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Itisonlywhenourrightsareinvadedorseriouslymenacedthatweresentinjuriesor
makepreparationforourdefense.Withthemovementsinthishemisphereweareof
necessitymoreimmediatelyconnected,andbycauseswhichmustbeobvioustoallen-
lightenedandimpartialobservers.
Thepoliticalsystemofthealliedpowersisessentiallydifferentinthisrespectfromthat
ofAmerica.Thisdifferenceproceedsfromthatwhichexistsintheirrespective
Governments;andtothedefenseofourown,whichhasbeenachievedbythelossofso
muchbloodandtreasure,andmaturedbythewisdomoftheirmostenlightenedcitizens,
andunderwhichwehaveenjoyedunexampledfelicity,thiswholenationisdevoted.
Weoweit,therefore,tocandorandtotheamicablerelationsexistingbetweentheUnited
Statesandthosepowerstodeclarethatweshouldconsideranyattemptontheirpartto
extendtheirsystemtoanyportionofthishemisphereasdangeroustoourpeaceand
safety.WiththeexistingcoloniesordependenciesofanyEuropeanpowerwehavenot
interferedandshallnotinterfere,butwiththeGovernmentswhohavedeclaredtheir
independenceandmaintainedit,andwhoseindependencewehave,ongreatconsidera-
tionandonjustprinciples,acknowledged,wecouldnotviewanyinterpositionforthe
purposeofoppressingthem,orcontrollinginanyothermannertheirdestiny,byany
Europeanpowerinanyotherlightthanasthemanifestationofanunfriendlydisposition
towardtheUnitedStates.
InthewarbetweenthosenewGovernmentsandSpainwedeclaredourneutralityatthe
timeoftheirrecognition,andtothiswehaveadhered,andshallcontinuetoadhere,
providednochangeshalloccurwhich,inthejudgmentofthecompetentauthoritiesof
thisGovernment,shallmakeacorrespondingchangeonthepartoftheUnitedStates
indispensabletotheirsecurity.
ThelateeventsinSpainandPortugalshewthatEuropeisstillunsettled.Ofthisimpor-
tantfactnostrongerproofcanbeadducedthanthatthealliedpowersshouldhave
thoughtitproper,onanyprinciplesatisfactorytothemselves,tohaveinterposedby
forceintheinternalconcernsofSpain.Towhatextentsuchinterpositionmaybecarried,
onthesameprinciple,isaquestioninwhichallindependentpowerswhosegovernments
differfromtheirsareinterested,eventhosemostremote,andsurelynonemoresothan
theUnitedStates.
OurpolicyinregardtoEurope,whichwasadoptedatanearlystageofthewarswhich
havesolongagitatedthatquarteroftheglobe,neverthelessremainsthesame,which
is,nottointerfereintheinternalconcernsofanyofitspowers;toconsiderthegovern-
mentdefactoasthelegitimategovernmentforus;tocultivatefriendlyrelationswithit,
andtopreservethoserelationsbyafrank,rm,andmanlypolicy,meetinginallin-
stancesthejustclaimsofeverypower,submittingtoinjuriesfromnone.
Butinregardtothosecontinentscircumstancesareeminentlyandconspicuouslydiffer-
ent.Itisimpossiblethatthealliedpowersshouldextendtheirpoliticalsystemtoany
portionofeithercontinentwithoutendangeringourpeaceandhappiness;norcanany-
onebelievethatoursouthernbrethren,iflefttothemselves,wouldadoptitoftheirown
accord.Itisequallyimpossible,therefore,thatweshouldbeholdsuchinterpositionin
anyformwithindifference.IfwelooktothecomparativestrengthandresourcesofSpain
andthosenewGovernments,andtheirdistancefromeachother,itmustbeobviousthat
shecanneversubduethem.ItisstillthetruepolicyoftheUnitedStatestoleavethe
partiestothemselves,inthehopethatotherpowerswillpursuethesamecourse.