Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1896-05-21

No wonder that Venezuela protested
and that we extended to her our heart
felt sympathy. Not only from Ven
ezuela, but also from the adjacent ma
tiOns comes the same cry OF distress.
Germany desires to gain a part Of
BRAZIL France wishes to control the
mouth Of the mighty Amazon, and
England that Of OrinOca, all Of which
they would cOn6scate were it not for
those principles of the Monroe doc
trine, so essential to the peace and
safety of our nation; and for the inter-
ventiOn Of the United States which
stands in the way like an invincible
phalanx and hurls forth the spear not
Of defiance but Of defence.
1t behOves us to stand firm upon
this principle that Ia OF 80 vital im-
pOrtance and which IL unknown, these
southern republics, who recognize all
the ways of civilized nations, and who
like ourselves have won their inde-
pendence Mt the point of the bayOnet
and ut the cost of blood, would be wiped
from the face Of the earth forever.
This principle also prevents Nicaragua
from granting to England the privilege
OF building the Nicaragua canal, which
is our own privilege, and which We
should maintain even at . great cost.
But while our attention ia called TO
the affairs OF our sister nations across
the equator we should not forget our
interests here at home. We have only
recently learned, that within our own
territory, Alaska, England has sta
toned force OF armed men To protect
what she claims are her gold fields:
but these gold fields are upon the
territory Of which England admitted
belonged to the United States when
the northwestern boundary was settled.
When she stations her soldiers upon
territory which she herself has admit
ted to be ours, is 1t anything, can it he
anything less than disregard and an
insult to the United States?
II we permit England to take her
course In this matter, in a short time
she will possess all OF Central and part
Of South America south of us with
Canada on the north. With these and
her other resources she could rival the
tabled plan Of Alcibiades by crushing
the United States, as lion devOurs It's
prey, and gain again her once valuable
possessions.
Twice have We bested her upon the
bloody field Of battle and We are bet
ter prepared now than ever before.
She has been forced to acknowledge
the supremacy OF our arms at York
town, Trenton, Lexington, Concord
and Bunker Hill. Let us then enforce
the Monroe doctrine to the fullest ex-
tent OF our military power If it need he.
Let not party lines, or blind ambition
divide US upon 80 serious u question but
let us stand as Americans for the in
terest of America.
This is not principle laid down in
any Justice court or defined in inter-
national law, but 1t is q law in the
bosom Of man prior and preeminent TO
these. 1t is q law dear To the heart OF
every true American citizen and they
would give even their lives that It
might not perish. 1t needs no defini-
tion for they are written indelibly on
the pages Of our history, and are the
brightest stars In the armament Of
history. There they will remain for
ever, but il by some unforeseen destiny
q cloud should overshadOw them and II
ever they should be blotted out it will be
when there is no strong arm to protect
their sacred precepts and when our
great nation has passed into oblivion.