danger of entangling alliances with Europe. For long the nations of
Europe, immersed in Continental wars, put aside their rivalries in this
new world. Britain, for a time, neglected colonial expansion westward,
but in 1823, in an emergency of European origin when France,
commissioned by the great powers of continental Europe, intervened in
Spain to restore the deposed Bourbon monarchy and seemed about to
intervene in Spanish America to restore to Spain her revolted colonies,
there developed in Great Britain a policy, seemingly about to draw
America and England into closer co-operation. Canning, for Britain,
proposed to America a joint declaration against French intervention in
the Americas. His argument was against the principle of intervention;
his immediate motive was a fear of French colonial expansion; but his
ultimate object was inheritance by Britain of Spain's dying influence
and position in the new world.

Canning's overture was earnestly considered in America. The
ex-Presidents, Jefferson and Madison, recommended its acceptance, but
the Secretary of State, John Quincy Adams, opposed this, favouring
rather a separate declaration by the United States, and of this opinion
was also President Monroe. Thus arose the Monroe Doctrine announcing
American opposition to the principle of "intervention," and declaring
that the American continents were no longer to be regarded as open to
further colonization by European nations. The British emergency
situation with France, though already quieted, caused Monroe's Message
to be greeted in England with high approval. But Canning did not so
approve it for he saw clearly that the Monroe Doctrine was a challenge
not merely to continental Europe, but to England as well and he set
himself to thwart this threatening American policy. Had Canning's policy
been followed by later British statesmen there would have resulted a
serious clash with the United States[8].