The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-04-16


: and il became important to her, to have re
sponsibIc government to deal with; but Eng.
land had alliances upon the continent which
disturbed and embarrassed her not :itile in
} deliberations on the South American question
and il was while England was hating thus be
tween her allies and her interests, that the gov
eminent of the United States proclaimed to the
world, that there should be no Intervention by
any foreign power, in the contest between
Spain and her colonies on this continent.
refer, sir, of course, to the celebrated message
of President Monroe, at the December session
of 1923.
II had been made known to the government in
a manner presently to be stated, that the allied
powers of Europe had it in serious cOntempa-
ton to come to the aid of Spain in reducing to
submission her revolted colonies in America
and the President seized the occasion to make
it known that no such interference would be toll
Grated on this continent.
quote from the message:
Extract from President .Monros's Message, Deem
Der Cd, 1923.
We owe it, therefore, to candor, and to the
amicable relations existing between the United
States and those powers, to declare that We
should consider any attempt on their part to
extend their system to any portion OF this
hemisphere as dangerous to our peace and safety
With the existing colonies or dependencies OF
any European power we have not intsrfered,
and shall not interfere. But with the govern
ments who have declared their independence,
and maintained it, and whose Independence we
have, on great consideration and on just princi-
Piles, acknowledged we could not view any in
terpositon for the purpose of depressing them,
or controlling in any other light than as the man
ifestatiOns of any unfriendly disposition towards
the United States.
| ain the war between those new governments
and Spain, we declared our neutrality at the
| time Of their recognition, and to this we have
adhered, and shall continue to adhere, provided
no change shall occur which, in the judgment of
the competent authorities of this government,
shall make corresponding change on the part
Of the United States Indispensable to their
security.
sour policy in regsrd to Europe, which was
adopted at an early stage of the wars which have
so long agitated that quarter of the globe,
nevertheless remains the same, which is, not to
interfere in the internal concerns or any of its
powers
"But in regard to these continents, circum-
stances are eminently and conspicuously differ
ent. 1t is impossible that the allied powers
| should extend their political system to any por-
| ton of either continent, without endangering
| our peace and happiness, nor can any one be-
lieve that our Southern brethren, if left to them
selves, would adopt it Of their own accord
| at is equally impossible, therefore, that we
| should behold such interposition in any form
with Indifference"
The ground upon which President Monroe
based this deliberate declaration was, as will be
seen, that the allied powers could not extend
their political system to any portion of the con-
tnent of America ,oithoM enddngering our
peace and happiness. That was the distinct, in.
dependent, and sole ground on which he JUST.
fed ths ostensible departure from the estab
ished policy of the country. 1t was boldly and
wisely done, and was sustained by the American
people. This declaration went upon the princi
| pie, that whilst this government dsclamed all
| right to interfere in controversies between for
sign powers yet such disclaimer was obviously
limited to controversies which could not affect
our own people; when by any such controversy
different aspect was presented-the safety and
interest of our country became our sole guide.
1t becomes interesting, and will be illustra
tive, ts ascertain how this celebrated declaration
was brought about. The Senator from Louisi
ana has brought to the attention of the Senate
a conference which had taken place a short time
previously in London, between Mr.. Rush, ou
then minister at the Court of st. James, and the
British secretary for foreign affairs. The view
taken by the honorable Senator was, that Mr.
Rush had been charged by his government to
negotiate with England on the subject of the
recognition of South American independence.
Speaking of Mr.. Rush's interviews with Mr.
Canning, &c, the Senator says:
"Among the important negotiations intrusted
to his skill and management, was that of OBJ
tanning from England n recognition of inde
pendence for the Spanish colonies IIe APP.
preached the subject with inexpressible adroit
nes1 and delicacy, and soon brought the British
minister to his views by suggesting declaration
of the principles upon which that independence
should be indicated"
If construe the Senator Alright, and he meant
to say that our minister had been charged by his
government TO sound the British cabinet on the
policy of "a joint declaration of the principles
upon which that independence should be vindi
Gated" concede, if it were SO, that it would
have formed a striking departure from our pre-
vious policy of RETAINING from all political con
nection with any foreign power. The Senator
refers for this, to the very interesting book sub
sequenty published, by the minister, on his
|" Residence in London" | have carefully ex
amued the work, and do not find that the min
lister had been instructed by the government to
negotiate at ALL or for any purpose, upon the
subject of South American independence
| Mr.. Rush was the minister of the United
States resident in England, where he had been
for some years, and in this connection, says, that
he had recently, before that time, received dis.
patches from home, committing to him five sew
eral subjects, upon which he was to open nego-
Citations with the government of England and
he received, with those dispatches specific and
minute instructions upon every point. lie
states what those subjects were. The first re
lated to commercial intercourse between the
United States and the British colonies in Am
erica; the second, to the suppression of the
slave trade; the third, to the unsettled boun-
Diary between the two countriesj the fourth,
to the admission Of consuls of the United
States into the commercial ports of England
and the fifth, to the fisheries of Newfoundland;
every one being utterly alien to anything con-
| nected with the recognition Of South American
independence. Nor do find anywhere, that he
had been commissioned by his government to
hold any conference whatever, with the govern
| cc prf,in hat ouh;oof 10