Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1826-03-28

have been in perfect harmony with those oil tfer
peorle and while fobearing, their duties OF neu-
ttraii,y prescribed, from every measure winch
could Justly be construed hostile 10 Spain, they
have exerciei all the moral iniluence winch they
posses. ed to countenarce and promoethe cause OF
independence. So long as acon'est o. arms with
tional or even a remote prospec; OF eventual
success, was maintained by Sp,in, the United
States could not recognize he Independence OF
the colonies, as existing &c facto, without tres
passing on their duties to Spain, by assuming as
decided that which precisely the question oil
the war In the history of South American In
dependence, there two periods clearly distin-
gushable from each other The first that OF It's origin
when i; was ra,her war OF independence against
France than again., Spain, and the second, from
the restoration of Ferdinand the Seventh IN 1914.
Since that period the territories now constituting
the Republic Of Colombia have been the only the
are upon which SPAN has been able TO main
tain the conflict Extensively, with even proba-
BILE color of Ultimate success. But when ~ iS .,
she made her greatest effort in the expedition from
Cadiz, comma nded by Iorilo--Mex;co, Peru,
and Chilli were vet under her authority; and had
she sccceedcd in reducing the coast OF Terra Fir
ma ard Ne~ Grenada, the provinces Of LaPlata
divided among themselves; and weakened b. Tie
Portuguese occupation of Monte Video, wond
| probably not have held out AGAINST her long Ihis
at least was the calculation of her POLICY, and from
the geographical! position of these countries hich
may be termed the heart of South America, the
conclusion might well be drawn t:iat if the power
OF Spain could not he firmly reseated there, il
| mus; DE her part fruitless struggle to main
tain her supremacy in any part Of the American
conuen, The expedition of Moso ON lis first
arrival, atteaded with signal success-Car-
thasera was taken; the whole coast Of Terra Fir
ma was occupied, and New Grenada entirely
subdued. a remnant OF Patriots in Venezuela,
with their leader Bolivar returning from expulsion,
revived the cause of independence, and, after the
campaign of 1879, in which they reconGrered the
| whole ofNew Gre7ada, the demonstration became
complete that every effort of Spain to recover the
South American Continent must thenccforwartl
be desperate waste of her own resources, and
that the truest friendship Of other nations 10 her
would consist in making lier sensible that her
own interest would be best consulted by the ac-
acknowledgement of that independence which she
could no longer effectu@lly dispute.
To this conclusion he Government of the Uni
ted States had at an early period arrived. But from
that emergency, the President has considered the
question of recognition, both in moral and pslit-
zeal view, merely quesiic1 of he proper time
While Spain could entertain reasonable hope of
maintaining the war; and Of recovering her author
it7, the acknowleds OF the Colonies as Inde
pendent States would have been wrong 10 her
but she mad right upon the strength of this prn-
cple to maintain the preenson, after she was man
iiestly disabled from maintaining the contest. and
by unreasouably withholding her arknowle ige-
meni, to deprive the Indepc dence Of their RIGHT
20 demand the acknowledgement OF others. To
INK upon The precise time when the duty 10 res
pect the prior sovereign right OF Spain should cease
and that of yielding to the claim of acknowledge
ment would commence, subject of great del
icacy, and to the President, Of constant and anx
ous solicitude. 1t naturally became in the first in
stance proper subject of consultation with other
powers, having relations Of interests to themselves,
with the newly opened countries, well as infiu-
ence in the general affairs of Europe.
In August, 1918, formal proposal was made
to the British Government, Tor concerted and co
temporary recognition OF the Independence of Bue-
nos Ayres, then the only one OF the South Amer
lean States which, having declared independence.
had Eo Spanish force con ending against it, within
its borders; and herei therefore mos, equivocaI-
~ existed tn feet The British government, decin
ed accepting the proposal themselves, without
however expressing any di-spprobaion o. IL !;
without discussing ii as CUE; on OF principle,
ard without assigning anv reason for the refsal,
other than that it did not then sui, with their policy.
it.became subject OF consde; alton at the DELHI
erat:ons OF the Congress of AK La Chapelle, in
October, 1878. There Is reason to believe that
II disconnected projects which were there enter
tanned O. engaging The European Alliance in actual
operations against the South Americans, az it il
wei! known tina, plan for their joint mediation,
between Spain and her colonies, f.r restoring them
to her authority, actually raatured ard finally
called at that place, only by the refusal of Grea'
Britain 10 accede 10 the condition of employing
force eventually against the South Americans for
It's accomplishment. Some dissatisfaction was
manifested by several members of The Congress at
AK La Chapelle, at this avowal the pat OF
The Uned States, of 'h9r readiness TO recognize
the Independence OF Buenos Ayres
'lp in tta O r
New Grenada to the Patriot cause, immedi-
ately followed by the formation of the Republic Of
Colombia, consisting of three great divisions OF
the preceding Spanish Government, Venezua,
CundInama ca, aud Quito. 1t was soon succeeded
by the dissolution OF the Spanish authority in
Mexico +; by the Revolution in Spin Itself !;
and by the military operations which resulted in
the Declaration of independence in Peru. In No
veinber, 1920, concluded the armistice be-
tween the Generals Moro and Bolivar, togeth-
CT with subsequent treaty, stipulating that in
case OF the renewal OF The war, the parties you'd
abstain from all hostii;tIes and practices not con
sstent with the modern Law Of Nations. and the
humane maxims Of civilization. In February, 1921 &,
the partial Independence OF Mexico was proclaim
ed at Yguala and in Augit of he same year wa-
recognized by the Spanish Vice Roy and Captain
General O'DonoiJ, al ord va.
The formation ofths Republic of Columbia, by
the fundamental law of l7ih of December, IS 9,
was notified 10 this Government, by its Agent, the
late Don Manuel Torres, on the Goth of February,
1921, with rcques' tha it might be recognized
by the Government Of The United States, and
proposal for The negotiation OF Treaties of Com
merce and Navigation, founded upon the basis of
reciprocal untiHty and perfect equality, as the
mos eihcscious means of strengthening and in-
creasing the relations of afni;y between the two
Republics
The request and proposal were renewed in a
letter from Mr.. Torres Of the ooh of November,
1921, snd again repeated on the I'd of January,