The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-12-30
THE MONROE DOCTRINE.

The Monroe doctrine was promulgated
by President Monroe in 1923. Since
then several presidents have called the
attention of the European powers to II
when our government thought it's prlil
ciples were about to be or had been
violated by one of them. From the
Norfolk Landmark we clip the follow
ing summary of it's re-affrmat:on by
succeeding pres. lents:
"It was reafirmed by President Polk
in 1S45 in relation to the Oregon affair;
n again it was implicitly exercised in
1S4S in a bill. which had his support, to
enable him to t.ke military possession
of Yucatan when the native Indians in
a struggle with the whites had appealed
tn the United states and to European
governments for help in return for do
minion and sovereignty
1T was invoked in 1850, when Great
Britain resisted Nicaragua in d contest
with the Mosquito Indians and the Unit
ed States I'M such an at itud
that war was averted only by the adop-
ton Of the Clay,on-Bulwer treaty.
1T was applied in 1852 when the
Tinted States refused to join In a tr:-
partite treaty guaranteeing Cuba to
Spain. and it was most emphatically en-
forced in 1865 when Louis Napoleon vas
required to abandon Macmillan in
Mexico.
president Grant asserted II in 1870
In a message asking for the purchase Of
San Domingo.
Its scope was enlarged in 1879 and
1880 by resolutions in congress declaring
that the building of a canal by Euro
peans across the is.hmus Ct Darien
would be a VOCATION of the doctrine.
because. as exclaimed by Mr.. Blaine.
the European powers would necessarily
undertake to protect foreign capital so
invested and the United States could not
allow a European power to extend such
protection.
FINALLY it was effectively invoked by
President Cleveland in 1896 in the con-
troversy betwee England and Venezue-
la over the Schomberg boundary line"
In connection with the last mentioned
PRONUNCIATION of this doctrine there was
introduced in The senate by Senator
Davis. of the committee on foreign rela-
ions the following resolution, which.
though not adopted, can be taken as q
fair Interpretation of the doctrine by
the government Of the United States:
concurrent resolution relative to the
assertion and enforcement of the Mon
roe doctrines:
INeSOINeu. ny lle SeIdlS tlUe HOuSS
of representatives concurring). That,
whereas. President Monroe in his mes
sage TO congress of December 2 A. D..
1923. deemed it proper to assert as a
principle in viii n the rights and inter-
ests of the United States are involved.
that the American continents. by the
free n independent condition which
they a V assumed and have maintain
ed. were thenceforth not to be consul
cred as subjects for future colonization
by an European Iower; and.
Whereas, President Monroe further
declared in THAI, message that the Unit
ed States would consider any attempt by
the allied powers of Europe to extend
their system to any portion of this hem
isphere as dangerous TO Jul peace and
society; that with the existing ~olonies
and dependencies of any European pow
err we have not interferred and would
not interfere, but that with the govern
ments who have declared their indie
pendence and maintained IL and whose
independence we have un great consid-
Grafton and just principles, acknowI-
edged, W. could not view any interpo-
sition for the purpose of depressing
them or controlling in any other man.
ner their destiny by any European
power in any other light than as the
manifestation OF an unfriendly DISPOSE
ton toward the United States, and.
further reiterated In that message that
1t is impossible that the allied powers
should extend their political system to
any portion Of either continent. without
endangering y peac and happiness.
an