New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-05-07
TIE FETCH OF ISOLATION.

Secretary Olney's address on The Inter
national Isolation of the United States dchv-
cred at Harvard University on March ana
nuhl,shed IN the current number Of THE ATTAIN
tic Monthly" was prepared and uttered long
before the beginning OF the war with SPAIN
ond indeed before It seemed at all certain there
rrorId bo any war, with it's attendant and con
soorent RESPONSIBILITIES Of extended sovereignty
imnosed upon this Nation. But II composed nj
THE nresent moment II Ut portion of II, could
scarcely be more apt than It Ia 10 existing con
ditions and to consideration Of the momentous
nroblems which are arising before the Marion
With some OF Mr. Olney's arguments and con
c,nsions we cannot for moment agree But IN
stripping the mask Of pausibility from the
re,,chlike doctrine Of American isolation he
has performed a service or no mean Value ~
the people Of this Republic
This Little America" doctrine to adapt
British phrase which impels so many TO dis
approye any extension Of United States soyer-
eighty or even influence beyond strictly CONT
mental limits, Is often reckoned a corollary OF
the Monroe Doctrine. II is, in fact, as MT Vi
nov shows. no such thing It had IT'S origin
long before the PRONUNCIATION OF thar latter doc-
trine II arose from an overstrained inter
probation Of Washington's Farewell Address.
There are always some perfervid souls VINO
are more royal than the King" So there are,
and long have been, those who, catching upon
y part Of Washngtons meaning In that famous
utterance Of his would enforce that partial
conception Of his policy 10 an extent OF wnich
he never dreamed and which he would to-day
be the last to approve. Other times. other
manners" is a principle OF which the Father
OF His Country was no. unmindful. He as
suredy had no notion OF laying down for three
million poor. weak, struggling colonists on the
Atlantic Coast q rule that should he bindlng.
hard and fast forever, upon one OF the largest,
strongest and richest nations In the world, with
q domain stretching from sea to sea and includ-
ing hundreds Of oceanic islands stretching half
way round the globe.
What Washington urged upon his country
men was that It was best not for this country
per Sc, but for this country as II then existed,
Young, poor and feeble, to refrain not from
international relations and even alliances. but
from permanent alliances with European
Powers. he said not n word against tenn
porary alliances. even at that early date. In
deed. he explicitly mentioned them as In GER
tain circumstances TO be welcomed. 1t Is an
indefensible pervprsion Of his wise counsels
10 say that he advised permanent political $50
laton from the rest Of the world, and 1t Is
public service TO strip away the Actions that
have been piled upon and about his celebrated
warning and show his words In their real
force and purport.
Equally indefensible is the contention so
often put forth, that it is contrary to the Con
stitution, or at any rate to the traditional policy
of the Nation for the United States 10 extend
its territorial possessions, especially in lands
not Immediately contiguous 10 the existing
States AS we recalled the other day. that
contention was made by some at the time Of
the Louisiana Purchase Had IT been accepted
then, all the domain west Of the Mississippi
River would have been lost to us. It Is put
forward now against the annexation Of Hawaii
and against assuming the moral responsible
ties already imposed upon us In Cuba and
the Philippines. On Thursday last the Hon.
Champ Clark, who few days before boast
ed that he and his friends had taken the Gov
eminent by the scruff OF the neck" and
dragged II into war with Spain, austerely dep
recated the annexation Of Hawaii as "a de-
'parture from the historical position Of this
country regarding territorial ownership out
side of the continent" Mr. Clark's intimation
as to what the historical policy Of this Nation
Is on that subject Is exactly contrary TO the
truth. This Republic was little more than fair
" established when the Fathers Of the Consti-
tuition began looking toward territorial own.