THE MONROE DOCTRINE 329 



directed to the people of the United States and not to any 

 foreign sovereign, it would be less likely to give offence. 

 Southard agreed with Mr. Adams. " If the Czar and the 

 Holy allies choose to sing to us the praises of despotism," 

 he said, "they cannot take umbrage at our chorus for free 

 institutions, even though directed to them." 



Up to this time (about a week before the convening of 

 Congress), Mr. Wirt, the Attorney General, who had been 

 absent from these important cabinet meetings, now appeared 

 upon the scene, and with a mind uninfluenced by the former 

 spirited discussions, he proceeded to examine Mr. Adams' 

 draft of manifesto from a purely common-sense point of view. 

 Might it not, after all, seem to be mere bombast, for if the 

 allies should actually begin hostile operations against South 

 America, would the United States back up Mr. Adams' dec- 

 laration with men and guns ? To this Adams could only 

 reply, " It is, and has been to me, a fearful question." 

 Upon that point he said in his diary : 



My paper and the paragraph would certainly commit us as far 

 as the Executive constitutionally could act on this point ; and if 

 we take this course, I should wish that a joint resolution of the 

 two Houses of Congress should be proposed and adopted to the 

 same purport. 



Five days before the annual message became due, the situ- 

 ation in the cabinet was still one of confusion. Adams in- 

 sisted upon pouring hot shot into the Czar by a letter to Tuyll 

 containing a most thorough indorsement of republican insti- 

 tutions. To this the President still demurred, fearing that 

 England might take offence at the rabid republicanism of the 

 document, and withdraw from her position of harmony with 

 the United States. Monroe was conservative, and Adams 

 extreme ; but on the other hand, the President desired in his 

 message to score France and the Holy allies both for their 

 interference in Spain and their contemplated interference in 

 America. He wished to recognize the independence of 

 Greece, to all of which Adams objected, insisting that he 

 should " disclaim all intention of interfering with these, and 



