410 AMERICAN DIPLOMATIC QUESTIONS 



the Monroe Doctrine is not clear. Mr. Monroe expressly 

 stated that, " With the existing colonies or dependencies of 

 any European power we have not interfered and shall not 

 interfere." 



Certain political disturbances in South America, from 1864 

 to 1871, drew from Washington further statements relating 

 to the Monroe Doctrine. An alliance of South American 

 states, including Chili and Peru, were involved in difficul- 

 ties with Spain, growing out of the unsatisfied claims of 

 Spanish citizens. In the war that followed a Spanish 

 fleet bombarded Valparaiso (March, 1866), and the United 

 States was looked to by the allies for an assertion of 

 the Monroe Doctrine. Mr. Seward wrote to Mr. Kirk- 

 .patrick, the American Envoy to Chili (June 2, 1866) that 

 the Government of the United States will "maintain and 

 insist with all the decision and energy which are compatible 

 with our existing neutrality that the republican system 

 which is accepted by any one of those [South American] 

 states shall not 1 wantonly assailed, and that it shall not be 

 subverted as an end of a lawful war by European powers." 

 However, Mr. Seward declared it was not the intention of 

 the United States to go beyond this position. In South 

 American wars, where European powers did not seek the 

 establishment of monarchical government, the United States 

 could not be expected to take part. 



In the early part of 1895 Great Britain was moved to 

 indignation by the arrest and forcible detention by Nicara- 

 guan authorities of Mr. Hatch, the acting British Consul, 

 and certain other British subjects in the Mosquito Reser- 

 vation. These men were denied a trial, and summarily 

 expelled from Nicaraguan territory. Nicaragua alleged that 

 they had instigated riots against her sovereignty in Mosqui- 

 tia, but she failed to give the prisoners a hearing before 

 a court of justice. Great Britain at once presented a 

 claim of 15,000 pounds sterling, and receiving no satisfac- 

 tory promise of payment from Managua, promptly sent a 

 war vessel to Corinto to enforce her demands. 



Nicaragua appealed to the United States. Mr. Gresham 



