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the French Minister, on the 9th of October, 1823, in which the latter proposed : "That in the interests of humanity, and especially in that of the Spanish Colonies, it would be worthy of the European Govern- ments to concert together the means of calming, in those distant and scarcely civilized regions, passions blinded by party spirit, and to endeavor to bring back to a principle of union in govern- ment, whether monarchical or aristocratical, people among whom absurd and dangerous theories were now keeping up agitation and disunion." But the conference terminated without a result. Mr. Canning, no doubt, deemed it better to await intelligence from this capital relative to his proposal to our Minister. The world-renowned message contained Mr. Monroe's answer. It was as unexpected as a destructive earthquake, and dispelled every hope which had been indulged in Paris, and in autocratic circles elsewhere, of the reestablishment of Spain in her lost possessions. It was thus that the triumph of England over the Holy Alliance was effected, as was explained when Parliament met in the following Febru- ary, by the Marquis of Lansdowne in the House of Lords, and Mr. Brougham in the House of Commons. In the discussion upon the speech from the throne, at the open- ing of the session, the Marquis observed, in the House of Lords, in commenting upon that part of it relating to the non-recognition of the Spanish-American States in terms of disapproval: "But if we had been tardy, it was a satisfaction to find that America had on this occasion taken that decisive step which so well became its character and its interest. As that important decision was of the utmost consequence to every portion of the world where freedom was valued, he could not grudge to the United States the glory of having thus .early thrown her shield over those struggles for freedom, ·which were so important, not merely to America herself, but to the whole world." ... Let their lordships look to what had happened in the United States. There a population of three millions had, in the course of forty years, been increased to ten millions." In the House of Commons, during the same day and in the same discussion, Mr. (now Lord) Brougham remarked: "The Holy Alliance! [A cry of "Hear!"] What, wns this desig- nation of these sovereigns doubted? Why, it was not his, but that which they had given themselves. There was but one view that could be taken of that league of conspirators and of the motives of their alliance." . .·. "The question, however, with regard to
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