372 AMERICAN DIPLOMATIC QUESTIONS 



of the subject to make known in this solemn manner that they 

 should view all efforts on the part of any other power to procure 

 possession, whether peaceably or forcibly, of that island, which, as 

 a naval or military position, must, under circumstances easy to be 

 foreseen, become dangerous to their southern coast, to the Gulf 

 of Mexico, and to the south of the Mississippi, as unfriendly acts 

 directed against them, to be resisted by all the means in their 

 power. 



John P. Hale, of New Hampshire, moved to amend this 

 resolution by the insertion of the word "Canada." No 

 action was taken on the resolution, but its introduction pro- 

 voked a lengthy discussion upon the subject of European 

 interference on the Western continent, in which the princi- 

 ples of the Monroe Doctrine were very generally endorsed. 

 The Southern members advocated an extension of the doc- 

 trine into a justification for seizing Cuba, while the Northern 

 members, though less decided in their opinions, were still 

 willing to press the words of Monroe into the service of 

 acquiring territory which lay to the north of the United 

 States. Only Mr. Howard of Texas ventured the belief that 

 the Monroe Doctrine did not mean " that every settlement 

 upon any sand-bank on this continent is an offence which is 

 to result in war." 



To succeed President Fillmore, the Whigs failed to 

 elect their candidate, General Scott. He had been the 

 war hero of 1845, but was reduced in 1852 to the "peacock 

 of politics, all fuss, feathers, and fireworks." The Demo- 

 cratic party, demanding an aggressive foreign policy, and 

 decrying the " old fogyism " of Taylor and Fillmore, tri- 

 umphantly placed Franklin Pierce in the White House. 

 The slavery question had made the annexation of Cuba a 

 party issue, and the Democrats looked to Pierce to carry out 

 their wishes in this respect. In his inaugural address, the 

 President declared that the policy of his administration would 

 not be controlled " by any timid foreboding of evil from expan- 

 sion." Indeed, he further declared, " it is not to be disguised 

 that our attitude as a nation, and our position on the globe, 

 render the acquisition of certain possessions not within our 



