Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-06-11

of the recent Grafton of Senator
Hoar would deserve the color dis
tinction. The page in question con-
tains a summary of the recent in
designations of WOrthington c. Ford
and Charles Francis Adams, into the
origin of the Monroe doctrine The
result of their work has been pub
lished in the proceedings of the Mas
sachusetts Historical Society but
that publication has a limited cir
culation.
John Quincy Adams-at that time
secretary of state-was, as most peo-
pie know, the real author of the
doctrine called by Monroe's name.
He forced it upon a hesitating and
mediocre president and a reluctant
cabinet But, as Senator Hoar re-
marks, it is not generally known that
Adams rested it upon the distinc-
lively American principle that all
governments derive their just powers
from the consent of the governed
Canning, it will be remembered,
proposed that the United States
join England in asserting that the
Holy alliance must not force Span
American country. Monroe. sought
the advice of jefferson -alnlS Madison,
suggesting himself that the United
States let il be understood that it
would regard an attackgnpon the for
mer Spanish colonies as a hostile act.
Later he wavered, and Adams re-
cords that at the cabinet meeting he
found the president quite despon-
dent" jefferson had written, favor
ing accession to Canning's proposals,
and Calhoun, who. as Adams says,
was perfectly moonstruck by the
surrender of Cadiz" urged that the
United States minister in London he
given discretionary power to bring
about the AnglO-American alliance.
y few days before this cabinet
meeting which found Monroe so at
sea, the Russian minister, Baron
Tuyll, had notified the secretary of
state that the political principles of
Russia would prevent the car from
recognizing the independence of the
revolted colonies. Adams at once
decided that this afforded a suitable
opportunity for the united States to
take "A stand against the alliance and
at the same time TO decline the over
lures of Canning. 1T would be more
candid and more dignified," he wrote
i'm his diary, Ito avow our principles
explicitly to Baron Tuyll than to go
in as "A cockboat in the wake of the
British man-of-war.'
The baron had given Adams a
good opening. He had set up the
car as the moutbpiece Fof Divine
Providence. The natural reply was
that the Providence which the United
States recognized spoke another
tongue. Russia had arrOgantly
bIurted out its adherence to the di
vine right of kings: America could
properly retort that its own govern
ment was founded on the divine
right of the people.
This was the view which Adams
urged upon Monroe. who had become
alarmed at the prospect Calhoun
held out of disastrous war with the
allies. The president yielded and
Adams drafted a paper to be read TO
the Russian minister. The memo
randum gave this statement of the
policy of the United States:
First. That the institution of gov
eminent to be lawful must be pacific.
that is. founded upon the-consent and
by the agreement of the gOverned;
and, second, that each nation is eN-
cIusively the judge of the govern
ment best suited to- itself, and that
no other nation can justly interfere
by force to impose a different gov
eminent upon it.
y necessary consequence of the
second of these principles is that the
United States recognize in other ma
tions the right which they claim and
exercise for themselves of establish
ing and modifying their own gov
ernments, according to their own
judgments and views of their inter
ests, not encroaching upon the
rights of others.
As Canning had changed his tone
to one of indifference before any
reply to his overtures had been draft
ed. this paper read to Baron Tuyll.
was the first official announcement of
the Monroe doctrine to Europe.
Later. in modified language, il was
set forth in the presidents message
to congress.