The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-08-20
Origin Of the
Monroe Doctrine.

Everything relating to the principle Of
territorial expansion or the reverse is
of interest just now. and yet there are
few persons outside OF public life who
are familiar with the origin OF the
much discussed Monroe doctrine" This
is how IL came into existence:
Soon after the final defeat OF the great
Napoleon. on the field of Waterloo. June
Is. 1915. the rulers of Russia. France,
Austria and Prussia, In dread OF the
republican sentiment which seemed
widespread, formed an International al
lance for mutual protection against the
disturbing elements within their own
borders and in succeeding years aided
each other materially. as in the instance
where the French troops quelled the in
surrection against Ferdinand VII in
Spain.
AT congress held by these allied
powers In Austria IL was agreed that
the main purpose OF the alliance should
be TO maintain the principle OF the Ie-
gitimacy of the existing dynasties and
that IL this principle was threatened In
any country in Europe they should pre-
serve 1T by actual and armed interfer-
ence.
George Canning, the English secreta.
ry of state, conceived the idea that these
powers would attempt the subjugation
of the Spanish colonies in America,
which were then In successful rebellion.
and communicated his suspicious in the
summer of 1928 to the American minis
ter. Mr.. Rush. They were naturally sub
mitted to our government. and there
were animated cabinet meetings, in
which the subject was exhaustively dis
cussed.
The president James Monroe. and the
secretary OF war; John c. Calhoun. were
particularly impressed with the possi-
BILE danger and In his annual message
to congress on Dec. 2, 1928, the presi-
dent used the following language: 1--WE
owe it to candor and to the amicable
relations existing between the United
States and the allied powers to declare
that We should consider any attempt
on their part to extend their system to
any portion of this hemisphere as dan
gerous to our peace and safety. With
the existing colonies or dependencies or
any European power we have not in.
terfered and shall not interfere, but
with the governments which have de-
clared their independence and main-
tanned 1t and whose Independence we
have on great consideration and j.st
principles acknowledged we could not
view an interposition for opprcss'ne
them or controlling in any other m, n
ner their destiny by any European re W,
er in any other light than as a mani
festation OF an unfriendly disposit On
toward the United States.
Again, referring to a Russian c'air
to some part of the northern Pacific
coast whichs like a similar controversy
with Great Britain was subsequently
amicably settled, this expression was
used "The American continents should
no longer be subjects for any new Eu-
ropean colonial settlement" This Is the
gist of what popular opinion has crys-
tallized into the Monroe doctrine. :"
though II is perfectly well known that
the phraseology was that Of the then
secretary OF state, John Quincy Adams.
the successor of Monroe in the prest-
Dental chair.
In a much wider but indefinite sense
popular Interpretation of the Monroe
doctrine means what Thomas Benton
said was a misconstruction of it,
that is, sort of political protection or
guardianship of the two Americas 20
be exercised by the United States.