Page 172 - The interest of America in sea power, present and future

American Naval Power. 153

Monroe doctrine, though elicited by a partic-
ular political incident, was not an isolated step
unrelated to the past, but a development. It
had its antecedents in feelings which arose be-
fore our War of Independence, and which in
1778, though we were then in deadly need of
the French alliance, found expression in the
stipulation that France should not attempt to
regain Canada. Even then, and also in 1783,
the same jealousy did not extend to the Flori-
das, which at the latter date were ceded by
Great Britain to Spain ; and we expressly ac-
quiesced in the conquest of the British West
India Islands by our allies. From that time
to 181 5 no remonstrance was made against the
transfer of territories in the West Indies and
Caribbean Sea from one belligerent to another
— an indifference which scarcely would be
shown at the present time, even though the
position immediately involved were intrinsi-
cally of trivial importance ; for the question at
stake would be one of principle, of conse-
quences, far reaching as Hampden's tribute of
ship-money.
It is beyond the professional province of a
naval officer to inquire how far the Monroe