The Peril of the Republic of the United States of America - Percy T. Magan

dangerous to our peace and safety.” And
immediately after this there was enunciated the
solemn declaration: “With the existing colonies or
dependencies of any European power we have not
interfered, and shall not interfere.”
The Monroe Doctrine was proclaimed at a time
when the “allied powers” of Europe, whose
representatives, assembled at Vienna, took to
themselves the name of the “Holy Alliance,” were
attempting to give renewed prominence to the idea
that kings govern by divine right. “It was intended
to teach the people that all the liberties they were
entitled to possess were such only as the governing
monarchs deemed expedient to grant them; that
they were entitled to none whatsoever by virtue of
the natural law; that the attempt to establish
representative and liberal government, like that of
the United States, was an unpardonable sin against
God; and that the highest duty of citizenship was
obedience to monarchical authority.”[1]
Such were the principles of the Holy Alliance
of the crowned heads of Europe; its specific object
358