THE MONROE DOCTRINE 319 



Mr. Rush still hesitated to answer, fearing to complicate 

 the United States in the political broils of Europe, a most 

 undesirable step, he believed, for his country to take ; more- 

 over, he felt certain that the President would sanction no 

 such radical departure from the fundamental principles of 

 American politics. He cautiously replied to the British 

 Secretary that he could safely say the United States agreed 

 with Mr. Canning in all he had said concerning the future 

 status of the Spanish colonies. He concluded, however, 

 with the following vigorous words : " We should regard as 

 unjust, and fruitful of highly disastrous consequences, any at- 

 tempt on the part of any European power to take possession 

 of them by conquest, by cession, or on any other ground or 

 pretext." Lack of instructions from Washington did not 

 warrant him in joining with Mr. Canning in an open declara- 

 tion to that effect. A little later, Mr. Rush wrote to Can- 

 ning, that his government " would regard as objectionable 

 any interference whatever in the affairs of Spanish America, 

 unsolicited by the late provinces themselves, and against 

 their will. It would regard the convening of a Congress 

 to deliberate upon their affairs as a measure uncalled-for, 

 and indicative of a policy highly unfriendly to the tranquil- 

 lity of the world. It could never look with insensibility 

 upon such an exercise of European jurisdiction over com- 

 munities now of right exempt from it, and entitled to 

 regulate their own concerns unmolested from abroad." 



Mr. Canning continued to urge Mr. Rush to join him in 

 an open declaration, because the congress of the powers would 

 soon meet, and England was desirous of arming herself before- 

 hand with an American declaration, in order that she might 

 not enter the lists alone and single-handed against the designs 

 of the allies. Mr. Rush still hesitated. Communication 

 with the United States required many weeks, and by that 

 time an answer from Washington would be of little avail. 

 Again the British Secretary prodded Mr. Rush. " They 

 [United States] were the first power established on that 

 continent, and now confessedly the leading power ; " they 

 were connected with South America by their geographic 



