The United States had already in 1822 appointed Ministers to Colombia and Buenos Ayres, and in his message of December 2, 1823, President Monroe announced that diplomatic relations were being established with the more important South American Republics. But more important in its effect was the passage in this message to the effect that the United States owed it to candour and to the amicable relations existing between them and the European Powers to declare that "we should consider any attempt, on their part, to extend their system to any portion of this hemisphere, as dangerous to our peace and safety. With the existing colonies or dependencies of any European Power, we have not interfered, and shall not interfere. But with the Governments who have declared their independence, and maintained it, and whose independence we have, on great consideration and on just principles, acknowledged, we 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 the manifestation of an unfriendly disposition towards the United States." 1 The Conferences in Paris were held, but were composed only of the resident diplomatic representatives of the Powers who had agreed to take part. "The object of those conferences never clearly transpired." 2 § 640. Rejection of British Mediation by France between her and Spain. Wellington, on his way back from Verona (see § 465), arrived in Paris in December 1822, where he found instructions awaiting him to offer the mediation of George IV between France and Spain before the despatches drafted at Verona were transmitted to Madrid, and having learnt that they had not yet been forwarded, he addressed the following Note to the French Government : 1 Brit. and For. State Papers, xi. 17–18. Paris, December 17, 1822. The Undersigned, His Britannic Majesty's Plenipotentiary, has explained and recorded at the conferences of Verona the Sentiments of his Government upon the present critical State of Affairs between France and Spain; and the earnest solicitude of The King, His Master, to avert a War of which no human foresight can calculate the consequences. Upon his arrival at Paris the Undersigned found instructions from his Government to offer to H. M. C. Majesty the Mediation of the King, his Master, before the decisive Step should have been taken of transmitting to Madrid the despatches written at Verona. The Undersigned rejoiced at the delay which had been interposed to the transmission of those despatches to Madrid by the reference to Verona, and his Government have learnt with the liveliest satisfaction the determination of the French Government to reconsider a measure, which The Undersigned had so anxiously deprecated. It is the sincere hope of His Majesty that this salutary Reconsideration may prevent recourse to Arms. But as the issue of the reference to Verona may still be doubtful, The Undersigned is instructed to declare that if the Answer to that reference should not be such as to preclude all danger of hostilities His Majesty will be ready to accept the office of Mediator between the French and Spanish Governments, and to employ His most strenuous Endeavours for the Adjustment of their differences, and for the preservation of the Peace of the World.1 The reply of the duc de Montmorency, French minister for Foreign Affairs, to the foregoing, was worded as follows: Paris, le 26 décembre, 1822. Le soussigné, ministre des affaires étrangères, a reçu et mis sous les yeux du roi la note que S. Exc. le duc de Wellington lui a fait l'honneur de lui adresser le 17 de ce mois. S. M. a apprécié les sentimens qui ont engagé le roi d'Angleterre à offrir sa médiation à S. M., afin de prévenir une rupture entre elle et le gouvernement espagnol; mais S. M. n'a pu s'empêcher de voir que la situation de la France à l'égard de l'Espagne n'était pas de nature à appeler une médiation entre les deux cours. En fait, il n'existe aucun différend entre elles, aucun point spécial de discussion par l'arrangement duquel leurs relations 1 From a copy at the P.R.O., F.O., 179/23. A French translation in Garden, Traité Complet, iii. 336. pourraient être rétablies dans l'état où elles devraient être. L'Espagne, par la nature de sa révolution et par les circonstances qui l'ont accompagnée, a excité les craintes de plusieurs grandes puissances; l'Angleterre a partagé ces craintes, car, même en 1820, elle prévoyait des circonstances dans lesquelles il serait impossible de conserver avec l'Espagne des relations de paix et de bonne intelligence. La France est plus intéressée qu'aucune autre puissance aux événemens qui peuvent résulter de la situation actuelle de cette monarchie. Mais ce ne sont pas seulement ses intérêts qui sont compromis, et qu'elle doit surveiller dans les circonstances actuelles; le repos de l'Europe et la conservation de ces principes qui le garantissent se trouvent compromis. Le duc de Wellington sait que tels sont les sentimens qui ont dicté la conduite de la France à Verone, et que les cours qui les ont approuvés ont regardé les conséquences de la révolution et de l'état actuel de l'Espagne comme communes à elles toutes; qu'elles n'ont jamais eu l'idée que c'était entre la France et l'Espagne seules qu'il fallait aplanir les difficultés existantes; qu'elles regardaient la question comme entièrement européenne; et que c'est en conséquence de cette opinion que les mesures qui avaient pour objet de faire, s'il était possible, une amélioration dans l'état d'un pays si intéressant pour l'Europe, ont été connues et proposées; mesures dont le succès aurait été certain si l'Angleterre avait jugé qu'elle pouvait y concourir. S. M. T. C., qui était obligée de peser mûrement ces considérations, a donc cru qu'elle ne pouvait accepter la médiation qu'il a plu à S. M. B. de lui proposer; elle voit cependant avec plaisir dans cette proposition un nouveau gage de la disposition conciliatrice du gouvernement anglais, et elle pense qu'avec de tels sentimens, ce gouvernement peut rendre un service essentiel à l'Europe, en offrant, de la même manière, au gouvernement de l'Espagne des conseils qui, en lui inspirant des idées plus calmes, pourraient produire une heureuse influence sur la situation intérieure de ce pays. S. M. apprendrait avec la plus vive satisfaction le succès de pareils efforts. Elle y verrait une juste raison d'espérer la conservation de la paix, dont les gouvernemens et les peuples d'Europe ne peuvent trop apprécier le prix. Le soussigné saisit avec empressement l'occasion de renouveler à S. Exc. le duc de Wellington les assurances de sa haute considération. (Signe) MONTMORENCY.1 1 Garden, Traité complet, iii. 337. In the copy in that work the general practice as to use of capital initials and abbreviation of titles has been disregarded. De Martens says: "La médiation différant essentiellement de l'interposition des bons offices, on peut accepter ceux-ci et rejeter la médiation."1 This is what was done by the Note just cited. The French Minister refuses mediation, but suggests moderating counsels being offered by Great Britain to the Spanish Government in power. Chateaubriand, in communicating through the French Chargé d'affaires a copy of the King's speech delivered to the Chambers on January 28, 1823, announcing the preparations made for the invasion of Spain, nevertheless accompanied it with a declaration of his desire for the good offices of the British Government, and Canning in February instructed Sir William A'Court to urge upon the Spanish Government to avert the threatened invasion by modifying in some way the Constitution. Unfortunately the tone of speeches in the French Chamber nullified any effect which the counsels of the British Government might possibly have produced, and rendered it a point of honour not to entertain the question of modifications.2 1 Précis du Droit des Gens, edit. Pinheiro-Ferreira, ii. 20 n, 2 Stapleton, Political Life of George Canning, i. 280. CHAPTER XXXIV ARBITRATION § 641. As will be seen from what has been said in the last two chapters, good offices" are often confused with "mediation," and sometimes assume that form, while a mediation may now and then involve an arbitration. In fact, arbitration may be regarded essentially as an agreement to confer on a mediator, in place of a commission to negotiate terms of settlement, the more extended power of pronouncing a judgment on the matters at issue between the parties. A commission d'enquête, such as was held in connexion with the Dogger Bank affair, may have almost the same effect as an arbitration. When a Power is resolved on war, neither the tender of good offices nor of mediation will avail to prevent the peace of the world from being broken. On the whole, arbitration will only be resorted to where a desire exists on both sides to settle a dispute amicably, and where the subject-matter of the controversy is of comparative unimportance. Nearly all the existing arbitration treaties or conventions accordingly except questions affecting the vital interests, independence or honour of the two contracting States. The literature of the subject is enormous, much of it produced by persons who regard arbitration as the panacea for the bellicose passions of nations and a means of checkmating the ambitious schemes of governments and autocrats. The following works may be recommended to students who desire to pursue this subject further: |