The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-01-18

SOME COMMON SENSE At LAST.
The resolutions introduced by senator
sewen. Of New jersey. in the Senate on
Thursday in regard 70 the Monroe doc-
trine. are. I'm substance. the resolutions
passed by the House of Representatives
I'm lS25. when Daniel Webster was MEM
Der of it. and when it contained many
other Of the foremost men OF the nation
We have several times printed this reso-
luton of 1926, but it pertains to ne
foundations of our institutions. and can
not be too often presented to the public
We print it. therefore. again. It is as
follows:
"That the United States ought not 10
become a party with the Spanish Amell-
can republics. or either of them, TO any
joint declaration for the purpose of pre-
venting interference by any OF the Euro
pean powers with their Independence
or form Of government. or TO any COM
pact for the purpose OF preventing coioni-
cation upon the continent of America, but
that the people Of the United States shall
be left free to act in any crisis In such
a manner as their feelings and friend
ship towards those republics and as their
own honor ana policy may al the time
dictate"
The leading thought i'm this resolution
is that the United States holds itself
under no obligation or liability to inter
fere in any difficulty of any sort what
ever that any other nationality in the
two Americas may have. but that it will
determine, as each difficulty arises,
whether its interests are involved and
will shape its conduct in the case ac-
cordinsly. This was the idea which the
be announced to the country. and this
is the idea which Mr.. SeWell embodics
in the resolutions which he has offered
We think Mr.. Monroe intended TO pre-
sent rather broader idea than this
and we think the idea ne really intended
to present is that unfolded by Mr..
Webster. in his great speech I'm the
House Of Representatives, April Il. 1926
lie traced the history OF Mr.. Monroe's
declaration. and showed il was called out
by the fact that an alliance OF desDotic
European monarchs had determined TO
overthrow republican institutions I'm Eu-
rope first. and thereafter in America.
that despotsms might 10 more be appre-
hensive of the assaults which mad been
made upon them by the American and
the French Revolutions. lie showed that
Mr.. Monroe intended to proclaim 10 the
world that when this alliance OF dcsp0tic
monarchs should set ITS foot upon this
continent. i'm any quarter of ii. I'm execution
of a purpose TO overthrow democratic
institutions and set up despotisms in
their place. the United States would
look upon the movement. whether max
ing It's first exhibition in Paraguay, chile.
or Peru. as aimed at Itself, and II would
fight that movement TO the death. The
people of the United States understood
the announcement in that sense. and
they gave to il i'm that sense their hearth
est endorsement. Each succeeding gen
GRAFTON Of Americans since then has un-
derstood Mr.. Monroo's oOctrine 10 mean
that. and each succeeding generation has
endorsed 1t. That idea has sunk deeo
into our national character. 1t exists there
to-day as potently as in 1923, and that is
the whole Of the national idea to which
his people IS welded. This new Olney-
CLEVELAND gloss on the old and heroic
idoa-to-wit. that no European country is
10 be permitted TO acquire a foot OF
territory upon this continent, for any
purpose whatever, is wholly foreign TO
what Mr. Monroe had in his mind, and
IL is not consistent with the genius and
character of our people, and Is, IN fact,
an utter abortion. with no trace Of re-
semhlance to its putative parent.
Mr.. sewell has. IL is true, the authori-
~ Of the House Of Representatives Of
1875 for the form which he has given 10
his resolutions. But II we were in his
place. we would change their form to the
ideas which Mr.. Webster founded his
speech upon. The resolutions of 1926
have a flavor Of selhshness and oppor-
tunlsm that IS not entirely compatible
with the dignity OF the nation. or with
the noble. benevolent. and patriotic creed
involved In Mr. Monroe's announcement
as he made IL and intended that IL
should be understood II Mr.. Scwell
Will confne his resolutions TO the spirit
OF Mr.. Moneroes doctrine. as Mr. Web
ster interpreted IL, he will find that the
whole heart OF the American people will
10 out 10 him, and that he will be uni
yersally acclaimed by all those Ameri-