"
[Footnote: Stapleton, Political Life of Canning, II., 24; W. C.
Ford, in Mass. Hist. Soc. Proceedings (2d series), XV., 415.]
Canning was willing to make public announcement that the recovery of
the colonies by Spain was hopeless; that the matter of recognition
was only a question of time; and that Great Britain did not aim at
the possession of any portion of them, but that it "could not see
any part of them transferred to any other power with indifference."
These professions Canning desired that the United States and England
should mutually confide to each other and declare "in the face of
the world."
Confronted with Canning's important proposition, Rush, who doubted
the disinterestedness of England, prudently attempted to exact a
preliminary recognition of the Spanish-American republics; if
Canning would agree to take this action, he would accept the
responsibility of engaging in such a declaration. [Footnote: Ford,
in Mass. Hist. Soc. Proceedings (2d series), XV., 420, 423.] Having
failed in four successive efforts to persuade Rush to join in an
immediate declaration, irrespective of prior recognition by England,
Canning proceeded alone, and, in an interview with Polignac, the
French minister in London, on October 9, 1823, he announced
substantially the principles which he had expressed to the American
minister.
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