1885-April-20: Logan analyzes the “no-transfer principle” as a development in American diplomacy, noting its roots in President Polk’s 1848 message regarding…

1885-April-20: Logan analyzes the “no-transfer principle” as a development in American diplomacy, noting its roots in President Polk’s 1848 message regarding Yucatan. By applying this principle to Haiti in 1885, the U.S. government effectively argued that even a voluntary transfer of territory by Haiti to a European power would violate the Monroe Doctrine. Logan characterizes this interpretation as a “perversion” of Monroe’s original 1823 message, which was intended to prevent forced colonization rather than voluntary cessions by sovereign states.