. The sovereigns
assembled at Aix la Chapelle, have agreed, secretly, to draw the
Americans to join them in this policy, when Spain should be undeceived,
and have renounced the project of re-conquering her provinces; and the
king of Portugal warmly promoted this plan through his ministers." France
also sought by intrigue to secure the acceptance by the United Provinces
and Chile of a monarchical government under French protection.

For the reasons before stated these designs naturally alarmed Canning,
England's distinguished Minister of Foreign Affairs, and he proposed to
Mr. Rush, the American Minister at London, that Great Britain and the
United States should join in a protest against European interference with
the independent States of Spanish America. This was in September 1823,
and in a message of December 2, following, President Monroe uttered his
famous declaration to the effect that "the United States would consider
any attempt on the part of the European powers to extend their system to
any portion of this hemisphere as dangerous to our peace and safety."[4]
Mr. Monroe's motive in issuing this declaration was wholly American and
patriotic. England's designs were inevitably aided by the action of the
American President, and the English Government approved and their press
applauded America's resolute course, but it was not to win English
applause, but to defend the integrity of the United States that the
Monroe Doctrine was proclaimed to the world. The opposition of Great
Britain and the attitude of the United States proved more than the Holy
Alliance cared to confront, and the nations of Spanish America were
allowed to enjoy without further molestation the independence which they
had gained by years of heroic effort and sacrifice.

[4] "They (the United States) have aided us materially. The Congress
(Verona) was broken in all its limbs before, but the President's
(Monroe's) speech gives it the coup de grace. While I was hesitating
in September what shape to give the protest and declaration I
sounded Mr. Rush, the American Minister here, as to his powers and
disposition to join in any step which we might take to prevent a
hostile enterprise on the part of the European powers against
Spanish America. He had not powers, but he would have taken upon
himself to join with us if we would have begun by recognizing the
Spanish-American States. This we could not