The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-07
THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE
MONROE DOCTRINE.

A DemOcratlc paper says. Inc reports VI
the assaults of the German press the
Monroe doctrine are indications that we
may not yet be through with the awkward
position in which We were put by consent
fng to the peaceful blockade proposition"
This and other attempts to misrepresent
the attitude of the administration in the
Venezuelan affair show a desire to make
party capital even at the expense Of be-
lifting the government in the eyes of its
own people and of foreigners. 1t is insin-
uated that the administration has surren-
dered an essential part Of the Monroe doc
trine by consenting to the peaceful blockade
proposition. thereby showing cowardice by
abandonment Of principle. This is not true.
If the administration had denied the right
of Great Britain and Germany to enforce
their claims against Venezuela in any legit
innate manner known among nations, short
of the permanent occupation of territory.
it would have gone further than any pre-
vious administration has done. further than
the text of the doctrine warrants, and would
| have assumed a position which the other
powers would not have admitted, and
which could not have been maintained.
The practice of peaceful blockade to re-
dress grievances has been recognized by
several Democratic administrations. In 1885,
fifteen years after the declaration of the
Monroe doctrine, Great Britain and France
| instituted a blockade Of Vera Cruz and
| other Mexican ports without eliciting a
word OF protest from Democratic admin
istration. President Van Buren,, In his an
| nual message Of December, 1888. said:
I regret to state that the blockade of the
/ principal ports on the eastern coast OF
| Mexico, which. in consequence of differ
ences between that republic and France,
was instituted in May last, unfortunately
| still continues, enforced by competent
French naval armament, and is necessarily
embarrassing to our own trade in the gulf.
Every disposition. however. is believed to
exist on the part of the French government
to render this measure as little onerous as
| practicable to the interests of the citizens
| of the United States. and to those of neu-
| trail commerce, and il Is to be hoped that
| an early settlement of the difficulties be-
| tween France and Mexico will soon reestab-
| lish the harmonious relations formerly sub
| sisting between them and again open the
| ports Of that republic to the vessels Of all
| friendly nations.
This case is of special interest because
| it occurred a few years after the promul-
1 cation of the Monroe doctrine and shows
how it was construed at the time by a
| Democratic administration. Other blockades
| of Central or South American ports by
| times and have been recognized by the
United States. One of the latest cases &C.
CURED in 1894 during the second administra-
ton of Mr.. Cleveland, when Great Britain
not only blockaded the port. but landed
troops and took possession of the custom
house and appointed a governor at Corinto,
Nicaragua. Mr.. Cleveland said in a recent
| interview:
During my second presidential term there
| were two instances of forcibe collection OF
| debts in South America by England, one in
| Venezuela and one in Corinto, Nicaragua
but no action was taken by the American
transactions and rendering our good Offices
in the direction of averting any warlike col
| lision.
In further illustration of his own views
and explanation of his action. Mr.. Cleve-
land said: ITO use the Monroe doctrine un-
der any circumstances as shield for debtor
nations which happen to be in this hemi-
sphere would be a use of 1t never intended
nor foreseen by President Monroe"
The Monroe doctrine has never been as
serted by any administration against the
forcible collection of debts by European
powers nor against peaceable blockades as
a means to that end. So far from the pres
ent administration having surrendered any
part of the principle or taken any backward
step on the subject, it has made the cleares
definition and has secured the most distinc
recognition of the Monroe doctrine of an,
administration in our history.