314 AMERICAN DIPLOMATIC QUESTIONS 



see the colonists secure their independence, in the belief that 

 political relations could be equally well established with them. K 



"Again the English had/' wrote M. Beaumarchais, author 

 of "La Doctrine de Monroe" (p. 6), "the rare good fortune 

 of finding their own particular interests conform to the 

 nob)e cause of liberty, and they furthered well their real 

 purposes by posing before Europe, either hesitating or hos- 

 tile, as disinterested champions of Justice and Right." 



Lord Castlereagh, the Prime Minister, was chosen to 

 represent England at the Congress of Verpnaj_and the 

 ambassador drew his own instructions, which were to oppose 

 strenuously any proposed intervention in Spanish affairs. 

 He further instructed himself to make known the intention 

 of. his country to follow her own commercial interests by 

 sending diplomatic agents to South America. 



The death of Castlereagh, before the meeting of the allies, 

 brought Mr. Canning forward as Prime Minister, and he 

 appointed the Duke of Wellington in Castlereagh's place to 

 represent England at the Congress. At Verona the allies 

 signed a secret treaty (November 22, 1822) to which only 

 the names of Metternich, Chateaubriand, Bernstet (Prussia) 

 and Nesselrode appear. The first two articles of this instru- 

 ment are of especial interest. 



The undersigned, specially authorized to make some additions 

 to the treaty of the Holy Alliance, after having exchanged their 

 respective credentials, have agreed as follows : 



ARTICLE I. The high contracting powers, being convinced 

 that the system of representative government is equally as in- 

 compatible with the monarchical principles as the maxim of the 

 sovereignty of the people with the divine right, engage mutually, 

 in the most solemn manner, to use all their efforts to j)ut JJLend 

 to the system rf rgpi-psentative governments, in whatever country 

 it may exist in Eurcrpeyahn: ~w prevent its being introduced in 

 those countries where it is not yet known. 



ARTICLE II. As it cannot be doubted that the liberty of the 

 press is the most powerful means used by the pretended sup- 

 porters of the rights of nations, to the detriment of those Princes, 

 the high contracting parties promise reciprocally to adopt all 

 proper measures to suppress it, not only in their own states, but 

 also in the rest of Europe. 



