MONROE MONSOONS. 



39 



and the defence of New Orleans. After he haJ 

 reduced to order the war department, he resumed 

 the duties of the department of state, which he con- 

 tinued to exercise until, in 1817, he was chosen by 

 the people of the United States the successor of 

 James Madison. In 1821, he was re-elected by a 

 vote unanimous with a single exception, one vote in 

 New Hampshire having been given to John Q. 

 Adams. He was wise and fortunate in the selection 

 of his ministers and measures. He went further 

 than either of his two immediate predecessors, in 

 maintaining the necessity of an efficient general 

 government, and in strengthening every arm of the 

 national defence. He encouraged the army, in- 

 creased the navy, and caused those foreign naval 

 expeditions to be sent out to the West Indies, the 

 Mediterranean, the coast of Africa, and the shores 

 of South America, which have given instruction to the 

 officers of the United States, augmented the number 

 of their seamen, protected the national commerce, 

 and caused the country to be universally respected by 

 distant nations. He ordered the principal head 

 lands and exposed points along the borders and the 

 sea-coast to be accurately surveyed, plans of fortifi- 

 cations drawn, and the reports made up, with a view 

 to the ultimate complete defence of the frontiers of 

 the United States, both on the land and sea side. 

 He directed inquiries, surveys, and plans, as to the 

 most suitable sites for the northern and southern 

 naval depots for the repair and accommodation of 

 the fleets during times of war and peace. The ces- 

 sion of Florida by Spain to the United States was 

 effected during his administration. " It was during 

 his administration that the emancipated Spanish and 

 Portuguese colonies were formally recognised by the 

 American government. He assumed high constitu- 

 tional grounds in favour of internal improvement and 

 the bank of the United States. He was mainly 

 instrumental in promoting the pension law for the 

 relief of indigent revolutionary soldiers. Dur- 

 ing his administration, the illustrious Lafayette 

 was invited to visit these shores as the guest of the 

 nation. He took the most energetic measures in 

 favour of the abolition of the slave trade, and con- 

 tinued to encourage the establishment of the prin- 

 ciples of commerce with all nations, upon the basis 

 of free and equal reciprocity. It is a high compliment 

 to the firmness, judgment, and sagacity of Mr Monroe, 

 that he proclaimed to the world the determination of 

 the United States not to suffer any European power 

 to interfere with the internal concerns of the inde- 

 pendent South American governments. The well- 

 timed expression of this sentiment put an end to all 

 rumours of any armed intervention in the affairs of 

 Spanish America. Colonel Monroe retired from the 

 office of president at the end of his second term. 

 In the late stages of his life, he was associated with 

 the ex-presidents Jefferson and Madison, in founding 

 and regulating the university of Virginia. Subse- 

 quently, he was chosen a member of the convention 

 for amending the constitution of his native state, and 

 presided over the deliberations of that assembly. He 

 did not disdain to act as justice ofthe peace inthecounty 

 of London, in which he resided. Mr Monroe died at 

 New York, on the 4th day of July, 1831, the anniver- 

 sary of American independence, like the ex-presidents 

 Adams and Jefferson. Colonel Monroe's biography 

 is intimately and honourably connected with the civil 

 and military history of the United States. We have 

 merely indicated the principal stations which he held, 

 and the nature of the services which he performed. 

 He was one of the leaders of the democratic or 

 Jefferson party, and involved in most of the party 

 questions and occurrences by which the country was 

 divided and agitated. He possessed a very energetic-, 



persevering spirit, a vigorous mind, and extraordinary 

 powers of application. In his unlimited devotion to 

 the public business, he neglected his private affairs. 

 He retired from office extremely deep in debt a 

 situation from which he was relieved, though when 

 almost too late, by liberal appropriations of congress 

 to satisfy the large claims which he preferred on the 

 government for moneys disbursed and debts incurred 

 on its account. 



MONS (Latin for mountain); found in a great 

 number of geographical names, particularly in lan- 

 guages derived from the Latin, as Montigny (inflamed 

 mountain), Piedmont (foot of the mountain), Mont- 

 pellier (Mons Puellarum), Montmirail (admirable 

 mountain), Montmarlre (mountain of Mars or of the 

 martyrs), Montreal (royal mount), Vermont (green 

 mountain), &c. 



MONS (Berghen); a city lately belonging to the 

 kingdom of the Netherlands, at present in the king- 

 dom of Belgium, capital of the province of Hainaut, 

 situated on a steep hill, on the Trouille. Since 1818, 

 its fortifications have been much extended and 

 strengthened, and it now forms one of the strongest 

 frontier fortresses of Belgium. The country around 

 can be easily laid under water. Population, 20,000. 

 Its manufactures have been considerable, consisting 

 of woollen, linen, and cotton goods, oil, soap, pottery; 

 and it has carried on an extensive trade in coals, 

 obtained in the neighbourhood, hops, grain, cattle, 

 horses, mill-stones, marble. Mons is an old city, and 

 has belonged by turns to Spain, Austria, and France. 

 See Netherlands. 



MONSEIGNEUR (French, my lord}; a title of 

 dignity in France ; the dauphin was formerly styled 

 monseigneur, without any addition. Princes, arch- 

 bishops, bishops, cardinals, marshals of France, pre- 

 sidents of parliament, &c., were addressed by this 

 title. The plural is messeigneurs. The Italian mon- 

 signore is used in a similar manner. 



MONSIEUR (in French), used simply, without 

 any addition, formerly designated the king's eldest 

 brother. In common use, it answers both to the 

 English Sir and Mr, and is also used before titles. 

 In writing, it is expressed by the abreviation M. 

 The plural is messieurs. Monsieur is sometimes 

 used by English writers as a term of contempt for a 

 Frenchman. 



MONSIGNY, PIERRE ALEXANDRE, born 1729, in 

 Artois, a popular musical composer, who is considered 

 as the creator of the French comic opera. While 

 young, his talent for music was suddenly awakened 

 by his witnessing the performance of Pergolesi's 

 Serva Padrona, and he devoted himself entirely to 

 the study. He learned composition under Gian- 

 notti, who dismissed him in five months, as a pupil 

 who knew all that he could teach. But Giannotti 

 was astonished to find that his pupil had already com- 

 posed an opera, Les Aveux indiscrets., which he 

 brought out, after having recast it, three years after- 

 wards (1759). Encouraged by its success, he pro- 

 duced, in 1760, Le Cadi dupe and Le Maitre en Droit. 

 The opera On ne s'Avise jamais de tout, brought 

 forward in 1761, completed the musical revolution at 

 the theatre de la Foire, which then took the name cf 

 the Italian opera. Le Roi et le Fermier ; Rose et 

 Colas ; Aline, Reine de Golconde ; L'Isle sonnantt ; 

 Le Deserteur, &c., were received with great ap- 

 plause. On the death of Gre'try, Monsigny suc- 

 ceeded him in the institute, and on the death of 

 Piccini, in 1800, he was appointed director of the 

 conservatorie, at Paris. He died in 1817. 



MONSOONS (from the Malay mussin, season) ; 

 periodical trade-winds, which blow six months in one 

 direction, and the rest of the year in an opposite one. 

 They prevail in the Indian ocean, north of the 10th 



