WHITE HOUSE GALLERY VINTAGE PHOTOGRAVURE PRESIDENT JAMES MONROE

Monroe

HAVE been requested to write my opinion as to what act or policy will ex-President Monroe be best remembered by posterity. Public men are remembered not so much for what they are as for what sitat policies or acts their names happen to be associated with. plain, simple-minded backwoodsman, Daniel Boone, occupies a large place in the history of this country, because he first pushed westward into the wilderness and established a home for our race beyond the Alleghenies, and learned lawyers and statesmen of that time who would have looked down with contempt upon the plain pioneer have been forgotten, while Boone is gratefully remembered by millions of Americans. James Monroe is peculiarly fortunate because his name

is associated, first, with the great westward extension of our domain beyond the Mississippi, and secondly, with the enunciation of a great doctrine which must for all time dominate the Western Hemisphere.

When President Jefferson saw the necessity of securing the mouth of

the Mississippi, in order to prevent the western backwoodsmen from going down the river and forcibly taking possession and thus precipitating a war with France- Jefferson being of a conservative and somewhat timid nature he attempted to divert this by purchasing from France the mouth of that river, and having confidence in the ability of Mr. Monroe, he sent him on a special mission to France for this purpose.

As Napoleon was about to declare war against Great Britain, and knowing that the British fleet had weakened the sea power of both France and Spain, and that it would be almost impossible to hold the mouth of the Mississippi river, he was in a frame of mind to treat favorably the proposition made by Mr. Monroe, and our minister to France, Mr. Livingston.

Through their combined efforts, but more particularly through the efforts of Mr. Monroe, we were enabled to secure for a small sum not only the mouth of the Mississippi but the vast territory extending west to the Rocky Mountains; thus fixing the destiny of this country and making it for all time the dominant power in the Western Hemisphere.

After the crushing defeat of the French and Spanish navies by Nelson at Trafalgar, Great Britain was left mistress of the seas, which supremacy, however, was disputed in 1812 by the descendants of the sea rovers who had commenced to build a great empire in the Western Hemisphere.

The Spanish colonies extending from Mexico to Cape Horn had succeeded in

throwing oft the Spanish yoke, but European powers, tearing the extension of republican institutions, formed what is known as the

'Holy Alliance," with Russia at its head,

and

determined to aid Spain in reconquering her American possessions.

At this juncture Mr.

Canning, the British minister, proposed to the American minister at London that the two countries should stand together in resisting, if necessary, by force of arms, this interference by European powers in American affairs, and assured him that Great Britain would lend efficient aid to the United States, if necessary, in preventing this.

This proposition was forwarded by President Monroe to Mr. Jefferson at Monticello, who replied that this was the most important subject brought to his notice since the Declaration of Independence, and advised the President to accept the proffered aid of England," and the celebrated Monroe Doctrine, which was promulgated by President Monroe in his message of December 2, 1823, was the result.

This doctrine, which never had legislative sanction, has

been accepted by the American people as a policy which must be enforced, if necessary, by a resort to arms, and has also been accepted by some of the foreign powers.

This doctrine was re-enunciated when apoleon Ill attempted to put a foreign king upon the throne of Mexico, and the United States placed an army upon the Mexican border and notified Napoleon that the French troops must be withdrawn and the Mexicans must decide for themselves what form of government they desired. It was again re-enunciated recently in the Venezuela question, and the interpretation put upon it by this Government was accepted by England, the only great sea power having anything like an ability to dispute it.

A doctrine like this, which is accepted by the entire population of a great country irrespective of party, is more potent than any mere legislative action, and for the enunciation of this great doctrine Monroe must for all times be honored as one of the great Americans.

The potency of this doctrine should be an inspiration to our rulers for future times, showing them that great ends may be achieved by the firm and fearless enunciation of great doctrines by the President of a great people independent of legislative action. It has a material bearing on the tremendous problems soon to be solved in the Far East.

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