326 AMERICAN DIPLOMATIC QUESTIONS 



character she might allow, not only Spain, but pro re nata 

 other powers, as allies of Spain, to interfere in reducing 

 them by force, to obedience. Such a proceeding was im- 

 possible to the United States, from the mere fact of their 

 recognition of the independence of the territories in 

 question." 



While discussion was proceeding in the cabinet over the 

 form of instructions to be sent to Mr. Rush, a new phase 

 of the question suddenly developed and called for con- 

 sideration. 



Baron Tuyll, the Russian Minister in Washington, read to 

 Mr. Adams certain despatches he had received from Count 

 Nesselrode. One of these was the exhibition of " passionate 

 exultation at the counter revolution in Portugal and the 

 impending success of the French army in Spain ; an 4 lo 

 Triomphe ' over the fallen cause of [popular] revolution, with 

 sturdy promises of determination to keep it down. . . ." 

 Mr. Adams believed the expression of these sentiments called 

 for some sort of answer from the United States. " My pur- 

 pose would be," declared Mr. Adams " in a moderate and con- 

 ciliatory manner, but with a firm and determined spirit, to 

 declare our dissent from the principles avowed in those com- 

 munications, to assert those upon which our own government 

 is founded, and while disclaiming all intention of attempting 

 to propagate them by force, and all interference in the polit- 

 ical affairs of Europe, to declare our expectation and hope 

 that the European powers will equally abstain from the 

 attempt to spread their principles in the American hemi- 

 sphere, or to subjugate by force any part of these continents 

 to their will." The President agreed with Mr. Adams in 

 this respect, and at the next meeting of the cabinet he read, 

 from a rough draft, the annual message to Congress he was 

 preparing to deliver to that body on December 2. In this 

 draft he had inserted not only his views upon the matters 

 in question, but had also added some lines covertly intended 

 for the Czar as a reply to Nesselrode's despatches to Baron 

 Tuyll. Of this preliminary draft of the message Mr. Adams 

 wrote in his diary under date of November 21, 1823 : 



