304 AMERICAN DIPLOMATIC QUESTIONS 



generation has seen, with painful feeling, Congress after Congress 

 assembling in Europe to decide without ceremony, the destiny and 

 affairs of foreign independent states. And if we, the greatest 

 offender of all against the principle of legitimacy, had not been 

 brought under their jurisdiction, and subjected to their parental 

 care, we owed the exemption to our distance from Europe and to 

 the known bravery of our countrymen. But who can say, that 

 has observed the giddiness and intoxication of power, how long 

 this exemption will continue ? It had seemed to him desirable 

 that a sort of counterpoise to the holy alliance should be found in 

 the two Americas in favor of national independence and liberty, 

 to operate by the force of example and by moral influence ; that 

 here a rallying-point and an asylum should exist for freemen and 

 for freedom. 



Adams agreed with Clay in the broad principles, but dif- 

 fered with him only in the course the United States should 

 practically adopt before occasion called more loudly for ac- 

 tion. He told Mr. Clay that h"e never doubted the final issue 

 of the struggle in South America, and that he believed it to 

 be better policy to take no active part. " The principle of 

 neutrality," he continued, "to all foreign wars was, in my 

 opinion, fundamental to the continuance of our liberties and 

 our Union." Wishing well to the cause of freedom in South 

 America, he had yet to see better evidences that the South 

 Americans meant to establish " free or liberal institutions of 

 government." 



As events turned out, Clay's vision seems to have proved 

 the clearer, but Adams' conservative action was probably the 

 wiser. However, no more alarming threats from abroad 

 came, and our recognition of the South American states was 

 not effected until May, 1822. 



The previous year Spain had ratified the treaty ceding the 

 Floridas, and with that vexed question off the programme, 

 the State Department found itself greatly relieved. With 

 these pressing details out of the way, the administration was 

 free to turn its attention to a more remote but much more 

 important matter. The solicitude of the President and 

 Secretary Adams was at once directed to the consideration 

 of permanent opposition to European intervention in the 



