Page:Cambridge Modern History Volume 7.djvu/401

1822-s] Congress of Verona. Monroe's Declaration. 369 direction, now took heart, and in March, 1822, recommended recognition. In this the House of Representatives gladly concurred, and without one dissenting vote appropriated $100,000 to meet the expense of sending Ministers. The Senate agreed, and on May 4, 1822, Monroe signed the Bill. In this way the United States recognised the in- dependence of the South American Colonies of Spain. In September the Allies met at Vienna, but soon adjourned to Verona, where in October, 1822, the affairs of Spain were carefully con- sidered. Certain changes, it was agreed, should be demanded in the Spanish Constitution ; and, if they were not made, a French army, supported, if necessary, by troops from Russia, Austria, and Prussia, should invade Spain. The demand was made and refused; the Ministers of the Allies left Madrid ; and on April 7, 1823, a French army entered Spain. Then Canning, the British Foreign Secretary, began to act. He knew, as everybody knew, that when the Allies had restored absolute monarchy in Spain they would go on and attempt to restore to her the rebellious colonies in South America lately recognised by the United States as independent republics. Turning to the American Minister, Richard Rush, he asked if the United States would join with Great Britain in a declaration that, while neither Power desired the colonies of Spain for herself, it was impossible to look with indifference on European intervention in their affairs. Rush had no instructions^ but he replied that the United States "would regard as highly unjust, and as fruitful of disastrous consequences, any attempt on the part of any European Power to take possession of the colonies by conquest, by cession, or on any other ground or pretext whatsoever"; and he promised to join in the declaration if Great Britain would first recognise the independence of the little republics. This Canning would not agree to ; so the joint declaration was never made. When Rush's report of his conversation with Canning reached the Secretary of State and was shown to Monroe, the President was sorely puzzled how to act. He turned, therefore, for advice to ex-presidents Jefferson and Madison, and, encouraged by them, laid the matter before his cabinet. With its approval he announced in his Annual Message to Congress, on December 2, 1823, the three principles ever since known as the Monroe Doctrine. The first related to the conduct of the Allies, and reads thus : " 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 interfered, and shall not interfere. But with the governments who have declared their independence and maintained it, and whose in- dependence we have, on great consideration and on just principles c. M. H. vn. GH. xi. 24