[Footnote: Stapleton, Political Life of Canning, II., 26.]
Polignac thereupon disclaimed for France any intention to
appropriate Spanish possessions in America, and abjured any design,
on the part of his country, of acting against the colonies by force;
but he significantly added that the future relations between Spain
and her colonies ought to form a subject of discussion between the
European powers. Acting on this idea, and in opposition to England's
wishes, an invitation was sent to Russia, Prussia, and Austria to
confer at Paris on the relations of Spain and her revolted
provinces.
Rush's despatches relating the overtures of Canning reached
President Monroe [Footnote: Ford, in Am. Hist. Rev., VII., 684.]
October 9, 1823, on the same day that Canning was interviewing
Polignac. Adams was absent from Washington at the time, and Monroe,
returning to Virginia, consulted ex-Presidents Jefferson and
Madison. He clearly intimated his own belief that the present case
might be an exception to the general maxim against entanglement in
European politics, and was evidently willing to accept the proposal
of the British government.
Pages:
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314