320 AMERICAN DIPLOMATIC QUESTIONS 



position, and with Europe by their relations. Was it possi- 

 ble that they could with indifference see their fate deter- 

 mined by Europe ? Had not a new epoch arrived in the 

 relative position of the United States toward Europe, which 

 Europe must acknowledge ? Were the great political and 

 commercial interests which hung upon the destiny of the new 

 continent to be canvassed and adjusted on the Eastern Hemi- 

 sphere without the cooperation or even knowledge of the 

 United States ? These were flattering suggestions to Mr. 

 Rush; and finally moved by such representations he consented 

 to rely upon his general power as a Minister Plenipotentiary, 

 and to take the desired stand with Mr. Canning, provided 

 England would first recognize the independence of the South 

 American states. To this Canning would not agree, and the 



I project of a joint American and English statement fell through. 

 Annoyed by his failure to secure the coopenition of the 

 United States, Canning decided to proceed alone. Turn- 

 ing to France, he made known to the French Ambassador, 

 Prince Polignac, England's determination to oppose the 

 interference of the allied powers in Spain's behalf to sub- 



- due her colonies. . To his surprise, no doubt, Polignac 

 declared that France entertained no such intention, and, 

 furthermore, that France fully agreed with England in that 

 the South American states were, to all intents and pur- 

 poses, free and should not be molested. Polignac further 

 disclaimed any intention on the part of his government 

 to seek any exclusive commercial advantage in Spanish 

 America. To Canning these statements of Polignac were 

 too extraordinary to be true ; he distrusted the French 

 diplomat, as the latter appears to have distrusted the Eng- 

 lishman, so Rush was not made acquainted by Canning with 

 the results of the Polignac conferences in time to forward 

 them to Washington before the end of the year (1823). As 

 it was largely against France that the animus of the Monroe 

 declaration was directed, it is not unlikely that had such a 

 disclaimer from Polignac reached President Monroe before 

 his message had been framed, its tone might have been con- 

 siderably modified. 



