The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-01-06
Evil, REJECTS OF MONROE Doc
IRINE.

President Castro does not seem TO be
at all in a hurry to bring to an amicable
settlement the little unpleasantness ex-
listing between his country and three or
four of the powers OF Europe whose
uarships are blockading his seaports.
Though his reply to the proposition for
reference of the matters in dispute to
The Hague tribunal, which has been
received at Washington. has not been
given to the public, enough OF its tenor
Is known to show that he is by no
means an enthusiastic advocate of this
Of settling the controversy. In
fact President Castro seems to be op-
posed to doing anything to satisfy the
demands of his country's creditors. He,
apparently. has been relying all the
time and still relies upon the United
States standing between his country
and the foreign powers. These South
American republics seem to think the
Monroe doctrine is long and broad
enough to cover any multitude of sins.
whatever violations of International
law they may commit, they think the
penalties for their offenses can be escap-
ed by calling on our government 20
protect them with the broad principle
Of the Monroe doctrine.
While this principle and its strict
maintenance for eighty years has been
the boast of our people. if the truth
were known. we eXpect il would be
ahowR that these South American re-
pHblics are today. by reason of the ell
forcement OF his very doctrine. in a
less advanced stage OF enlightenment,
civilization and prosperity than they
would be had the United States not SO
vigorously inforced its principles. The
maintenance of III doctrine has re-
suited in preserving in these states
the domination n rule of a race COM
posed chiefly of a mixed Spanish-ln-
dian blood race far behind the Anglo
Saxon OF the TeutOnic in progress, ener-
gy and intellect Had this country not so
persistently insisted that Europe should
keep her hands off of his territory it
would Iongsago have felt the q~uickenins
Safuence of the British. the German
and the Dutch ideas OF rogresS and
development. These and other Europe
an nations. looking for extension Of in
fuence through colonies dependent upon
the mother country. would by this time
have reyolutiOniZed the slow, effete
eighteenth century ideas of Spanish
government In these states. Through
AN infusion of Anglo-SaxOn and Teuton-
ic bleed these states would now have a
population more similar to our own.
There would be an energy of action and
a spirit of progress which is unknown
to their present inhabitants.
AS a measure for our own protection
against encroachment of European
powers the Monroe doctrine vas we'll
enough eighty years ago when this was
. small nation in comparison with the
powers against whom We raised this
barrier: but at the present day our gov
srnment has nothing to fear from any
n Of them. They might COLOMBO the
whole of Central and South America
n their presence would be no threat
10 the autonomy of the United States.
We oould hold our own against Eng
land with her holding Venezuela as
wen as we can now. A Macmillan
an the throne of Mexico would not me-
nae US with loss of Texas or any of
sar trans-Mississippi territory. Ger
many might bring the Argentine repub-
lie under subsection as an imperial
colony without in the least e~ndanger-
Ing shinkage of our borders or lower
S~r ~ nrr nrnuti1o mono tho nations
of the world
The principles of the Monroe doctrine
have outlived their use and are no
longer OF the great Importance TO his
country they were when first promul-
gated by President Monroe or even
when they were invoked by President
Johnson to force the evacuation OF
Mexico by the French. o is an OPP
perfume time for US TO modify it. We
can do SO in a N which will show
that it Is done voluntarily without fear
OF compulsiOn or force from any E.u-
rOpean power. Let its terms be modi
hed. in the settlement of the contest be-
tween Venezuela and the European
powers, to such an extent as 10 show
to the fermer and all other South and
Central American states that we will
no longer shield them from the cOnse-
quences OF their dishonest dealings and
TO show to the latter that we recognize
the salutary influence of colonization by
people of our race upon the Latin
Indian blood of the states to the south
OF us.