¹ Henderson, American Diplomatic Questions, 340.

² Moore, International Law Digest, VI, 405.

³ Burgess, The Middle Period, 128.

⁴ Henderson, American Diplomatic Questions, 341.

⁵ Burgess, The Middle Period, 146.

⁶ Torrens to Secretario de Relaciones, 6 de diciembre de 1823, La Diplomacia Mexicana, II, 67.

⁷ Moore, International Law Digest, VI, 437.

⁸ American State Papers, Foreign Relations, VI, 579.

⁹ Clay to Poinsett, March 26, 1825, MS. Department of State, Instructions, X, 225. This portion of Poinsett’s instructions is not printed in the extracts in American State Papers, Foreign Relations, V, 908, nor in House Ex. Doc. No. 42, 25th Cong., 1st Sess., p. 5.

¹⁰ Clay to Everett, April 27, 1825, MS. Dept. of St., Instr., X, 302; extracts in Am. St. P., For., V, 866; British and Foreign State Papers, XIII, 430; Chadwick, U. S. and Sp., Dipl., 206.

¹¹ Clay to Middleton, May 10, 1825, MS. Dept. of St., Instr., X, 331; MS. Rel. Ext.; Am. St. P., For., V, 846; Br. and For. St. P., XIII, 403.

The careful editor of the very interesting Correspondence of the Russian Ministers in Washington, 1818-1825, incorrectly states that this despatch is not in the American State Papers. See Am. Hist. Rev., XVIII, 561. “To guard against any accident which might befall the original,” a copy of this instruction of May 10 was mailed by separate conveyance a little more than a fortnight later. See Brent to Middleton, May 26, 1825, MS. Dept. of St., Instr., X, 665.

¹² See Adams, Memoirs, VI, 191-222, passim; and Cor. of Rus. Min. in Washington, 1818-1825, Am. Hist. Rev., XIII, 309-345, 537-562. On, Nov. 9/21, 1818, ibid., 317, Nesselrode wrote from Aix-la-Chapelle to Poletica in Washington: “Si donc, à votre arrivée à Washington, le Gouvernement Américain n’a point encore résolu la reconnaissance des Colonies Espagnoles insurgées, il Vous est trés-expressément recommandé de cherche à dissuader le Cabinet de Washington de cet acte d’hostilité envers l’Espagne.”

On July 13/25, 1822, ibid., 342, Nesselrode wrote Baron Tuyll in Washington: “Si la connoissance du désir qu’auroit l’Empereur de voir cet état de paix se prolonger, pouvoit porter le Gouvernement des Etats-Unis à ne modifier en rien les dispositions qu’il a manifestoés envers l’Espagne et à ne pas s’armer contre el dans le lutte que soutiennent ses provinces d’Outre-mer, vows n’hésiteriez point à exprimer les vceux de Sa Majesté Impériale.”

On Dec. 2/14, 1822, ibid., 540, Nesselrode again wrote Tuyll: “Nous ne prétendons pas arrêter la marche de l’avenir; l’affranchissement de l’Amérique Méridionale est probable, il est immenent peut-être, mais, je le répète, c’était une raison de plus aux veux de l’Empereur, pour souhaiter que Son Ministre engageât le gouvernement des Etats-Unis à suivre un systéme inoffensif à l’égard de l’Espagne.” These communications show a desire to maintain peace, although in other respects they differ radically from the position of the United States. It is safe to assume that their spirit, at least, was made known to the Government at Washington.

¹³ Adams, Memoirs, VII, 8-10.

¹⁴ Nesselrode to Tuyll, le 4 Septembre 1825, Am. Hist. Rev., XVIII, 562.

¹⁵ Clay to King, May 11, 1825, MS. Dept. of St., Instr., X, 345.

Baron Tuyll’s communications to the Russian ambassadors at London and Paris concerning the mediation were, at Adams request, carried by King in order that the matter might first reach the English court through the American minister. Adams, Memoirs, VII, 10.

¹⁶ Clay to James Brown, May 13, 1825, MS. Dept. of St., Instr., X, 356.

¹⁷ 0bregon to Secretario, 8 de Mayo de 1825, MS. Rel. Ext.

¹⁸ The Mexican minister in Washington wrote his government February 2 that reports had reached him of two ships fitting out in Ferrol. Six days later he enclosed a clipping from the Washington, Gazette saying a frigate, three sloops of war, and several transports had already reached Havana from Spain, and others were coming, to make an attack from there on Vera Cruz. On March 30 he told of the arrival of new reinforcements in Cuba. In this letter he said he had offered rewards to Cuban exiles whom he was in touch with to induce them to burn the Spanish ships that had recently come. On July 11 he reported three thousand men on their way from ’Cormla to reinforce the garrison of San Juan de UlUa in Vera Cruz harbor, the only remaining Spanish post in Mexico. Obregon to Secretario, 2 de Febrero, 8 de Febrero, 30 de Marzo, 11 de Junio de 1825, MS. Rel. Ext.

Michelena reported from London that, in a conference of May 21, Canning had told him that the troops being collected at Coruna ostensibly for Peru were really going to Havana; and Michelena had replied that opinion in the island was becoming unfavorable to the Peninsula because of the unwise measures of the Madrid Government. Rocafuerte wrote on July 9 that merchants of Cadiz and Havana had agreed to stand the cost of an expedition of 12,000 men against Panama or Mexico. One vessel had left Cadiz and three more were about ready to sail. Michelena to Secretario, 21 de Marzo de 1825; Rocafuerte to Secretario, 9 de Julio de 1825; MS. Rel. Ext.

¹⁹ Alaman to Rocafuerte, 1 de Junio de 1825, MS. Rel. Ext.

²⁰ 0bregon to Secretario, 2 de Julio de 1825, and reply, 7 de Septiembre de 1825, MS. Rel. Ext.

²¹ Basadre to [Secretario] Kingston, 24 de Julio de 1825, 27 de Julio de 1825, MS. Rel. Ext. See note 17, above.

Callahan, Cuba and Int. Rel., 142, discusses briefly the appearance of the French fleet in the West Indies.

²² Poinsett to Clay, Aug. 17, 1825, and enclosures, Alaman to Poinsett, Aug. 16, 1825, and Poinsett to Alaman, Aug. 17, 1825; MSS. Dept. of St., Desp., II; Am. St. P., For., VI, 364; Br. and For. St. P., XIII, 995. And see also Poinsett to Clay, Aug. 21, 1825, MS. Dept. of St., Mex. Desp., I; extracts in Am. St. P., For., V, 909; Br. and For. St. P., XIII, 488.

²³ Poinsett to Alaman, Aug. 16, 1825, Alaman to Poinsett, Aug. 16, 1825, Poinsett to Clay, Aug. 17, 1825, MS. Dept. of St., Mex., Duplicates of Poinsett’s Despatches.

²⁴ Rocafuerte to Secretario, 9 de Agosto de 1825, saying Canning had promised to question France but no explanation had yet been given him; Obregon to Secretario, 18 de Septiembre de 1825, enclosing Rocafuerte to Obregon, 12 de Agosto de 1825, telling what the French Government had declared to the English; all in MSS. Rel. Ext.

²⁵ Canning to Granville, June 21, 1825, Stapleton, of. Cor. of Canning, I, 376. This shows that the explanation had been asked and given long before the Mexican Government’s note of June 1, requesting such, could have been received. Before the French movement had occurred Canning had said : “I have some reason to believe that Polignac is instructed, or is disposed without instructions (I would not undertake to say which) to hint at the possibility of the occupation of the Havannah by France. That will never do.” Ibid., 265.

²⁶ 0bregon to Secretario, 18 de Septiembre de 1825, MS. Rel. Ext. The Address of President Boyer of July 11, 1825, accepting the Ordinance of the King of France recognizing independence, is in Br. and For. St. P. XIII, 999. Temperley, Later Am. Po-licy of Canning, Am. Hist. Rev., XI, 791, says the French fleet “came ostensibly to collect a debt from. Hayte.”

²⁷ Clay to Poinsett, Sept. 24, 1825, MS. Dept. of St., Instr., X; extracts from this letter not including this portion are in Am. St. P., For., VI, 581; and House Ex. Doc. No. 42, 25th Cong., 1st Sess., p. 7.

²⁸ Clay to James Brown, Oct. 25, 1825, MS. Dept. of St., Instr., X, 404; Br. and For. St. P., XIII, 424.

It caused the administration some embarrassment in its relations with Congress, and Clay tried to explain away objections raised. See McMaster, U. S., V. 53, 54; and Clay to Poinsett Nov. 9, 1825, Am. St. P., For., V, 854, or ibid., VI, 582, and Br. and For. St. P., XIII, 423; also Message of President to House, March 30, 1826, Br. and For. St. P., XIII, 483-489, and Poinsett to Clay, May 6, 1826, ibid., 998.

In December this communication to Brown was shown to the Mexican minister. Obregon to Secretario, 15 de Diciembre de 1825, MS. Rel. Ext.

²⁹ Brown to Damas, Jan. 2, 1826, Am. St. P., For., V, 882; Br. and For. St. P., XIII, 444. Brown to Clay, Jan. 10, 1826, Am. St. P., For., V, 881; Br. and For. St. P., XIII, 445.

³⁰ Canning to Granville, June 21, 1825, Stapleton, of. Cor. of Canning, I, 276. See also Stapleton, A. G., Life of Canning, III, 142-150; and Temperley, Later Am. Policy of Canning, Am. Hist. Rev., XI, 790, which says Canning feared the United States more than France. Temperley, Life of Canning, 188, says England’s recognition of the Spanish American states “restrained the pretensions of the Yankees, and preserved Cuba to Spain.”

³¹ Canning to Liverpool, Aug. 6, 1825, Stapleton, of. Cor. of Canning, I, 285.

³² Clay to King, Oct. 17, 1825, MS. Dept. of St., Instr., X, 394; same to same, Oct. 26, 1825, ibid., 405.

For Canning’s proposal see also Callahan, Cuba and Int. Rel., 147-151. On page 52 this writer says Canning, on receipt of Clay’s suggestion that England should declare to France her unwillingness to see Cuba pass to any European Power other than Spain, declared he had already stated to France practically the same thing, the previous July, and so there was no reason for repeating it at some one else’s suggestion.

³³ Am. St. P., For., VI, 589.

³⁴ Moore, Int. Law Digest., VI, 408.

³⁵ Am. St. P., For., VI, 592.

³⁶ Br. & For. St. P., XIII, 1082.

³⁷ Moore, Int. Law Digest, VI, 416; Henderson, American Diplomatic Questions, 347; Edington, The Monroe Doctrine, 155.

³⁸ Moore, Int. Law Digest, VI, 417; Henderson, Am. Dipl. Questions, 350.

³⁹ Moore, Int. Law Digest, VI,405.

⁴⁰ Ibid., VI, 406.

⁴¹ Henderson, Am. Dipl. Questions, 358.

⁴² Moore, Int. Law Digest, VI, 420.

⁴³ Ibid., VI, 416.

⁴⁴ Canning to Liverpool, Oct. 6, 1826, in Stapleton, of. Cor. of Canning,II, 144.

⁴⁵ Callahan, Cuba and Int. Rel., 157.

⁴⁶ Everett to Clay, Aug. 17, 1827, House Ex. Doc. No. 121, 32d Cong., 1st Sess., p. 19. As evidence, Everett enclosed a copy, which had been given him in the strictest confidence, of a despatch dated June 1 from the Spanish minister at London. That minister said the information had been given him by the Duke of Wellington. Everett said it was strange that the Duke should have revealed such; but thought it “was probably owing to the strong feeling of dis• gust and bitterness with which he has been inspired by, the late change in the administration.” See also Chadwick, U. S. and Spain, Dipl., 216.

⁴⁷ Everett to Salmon, Dec. 10, 1827, enclosed with Everett to Clay, Dec. 12, 1827; House Ex. Doc. No. 121, 32d Cong., 1st Sess., pp. 22, 21. See Chadwick, U. S. and Sp., Dipl., 217.

⁴⁸ Clay to Daniel P. Cook, March 12, 1827, MS. Dept. of St., Instr., XI, 267. This shows that Adams and Clay were aware of the English designs long before the information from Everett came. For the instructions to Robertson in 1825 see above, p. 32 and note 68. The former agent did not go; but Cook went, had several interviews with the Spanish governor, Vivés, and reported. This confidential mission was the subject for a Congressional investigation the, next year, and occasioned considerable embarrassment for the administration. Adams, Memoirs, VIII, 20-21.

⁴⁹ Van Buren to Van Ness, Oct. 2, 1829, House Ex. Doc. No. 121, 32d Cong., 1st Sess., pp. 27, 28; Moore, International Law Digest, VI, 448.

⁵⁰ Poinsett to Van Buren, Oct. 14, 1829, MS. Dept. of St., Mex., Desp., IV.

⁵¹ Van Buren to Poinsett, Nov. 30, 1829, enclosing the despatch to Butler, MSS. Dept. of St., Instr., XIV.

⁵² Van Buren to Van Ness, Oct. 13, 1830, House Ex. Doc. No. 121, 32d Cong., 1st Sess., p. 28; Moore, International Law Digest, VI, 449.

⁵³ Moore, Int. Law Digest, VI, 434.

⁵⁴ Ibid.,VI, 442.

⁵⁵ Ibid., VI, 450. Latané, Diplomatic Relations between the U. S. and Spanish America, 104.

⁵⁶ Moore, Int. Law Digest, VI, 450; Latané, Dipl. Rel. between the U. S. and Sp. Am., 104.