The Opelousas courier., 1896-01-04
The Monroe Doctrine.
N. o. Picayune.

N. .. Plcayune.
Although this celebrated policy has
| heretofore been elabOrately explained
in these columns, there are many per-
sons who still do not understand it, and
some simple explanation is due them.
1t is in fine IL measure proposed by
President Monroe, nearly three quar-
ters of century ago, for the protec-
tion Of the States of this Union from
being surrounded, shut in aud over
powered in advance by The great ma
tions of the Ola World. The policy put
forward by Mr.. Monroe was in fact that
the republics of the New World must
have protection in the right to estab-
lish and maintain, on this hemisphere,
their free institutions without inter-
ference 10y the monarchical powers of
Europe. A brief statement of the con-
ditions which brought out the Monroe
doctrine will be interesting.
Between the years 1910 and 1891 the va
riOus Spanish provinces in South Amer
ica, Central America and Mexico had
become independent nations, having
violently thrown of the Spanish yoke.
The Holy Alliance formed in 1915. af-
ter the overthrow of Napoleon, by Rus
sIa, Prussia and Austria and afterwards
joined by France, to regulate the bal
governments in Europe, entered into
negotiations with Spain for the pur-
pose of assisting that power to recover
her American possessions.
The news of such a proposed under
taking by European powers was so
alarming to all the people in all the
American countries that the several
governments held conferences on the
subject.
In his message to Congress on the I'd
of December, 1898, President Monroe
called attention to the proposed inter-
ference by Europe in the affairs of the
American nations, and he declared that
while the United States would
not interfere 10 any international mat
teys, it should be adopted as II settled
poticy that European nations should
not th' allowed to subjugate or to take
ny force the territory of any OF the
American republics.
This was tho celebrated Monroe doc
trine, declared as measure of self-de-
fense for the United States. At this
announcement the nations of the Holy
Alliance concluded not to interfere with
the Spanish republics, and 80
the Monroe doctrine, announced when
this country was feeble.ytntion, has
hcen maintained until the present 1t
is doctrine which involves the safety
of free institutions on this hemisphere
and the protection and welfare of the
United States, and it is not likely that
it will be abandoned now.
1t is supposed by some that the Mon
roe doctrine can be used to dispute the
right of England to hold Canada. but
this is a most obvious mistake. Presi-
dent Monroe, in his celebrated message
announcing the policy that has since
become SD famous, expressly declares
against anv interference with foreign
colonies already existing in America
In this connection he said:
With existing colonies OF dependencies of any
Euro Eur1pean power we i9ve not interfered and
From this it will be seen that the
Monroe doctrine, eDunciated in 1898 as
a strictly American policy, only relates
to European hggressioDs on the other
countries of this hemisphere, and not to
any territory that Europeans held here
at the time of Mr. Moproe's message.