THE MONROE DOCTRINE 327 



. . . Its introduction was in a tone of deep solemnity and of 

 'high alarm, intimating that this country is menaced by imminent 

 and formidable dangers, such as would probably soon call for 

 their most vigorous energies and the closest union. It then pro- 

 ceeded to speak of the foreign affairs, chiefly according to the 

 sketch I had given him some days since, but with occasional vari- 

 ations. It then alluded to the recent events in Spain and Por- 

 tugal, speaking in terms of the most pointed reprobation of the 

 late invasion of Spain by France. It also contained a broad ac- 

 knowledgment of the Greeks as an independent nation , and a 

 recommendation to Congress to make an appropriation for send- 

 ing a minister to them. 



The members of the cabinet generally accepted the draft 

 of the message with approval, but Adams objected to its, y 

 whole tone as one of combined fear and aggression. It ap- 

 peared to him to be the cry of an alarmist ; it breathed an 

 air of direct defiance which he believed to be wholly un- 

 necessary; and at last it might precipitate a war, the most 

 unfortunate of possibilities. Adams desired to "take the 

 ground of earnest remonstrance against the interference of 

 the European powers by force with South America, but to 

 disclaim all interference on our part with Europe ; to make 

 an American cause, and adhere inflexibly to that." He 

 wished particularly to avoid mention of the allies, or refer- x 

 ence in hostile manner to any nation, his idea being solely 

 the enunciation of a principle. 



Notwithstanding Adams' desire to deal circumspectly with 

 personalities in public utterances, he still clung to the idea 

 of issuing a manifesto of some sort to Baron Tuyll in answer 

 to the Russian despatches. A comment in his diary upon a 

 paper he had prepared for this purpose and had introduced 

 in the cabinet meeting of November 25, is a valuable ex- 

 tract as showing not only his own views at the moment, but 

 also to what extent he was the real author of the " decla- 

 ration " in the President's message to appear later. 



" The paper itself," he wrote, " was drawn to correspond ex- 

 actly with a paragraph of the President's message which he had 

 read me yesterday, and which was entirely conformable to the 



