Page:Life of Henry Clay (Schurz; v. 1).djvu/159

Rh was wholly owing to his desire to annoy the Monroe administration. This is clearly an unjust charge, for he had loudly proclaimed his ardent sympathies with the South American insurgents while Madison was still President. We remember that in his speech on the direct taxes in January, 1816, he seriously put the question whether the United States would not have openly “to take part with the patriots of South America.” So on January 24, 1817, before Monroe's inauguration, he had stoutly opposed a bill “more effectually to preserve the neutral relations of the United States,” intended to stop the fitting out of armed cruisers in American ports; he had opposed the bill on the ground that it might be advantageous to old Spain in the South American struggle. All this had sprung naturally from his emotional enthusiasm. He was therefore, although imprudent in his propositions, yet only true to himself, when, under Monroe's administration, he continued to demand that the neutrality law of 1817 be repealed; that our neutrality be so arranged as to be as advantageous as possible to the insurgent colonies; and finally that the United States send a minister to the “United Provinces of Rio de la Plata,” there by formally recognizing that revolutionized colony as an independent state. This he proposed in March, 1818. Three commissioners had been appointed by the President to go to South America for the purpose of looking into the condition of things; and, to cover the necessary expenses, the