THE MONROE DOCTRINE 359 



intention of assuming a role of guardianship over the Western 

 Hemisphere, nor of constituting herself the protector of 

 .South America. 



VII. SPANISH AMERICA AND CUBA 



From the close of the administration of John Quincy 

 Adams, in 1829, to the beginning of Folk's administration, 

 in 1845, there occurred a series of events connected with 

 Spanish-American interests which apparently called for 

 action on the part of the United States Government involv-. 

 ing the principles of the Monroe Doctrine, but which were,j 

 nevertheless, permitted to pass unnoticed. It has been said 

 that during that period the doctrine was dormant. All 

 attempts to secure legislative action upon the subject failed 

 in Congress, and the Monroe Doctrine was remembered only 

 as the policy of a past administration. It was, however, 

 universally endorsed as a good policy to revive, should occa- 

 sion demand it. In those days the words of President 

 Monroe did not apparently receive the broad interpretation 

 that has been given to them in more recent years. The 

 attitude of the country toward Europe, during this period, 

 was one that would likely have been assumed, even had no 

 Holy Alliance ever threatened to meddle in American affairs, 

 and had no defiant message been sent back across the sea. 

 The position assumed by all those who controlled the foreign 

 policy of the United States was simply one of self-defence, | 

 and in the absence of definite threats from abroad, the 

 doctrine was not invoked. 



The feelings of cordial sympathy in the United States 

 toward South Americans, which had been so freely extended 

 when those people were struggling for their liberty, sensibly 4 

 cooled when Spanish America finally succeeded in severing 

 its political relations with Spain. In a very short time the 

 South American states gave evidence of a woful lack of 

 political stability. Any sort of permanent confederation 

 among the various states was soon shown to be impossible. 

 A regular succession of revolutions distressed the land, and 



