342 AMERICAN DIPLOMATIC QUESTIONS 



in regard to our neighbors our situation is different. It is impos- 

 sible for the European governments to interfere in their concerns, 

 especially in those alluded to, which are vital, without affecting 

 us; indeed, the motive which might induce such interference in 

 the present state of the war between the parties, if a war it may 

 be called, would appear to be equally applicable to us. It is grati- 

 fying to know that some of the powers with whom we enjoy a 

 very friendly intercourse, and to whom these views have been 

 communicated, have appeared to acquiesce in them. . . ^ 



An occasion was about to be presented to the United 

 States Government which would indicate the extent to which 

 the country was willing to go in pledging its material sup- 

 port to the Monroe Doctrine. In the negotiations and 

 debates relative to an invitation from the South American 

 states to send delegates to a general Congress of the 

 Americas, every shade of sentiment touching the Monroe 

 Doctrine is found. So widely divergent were opinions in 

 Congress upon this subject, that the doctrine, after running 

 the gantlet of the Senate and House, emerged sadly dis- 

 figured. But in these debates, as with Clay's resolution, 

 a series of political considerations became involved. The 

 reluctance of Congress on this occasion to endorse the policy 

 was, after all, scarcely a test of popular sentiment on the 

 subject. 



VI. PANAMA CONGRESS 



Simon Bolivar was the Washington of South America. 

 It was his voice that stirred the people to patriotic ardor ; 

 it was his martial skill that brought them victory, and won 

 for them the prizes of liberty. His statue adorns the public 

 squares of South American cities ; his memory is revered 

 from Panama to Buenos Ayres ; he is declared to be the 

 hero, the liberator of South America. At his instance, the 

 states of Colombia in 1822 (then New Granada) began mak- 

 ing treaties of alliance, offensive and defensive, with other 

 South American states, whose independence from Spain had 

 been practically won. In that and the following year, the 



