— 408 —
could not view any interposition for the purpose of oppressing
them, or controlling in any other manner their destiny, by any
European power, in any other light than as the manifestation of
an unfriendly disposition toward the United States. — Our poliey
in regard to Europe, which was adopted at an early stage of
the wars which have so long agitated that quarter of the globe,
nevertheless remains the same, which is, not to interfere in the
internal eoncerns of any of its powers; to consider the govern-
ment de facto as the legitimate government for us; to cultivate
friendly relations with it, and to preserve those relations by an
frank, firm, and manly poliey, meeting, in all instances, the just
claims. of every power, submitting to injuries from none. But in
regard tho these continents, circumstances are eminently and
conspieuously different. It is impossible that the allied powers
should extend their political system to any portion of either con-
tinent without endangering our peace and happiness; nor can any
one believe that our southern brethren, if left to themselves,
would adopt it of their own accord. It is equally impossible,
therefore, that we should behold such interposition, in any form,
with indifference. If we look to the comparative strength and
resources of Spain and those new governments, and their distance
from each other, ıt must be obvious that she can never subdue
them. It is still the true policy of the United States to leave
the parties to themselves. in the hope that other powers will
pursue the same course“. Sieht man von diesen letzten Aus-
führungen, die nur eine Erläuterung und Rechtfertigung der Bot-
schaft enthalten, ab, so sind es zwei Sätze, die ihren Kern dar-
stellen. Einmal soll von europäischen Mächten auf amerikani-
schem Boden fortan keine Kolonie mehr gegründet werden dür-
fen. Und zweitens soll jede von ihnen ausgehende Einmischung
in die Angelegenheiten der amerikanischen Republiken als eine
Kundgebung unfreundlicher Gesinnung gegenüber den Vereinigten
Staaten angesehen werden. Als MONROE diese Gedanken verkün-
