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Show MONROE DOCTRINE AND BOER. Written for The Intermountain and Colorado Catholic by T. St. John Gaff-nev. Gaff-nev. Since the arrival of the Boer envoys, the question has been frequently asked, what this government could do to bring about peace in South Africa, i Great Britain herself has set many a precedent for the United States to follow. fol-low. In 1877 the Russian army, after a bloody campaign, arrived almost within sight of the walls of Constantinople, Constanti-nople, when its farther advance was stopped by foreign intervention upon the initiative of the English prime minister. The Russians were forced to agree to the treaty of San Stephano, which deprived the forces of the czar of the goal of their ambition, the possession pos-session of the old Byzantine capital, and the restoration of the cross to the dome of the Cathedral of St. Sophia. Not satisfied with this, under the direction di-rection of Great Britain the congress of Berlin was held, which deprived Russia of the fruits of her victories. The expenditure of blood and treasure was in vain, the provinces which she had conquered were taken from her, while disinterested England rewarded herself with the island, of Cyprus as the price of her interference with Muscovite Mus-covite ambition. There has not been a war of any moment in this century, with the possible possi-ble exception of our recent struggle with Spain, in which foreign intervention interven-tion has not occurred, mainly upon the suggestion or direction of the government govern-ment of her Britannic majesty. President Pres-ident McKinley has a number of precedents prece-dents for inviting the great powers to unite with him in signing a note to Great Britain strongly urging the cessation ces-sation of hostilities and the submission submis-sion to arbitration of the differences existing between Great Britain and the South African republics. x The conscience of the world, as well as the moral and material force of the continent, would support him in such action. But the question arises as to whether such a course would be justified justi-fied by this government under the Monroe doctrine and the limitations put upon the powers of our commissioners commis-sioners at The Hague conference. I am of the opinion that the Monroe doc trine has received its severest blow by the conduct of the government of the Dominion in sending Canadian troops to support Great Britain in a predatory war with which this hemisphere has no concern. For the future Canada is bound to support British greed and British ' imperialism against the rest of Europe, and the result of such a policy can be readily foreseen. Canada's Can-ada's jingoism and misdirected patriotism patriot-ism have rendered liable to invasion and seizure by the continental powers the northern nart of thio k. over which we claim paramountcy! The Dominion having voluntarily involved in-volved herself in this shameless war of adventure, we cannot object to Russia, Rus-sia, France or Germany invading and holding Canadian soil for their own protection when the great day of reckoning reck-oning comes for England. The conduct, con-duct, then, of Canada herself gives this government the supremest right to intervene in the South African war. Chamberlain recently declared that republican and monarchical government govern-ment could not exist side by side in South Africa. We shall carry his policy into effect here at the first opportunity, but republican government will not go under. The vast majority of the people peo-ple of the United States believe that Canada in projecting herself into this deplorable contest has imperiled the Monrie doctrine as the settled policy for the Ur.Vted States on this continent. The continuation of British rule in North America is a menace, therefore, not only to the Monroe doctrine, but to the integrity of this government and the permanence of its Institutions. The platform upon which President McKinley was elected declared In no equivocal terms the attitude of the United States in regard to the withdrawal with-drawal of Great Britain from this continent. con-tinent. This is the plank: We hopefully look forward to the eventual, withdrawal of the European powers from this hemisphere and to the ultimate union of all" the English-speaking English-speaking part of the continent by the free consent of Its inhabitants. It is to be hoped that the Democratic party will adopt a similar declaration at the approaching national convention. T. ST. JOHN GAFFNEY. New York, June 1. |