Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1896-02-27
SPEECH BY DAVIS.
MINI sofas Senior senatorsATalk
On the Monroe Doctrine.
The Resolution Reported from the Com
mittoe on Foreign Affairs Taken as
Text for Forcible Ar
FL gument.

T Washington, d. &C., Feb. 2o.-The
speech OF Senator Davis, Of Minnesota
on Monday, supporting the resolution
of which he is the author, enunciating
the policy OF the United States on the
Monroe doctrine, was the event of the
day in the senate. 1t is a matter of
common observation, said Mr.. Davis in
beginning, .stha tseachsy year, our foreign
relationsincrease in difficulty, complex
ity and Importance. This results from
the growth of our nation and to the
tendency of the times to bring together,
nations in social and commercial inter-
course. It was this tendency said the
senator, (which explained the fact that
the United Stateslwas invol we'd, in more
difficulties with Great Britain than with
all other countries com bined. u III f8.-Ss* , h
He was glad TO know, however, that
the last month had brought some .ameli-
Grafton Of the immediate difficulties to
which the attention Of the country Had
been given. If these new conditions
were founded on the Monroe doctrine
then they should receive the warmest
approval of the American peoples. but
# they involved any concession the
principles laid down by President Mon
roe. then the people of this country
would visit upon such concession their
condemnation and disapproval. asHa
Mr.. Davis said that as he understood
the Monroe doctrine, it was an asser-
ton by the United States that it would
regard as an infringement any attempt
by an European power to take or ac-
quire any new or additional territory
on the American continent, or any
islands adjacent thereto, or any right
of sovereignty or domi MON in the same,
and that. such infringement willx be
deemed dangerous to the peace and
safety of the United States. n..g
The senator reviewed at length the
conditions existing in Europe at the
time of the enunciation of the Monroe
doctrine. He did not view the course
of the British statesman, Canning, W no
favored the doctrine, as inspired by
love for this country. It was move
on behalf Of British trade, then begin
ming to expand theworld over. Speak
ing OF the criticism that the pending
resolution contemplated protectorate
over South American countries, Mr..
Davis said it would bear no such con-
struction, nor would it bring about
such results. 1t suggested no guard
ianship over Southern countries. None
of them was relieved from the chastise-,
ment 0 the war by foreign country.
ial extension shall not result from such
war. There was nothing new or novel
in the spirit of this doctrine, proceeded
the senator. 1t was recognized and en-
forced by European governments, and
Turkey offered marked instance of
the mutual agreement to refrain from
territorial extension in the Ottoman
empire. Mr.. Davis referred to the
statement of Lord Salisbury that the
Monroe doctrine is not based on any
canon of international law, and the
senator insisted that the right rested
on any nation to interfere in the affairs
of another state when conditions arose
dangerous to its peace and safety.
This was recognized principle of inter-
national law, upheld by eminent Eng
lish authorities from whom the senator
quoted.
Taking up the islands of Cuba and
Hawaii, Mr.. Davis showed the consist
ent and persistent course of the United
States in applying the spirit of the doc
trine to those islands. It had been in
voked in the case of Cuba whenever
England or France had sought foot
hold there In the case of Hawaii, a
resolution had been passed at the last
session of congress declaring that the
United States would not look with
favor on any foreign intervention in
the affairs of Hawaii. The senator re-
ferred incidentally to the animosity of
the debate over Hawaii and to the eff
fort to restore to the Hawaiian throne
''sanguinary and barbarous queen. ,"
If it was proper to pass such a reso-
luton as to Hawaii, why should ques-
ton be raised as to the policy of firm,
temperate and explicit enunciation of
the application of the Monroe doctrine
to the binding difficulties. Mr.. Davis
took up the Venezuelan question and
outlined it's essential features. Vene-
zuela had steadfastly claimed the Es-
siquibo river as the rightful boundary.
The claims of Great Britain had shifted
constantly and had increased immeas-
urably in recent years. A map show
ing the various claims of Great Britain
is bewildering in its intricacy. Great
Britain had never fixed definite line
and declared ''here is the limit
On the contrary, she had pushed
westward to the Orinoco river until the
British claim covered 10000 square
miles.
Concerning this territory Great Brit
ain asserted there should be no arbitra-
ton. In explaining the advance of the