The Holy Alliance.-He found them prepared to view his case with sympa-thy.Three of them,Austria,Prussia,and Russia,under the leadership of the Czar,Alexander I,in the autumn of 1815,had entered into a Holy Alliance to sustain by reciprocal service the autocratic principle in government.Although the effusive,almost maudlin,language of the treaty did not express their pur-pose explicitly,the Alliance was later regarded as a mere union of monarchs to prevent the rise and growth of popular government.
The American people thought their worst fears confirmed when,in 1822,a conference of delegates from Russia,Austria,Prussia,and France met at Verona to consider,among other things,revolutions that had just broken out in Spain and Italy.The spirit of the conference is reflected in the first article of the agreement reached by the delegates:"The high contracting powers,being convinced that the system of representative government is equally incompatible with the monarchical principle and the maxim of the sovereignty of the people with the divine right,mutually engage in the most solemn manner to use all their efforts to put an end to the system of representative government in whatever country it may exist in Europe and to prevent its being introduced in those countries where it is not yet known."The Czar,who incidentally coveted the west coast of North America,proposed to send an army to aid the king of Spain in his troubles at home,thus preparing the way for intervention in Spanish America.It was material weakness not want of spirit,that prevented the grand union of monarchs from making open war on popular government.
The Position of England.-Unfortunately,too,for the Holy Alliance,Eng-land refused to co?perate.English merchants had built up a large trade with the independent Latin-American colonies and they protested against the restora-tion of Spanish sovereignty,which meant a renewal of Spain's former trade mo-nopoly.Moreover,divine right doctrines had been laid to rest in England and the representative principle thoroughly established.Already there were signs of the coming democratic flood which was soon to carry the first reform bill of 1832,extending the suffrage,and sweep on to even greater achievements.Brit-ish statesmen,therefore,had to be cautious.In such circumstances,instead of co?perating with the autocrats of Russia,Austria,and Prussia,they turned to the minister of the United States in London.The British prime minister,Can-ning,proposed that the two countries join in declaring their unwillingness to see the Spanish colonies transferred to any other power.
Jefferson's Advice.-The proposal was rejected;but President Monroe took up the suggestion with Madison and Jefferson as well as with his Secretary of State,John Quincy Adams.They favored the plan.Jefferson said:"One nation,most of all,could disturb us in this pursuit [of freedom];she now offers to lead,aid,and accompany us in it.By acceding to her proposition we detach her from the bands,bring her mighty weight into the scale of free government and emancipate a con-tinent at one stroke....With her on our side we need not fear the whole world.With her then we should most sedulously cherish a cordial friendship."
Monroe's Statement of the Doctrine.-Acting on the advice of trusted friends,President Monroe embodied in his message to Congress,on Decem-ber 2,1823,a statement of principles now famous throughout the world as the Monroe Doctrine.To the autocrats of Europe he announced that he would regard "any attempt on their part to extend their system to any portion of this hemisphere as dangerous to our peace and safety."While he did not propose to interfere with existing colonies dependent on European powers,he ranged himself squarely on the side of those that had declared their independence.Any attempt by a European power to oppress them or control their destiny in any manner he characterized as "a manifestation of an unfriendly disposition toward the United States."Referring in another part of his message to a recent claim which the Czar had made to the Pacific coast,President Monroe warned the Old World that "the American continents,by the free and independent con-dition which they have assumed and maintained,are henceforth not to be con-sidered as subjects for future colonization by any European powers."The effect of this declaration was immediate and profound.Men whose political horizon had been limited to a community or state were led to consider their nation as a great power among the sovereignties of the earth,taking its part in shaping their international relations.