hodder: the duty of the scholar in politics. 6i 



should behold such interposition in any form with indifference." 

 In other words, European states could not be permitted to over- 

 throw any American government for the purpose of establishing 

 upon its ruins an absolute monarchy based upon the divine right 

 of kings. There was not a word respecting intervention for any 

 other purpose. 



Monroe's warning was sufficient to induce the Holy Alliance to 

 abandon their plan of interfering in American affairs. Since that 

 time there has been but a single violation of this part of Monroe's 

 declaration. During our civil war the unscrupulous government of 

 Napoleon III invaded Mexico, overthrew her government and 

 established in its place an Empire, sustained by French arms. 

 Immediately upon the close of our war, Secretary Seward informed 

 France that her troops must be withdrawn. They were withdrawn 

 and the Empire fell. Since that time there has not been the 

 faintest suggestion of an intention upon the part of any European 

 power to interfere in the affairs of any American state for the 

 purpose of overthrowing its government and establishing monarchy 

 in its place. Constitutional government has been established in 

 every European state except Russia and the European political 

 system of which Monroe wrote has ceased to exist. An occasion, 

 therefore, for a second application of this part of the Monroe 

 doctrine has not presented itself. 



Briefly stated the Monroe doctrine opposed new European colo- 

 nies, subjugation of American states by European powers and the 

 system of the Holy Alliance. New colonization has never been 

 attempted, subjugation has been tried once and failed utterly, the 

 system of the Holy Alliance has been dead for half a century. 

 Any statement that goes beyond these three points is unwarranted 

 by the original declaration. Monroe's declaration was a protest 

 against new colonies. It is now applied to colonies that antedate 

 our national existence. Monroe's declaration was a protest against 

 intervention. It is now made the basis for intervention. Monroe's 

 declaration was a protest against absolutism. It is now applied to a 

 government which, despite monarchical forms, is more thoroughly 

 democratic than our own. Such construction is a perversion of the 

 true meaning of the original declaration. 



Let us now inquire into the origin of this misconstruction of the 

 Monroe doctrine. With the defeat of John Quincy Adams and the 

 election of Andrew Jackson in 1828, the era of statesman presidents 

 came to an end and an era of military favorites and politicians 

 began. At the same time we abandoned the founders' policy of 



