AN INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNAL FOR EUROPE. 359 



declared in favour of non-intervention ip the internal affairs of a 

 Sovereign State, an action which justly earned for her the gratitude 

 of all friends of political and religious freedom. 



On that occasion, the Duke of Wellington, the Ambassador of 

 England, declared : 



" His Majesty's Government are of opinion, that to animadvert upon the 

 internal transactions of an independent State, unless such transactions affect the 

 essential interests of His Majesty's subjects, is inconsistent with those principles 

 on which His Highness has invariably acted, on all questions relating to the 

 internal concerns of other countries." 



Happily, the policy of England triumphed, for, whilst resisting in 

 Europe with great vigour the policy of the Triple Alliance, she raised 

 up on the American Continent, an unexpected and powerful opposi- 

 tion, and by consummate diplomacy, allied the United States of 

 America with England, which led to the famous Declaration of 

 President Munroe, that the interference of Europe, or of any European 

 Power, in affairs on the American Continent, would be firmly 

 resisted. 



This was the coit^-de-gr&ce to the policy of the Triple Alliance. 

 Canning, as it was well described at the time, having " called a New 

 World into existence to redress the balance of the Old," recognised 

 the independence of the revolted Spanish Colonies, and hurled a 

 blow at the despotic policy of the Holy Alliance, that caused it to 

 reel, and, finally, to crumble in the dust. 



This historic statement will doubtless be considered a slight 

 divergence from the main argument, but it seemed necessary, in 

 ordet to prevent, possibly to correct, any misapprehension arising 

 from the similarity of the two Alliances of the Great Powers, of 1 814 

 and 18 1 8. 



As in the past, so in the future, statesmen, of large experience in 

 foreign Affairs, place considerable reliance upon the concert and 

 agreement of the Great European Powers, for arriving at a pacific 

 and satisfactory solution of international questions, provided, that 

 intervention does not affect the internal affairs of States, except so 

 far as those affairs are not of international interest, and are not 

 likely to involve Europe in a general war. 



We have seen, in the past, numerous instances of the beneficial- 

 effect exercised by this alliance of Europe, which augurs favourably 

 for the future. 



The Revolution in Greece for the overthrow of Turkish domination 



