The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-04-08

peculiar and predominant that out Of
it has grown the acceptance of the
Monroe doctrine as cardinal feature
Of our foreign policy; and in par
ticular.I wish to point out what has
been done during the lifetime Of the
last congress to make good our position
| in accordance with this historic policy.
Ever since the time when we def
ward to the Pacific and southwark to
the gulf, since the time when the old
Spanish..and Portuguese colonies to the
south Of us asserted their independence,
our nation has insisted that because
of its primacy in strength among the
nations of the western hemisphere it
has certain duties and responsibilities
which oblige it to take leading part
thereon. We hold that our interests
in this hemisphere are greater than
those of any European power possibly
can be, and that our duty to ourselves
and to the weaker republics who are
our neighbors requires US to see that
none of the great military powers from
, across the seas shall encroach upon
the territory of the American repub-
lies or acquire control thereover.
This policy, therefore, not only for
; bids US to acquiesce in such territorial
acquisition, but also causes Us to OBJ
ject to the requirement of a control
which would in it's effect be equal to
territorial aggrandizement. This is
why the United States has steadily
believed that the construction Of the
great isthmian canal, the building Of
which is to stand as the greatest
material feat of the twentieth century
greater than any similar feat in
any preceding century-should be done
by no foreign nation, but by ourselves.
The president then related events
leading to adoption of the canal trea-
ties, after which he reverted to the
recent Venezuelan incident. He read
correspondence showing that Ger
many and Great Britain fully re-
cognized the Monroe doctrine.
Continuing he said:
"Both. powers assured US in explicit
terms that there was not the slightest
intention on their part to violate the
principles of the Monroe doctrine, and
this assurance was kept with an honor
able good faith which merits full &C.
acknowledgement on our part. At the
same time, the existence of hostili-
ties in region so near our own bor-
ders was fraught with such possibili-
ties of danger in the future that it
was obviously no less our duty to our
selves than our duty to humanity to
endeavor to put an end to that. Ac-
cordingly, by an offer of our good ser
vices in a spirit Of frank friendliness
to all the parties concerned, a spirit
in which they quickly and cordially
responded, we secured resumption of
peace-the contending parties agree
ing that the matters which they could
not settle among themselves should be
referred to The Hague tribunal for
settlement. The United States bad
most fortunately already been able to
set an example to other nations by
utilizing the great possibilities for
good contained in The Hague tribu-
nai,, question at issue between our
selves and the Republic of Mexico be-
ing the first submitted to this inter
national court of arbitration.
The terms which we have secured
as those under which the isthmian
canal is to be built, and the course Of
events in the Venezuelan matter, have
shown not merely the ever growing
influence of the United States in the