usurpation Of Territory; But He
Is Sure Of His Belief In the Monroe
Doctrine

CITY OF Mexico. April 1.-The important
part of the presidents message, delivered
today at the opening of congress, 10 an al
lusion to the Anglo-Venezuelan controversy
and President Cleveland's message to
congress. This part of the Mexican Presi-
dents message is as follows:
with our northern neighbOr our inter-
course is of the same friendly and cordial
character az our diplomatic and other re-
lations have been for some years past.
Naturally revocation of that doctrine
which condemns all attempts at European
usurpation and tendencies to modify Re
publican institutions of the New World in
a monarchical direction aroused great en-
thusiasm among the free nations of this
strations of sympathy both popular and
governmental.
"Invitations of an International charac-
ter were not lacking that the Mexican gov
ernment should at once state it's opinion
in go grave matter, but the executive
considered that haste was not proper in
expressing an opinion on a subject which
involves not only the Monroe doctrine, but
also its application to the controversy be-
tween Great Britain and Venezuela. As we
were not acquainted with that question,
as we'll, perhaps, as the United States
was, we were not in a position to assume the
claims of England necessarily constitute
an attempt at usur patton, Nor could we
consider that every boundary dispute
wise doctrine in question. On the other
hand the simple fact that England had re-
fused to submit to arbitration her claims
to part of the disputed territory, while
accepting it for the rest, was not in
our opinion sufficient ground for
unfavorable presumptions, seeing that the
Mexican government has declared on
ono ciS,y1 hot mill
cept arbitration for certain territorial
questions, especially affecting the honor of
the nation. For these reasons declined
to make any public statement to the prop
osition in regard to the question that af-
fected the interests and the most delicate
sentiments Of three nations equally
entitled to our respect. l simply stated
that was in favor of the Monroe doctrine,
rightly interpreted. but that did not
know whether it was applicable to the con-
crete case in question. Now that happily
the crisis has passed which seemed to
threaten war between the two great ma
tions into which the Anglo-Saxon race is
divided, and now that our sister republic,
Venezuela, is carrying on at Washington
peaceful negotiations with her powerful
adversary, it may not be out Of
place to accede to the desires
of those persons who have requested
the Mexican government tn state her opin-
ion with regard to the Monroe doctrine,
without entering into discussions as to the
origin and historical circumstances which
gave rise to its enunciation; without de-
scending into the particulars rs to its
proper limit when marked out bg it's
author and so prudently recalled by
President Cleveland. The Mexican gov
ernment cannot hut declare it's partiality
for doctrine which condemns as criminal
any attacks on the part of the mon
&C tk>
of America, against the independent ma
tons of this continent, now all subject to
the popular form of government. The
whole of our history, and especially the
struggle of our people to shake off the
yoke of foreign empire, which is European
both in its origin. form and resources, and
the torrents Of blood shed in that struggle
q re sufficient testimony to the world of
our love OF independence and our abhor-
renee to all outside interference. But it
is our opinion that to the United
States, in the immensely of it's resources,
belongs the obligation of assisting other
republics OF the hemisphere against the
attacks of Europe, if such attacks are still
to be considered a. possible; but for the
attainment of an end to which we all
aspire, each one of those republics ought.
by means of q declaration like that of
President Monroe, proclaim that every
attack on the part OF a foreign power with
view of curtailing territory of Importance
or altering the institutions of any one of
the republics of America should be consid-
cred by the nation making such declara-
ton as an attack upon itself. In this
manner the doctrine now called by the
name of Monroe would become the doc.
trine of America in the fullest sense of the
word, and although originating in the
United States would belong to interna-
tional law of this continent. As to the
means to reduce this idea to practice, this
ia not the place or time to discuss them,D