The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1903-01-08
Origin of tbe Monroe Doctrine.
jim EXPOSITION On It's Tune.
tions lind Limitations.
q 2 2

THE Monroe Doctrine has been
interpreted in many ways.
Some people believe it is a
part of the organic law of the
land, others claim to know what it is
and at the same tiyne maintain that we
wiHked at its violation in permitting
Germany and England to send war
ships to Venezuela to demand the set
tlement of claims. With so many con-
dieting theories as to its meaning it is
interesting to look back to the date of
its origin and thereby learn the real
intent and purpose of this principle,
now the cardinal feature Of the foreign
policy Of the United States.
During the time that Napoleon was
trying to conquer the world the Spanish
American dependencies took sdvan-
tsge of tho rebsllious times and severed
the ties which bound them to Spain.
They declared their Independence and
set up governments for themselves.
Naturally, Spain sought to recover her
former possessions and in 1916, after
the downfall of Napoleon, sought tho
aid Of what was known as the Holy
Alliance, sn organization Of the great
powers OF Europe whose object was to
maintain'ths divine right of Kings.
A congress Of delegates representing
this alliance was held In 1892 and II
was there proposed that the other
European powers should assist Spain
i'm recovering her former colonies. To
this proposition Great Britain entered
q vigorous protest, inspired, not by the
same lofty principles which Inspired
Msnros, but by the spirit OF greed, so
characteristic Of the English govern
ment In those days. She feared that
the re-estsblishment Of Spanish power
would result in the loss Of the COM
mercial supremacy she had already
gained in the new republics.
The English premier then suggested
that Great Britain and the United
States mako Q joint declaration against
the designs of the Holy Alliance. To
this the United States promptly agreed,
provided that Great Britain formally
recognized the independence of the
South American republics. England
declined to do so on account Of her
we'll known aversion to the principles
of republicanism, and tho declaration
was never made. President Monroe,
however, considered the matter Of such
importance, that on December 2, 1923,
he sent message to congress in which
he said:
"The occasion has been judged
proper for asserting as principle, in
which the rights and interests of the
United States are involved, that the
American continent, by the free and
independent condition which they have
assumed and maintained, is hence
forth not to be considered as subject
for future colonization by any Euro
pean power. We owe it therefore to
.candor and to the amicable relations
existing between the United States
and those powers to declare that we
should consider any attempt on their
part to extend their system to any
portion Of this hemisphere as danger
GUS TO our peace and safety. With
the existing colonies or dependencies
of any European power, we have not
interfered and shall not interfere; but
with the governments that have de-
clared their Independence and main
tanned it and whose independence we
have, on great consideration and on
just principles acknowledged, we could
not view any interposition for the
purpose of expressing them or control
ling in any other manner their destiny,
by any European power, in any other
light than as the manifestation of an
unfriendly disposition toward the
United States"
A resolution to the same effect was
soon afterward introduced in congress
by Henry Clay but no action was ever
taken on it, as the positive utterance
of President Monroe was enough to
put an end to the proposition to assist
Spain.