Jefferson is the patron saint of the Democratic Party of
America. To that party his political dicta have always been as the " lively oracles of God." That being so, we feel sure that President Wilson must of late have had in his mind Jefferson's pronouncement on the Monme Dectrine. In 1823 President Monroe asked his illustrious predecessor whether the Washington tradition of " no entangling alliances " should be superseded by this " Monroe Doctrine," the device of Canning. Jefferson, as though he had seen in some magic mirror the dread crisis of to-day, replied :—
" The question presented by the letters you have sent me is the most momentous which has ever been offered to my contemplation shire that of Independence. . . . While Europe is labouring to become the domicile of Despotism our endeavour should be to make our Hemi- sphere that of- Freedom. One Nation most of all could disturb us- in this pursuit; she now offers to lead, aid, and accompany us By acceding to her /Imposition we . . . bring her mighty weight, into the scale of free government and emancipate a Continent at one stroke. . . Great Britain. is the Nation . . . and with her on our side we need not fear the whole world. With her we should cherish a cordial friendship and nothingwould tent more to knit affec- tions than to be fighting once more side by side in the same cause." --(Monticello, Cote-her. 2ith, 1823.)
Previous page
