I 



THE MONROE DOCTRINE 333 



Occupied by civilized independent nations, they will be accessible 

 to Europeans and to each other on that footing alone, and the 

 Pacific Ocean in every part of it will remain open to the naviga- 

 tion of all nations in like manner with the Atlantic. 



Incidental to the condition of national independence and 

 sovereignty, the rights of anterior navigation of their rivers will 

 belong to each of the American nations within its own territories. 



The application of colonial principles of exclusion, therefore, 

 cannot be admitted by the United States as lawful upon any part 

 of the northwest coast of America, or as belonging to any Euro- 

 pean nation. 



Fortunately the dispute was amicably settled by the nego- 

 tiations in St. Petersburg. In the treaty of 1824, Russia 

 accepted the parallel of 54 40' as the southern limit of her 

 American territory. 



The statement of Mr. Adams, that the American conti- 

 nents would no longer be subject to colonization, was seized 

 upon by President Monroe. It dovetailed perfectly with the 

 policy he and his cabinet had determined upon as a check 

 against the Holy Alliance. 



The words of the annual message of December 2, 1823, 

 which constitute the " Monroe Doctrijie " are as follows, 

 those aimed at Russia coming first : ~ 



At the proposal of the Russian Imperial Government, made 

 through the minister of the Emperor residing here, a full 

 power and instructions have been transmitted to the minister \ I 

 of the United States at St. Petersburg to arrange by amicable 

 negotiation the respective rights and interests of the two nations 

 on the northwest coast of this continent. A similar proposal had 

 been made by His Imperial Majesty to the Government of Great 

 Britain, which has likewise been acceded to. The Government 

 of the United States has been desirous by this friendly proceed- 

 ing of manifesting the great value which they have invariably 

 attached to the friendship of the Emperor and their solicitude 

 to cultivate the best understanding with his Government. In the 

 discussions to which this interest has given rise and in the arrange- 

 ments by which they may terminate the occasion has been judged 

 proper for asserting, as a principle in which the rights and interests 

 of the United States are involved, that the American continents, by 

 the free and independent condition which they have assumed and 



