SOUTH AMERICA, American Diplo matic Relations with. In 1783 the future in fluence of the new-born American republic upon Spanish America was foreseen by the appre hensive Spanish Prime Minister, Aranda. Three years later Gordoqui, the Spanish Minister to the United States, reported that Americans would probably form an establishment on the Falkland Islands to which many American ves sels had gone fishing in 1784 and 1785.
In 1787 American vessels sailing from Bos ton for the west coast stopped at the island of Juan Fernandez in direct violation of the Spanish restrictive order of 1782 which for bade foreign ships to navigate the South Seas without the permission of Spain. In 1790 other American vessels stopped at the Lobos Islands. Thereafter, in spite of the alarm of Spanish officials, a steadily increasing number of vessels contributed their influence to the development of new ideas along the Pacific Coast. By 1798 Salem merchants began with Cayenne a trade which rapidly pressed east ward along the Brazilian Coast. In 1799 Ameri can trading vessels (from Philadelphia) first reached Montevideo. By 1801 others (from Boston and Providence) first opened direct trade with Buenos Aires. American trade thereafter both with Brazil and with ports of the Plate rapidly increased. In 1803, when Spain complained that American vessels had participated in the fishery of sea dogs on the South American Coast, Secretary Madison, by direction of Jefferson, replied that Spain was not expected to controvert nor interrupt the 'rights of American citizens to navigate and use the seas.* Through efforts of business men and whalers ideas of republicanism and independence were introduced. As early as 1798 leading Ameri cans were attracted by the schemes of Miranda for inaugurating a revolution in Spanish America. In 1806, even before the British ex pedition of that year against the Plate territory of Buenos Aires, adventurous Americans participated in an ill-timed and unsuccessful expedition against Venezuela which Miranda equipped at New York under the representation that he had the secret sanction of the Ameri can government at Washington.
In the Spanish-American Revolution which began in 1810, the American government took a live interest illustrated in the prompt appoint ment of consular (or political) agents; but, in the face of strong suggestions or invitations for *fraternal alliances which would unite the Americas forever,* it maintained an impartial neutrality, opening its ports equally to both parties and restraining its citizens from inter fering in favor of either belligerent (although the American agent J. R. Poinsett directed the
Chilean army in a successful attack against the Peruvian forces in 1813). In 1815 William Thornton, a friend of the three early Virginian presidents, published a plan which he had ad vocated 15 years earlier, in favor of extending the republican system over all the Americas, and the adjacent islands-13 sections with dis tinct governments but united by one general government at the *City of America" on the Isthmus of Darien across which a lock canal was to be constructed from sea to sea. In 1815 President Monroe issued a neutrality proclamation, and in 1817 Congress enacted a neutrality law, which, amended in 1818, estab lished a higher standard of national obligation.
In 1818 President Monroe received a tempt ing proposition for separation of all Spanish America from Spain and the establishment of its freedom under the protection of the United States which under the plan was to extend its territorial limits to the Isthmus of Panama.
Finally, in March 1822, yielding to an obliga tion of duty, President Monroe recommended the recognition of Venezuela, Chile, Colombia and La Plata provinces as independent states a fact practically admitted by Spanish official negotiation with the insurgents and enforced by the absence of adequate Spanish forces to dispute it. On 17 June he received a regular diplomatic agent from Colombia (Don Manuel Torres). In January 1823, under act of May 1822, he appointed ministers to Argentina, Chile and Colombia, and in December 1823 issued the famous expression of policy against forcible intervention by a combination of European powers to restore Spanish dominion over the new republics. On 3 Oct. 1824 the American government concluded with Colombia at Bogota the first American treaty with a Latin-American republic— the first of a long series of treaties of amity and commerce with the republics, and containing liberal provisions for the abolition of discriminating duties and remained in operation until 1836. In May 1826, it recognized the in dependence of Peru which had recently been successful in obtaining the surrender of Callao, the last Spanish fortress in South America. In 1825 and thereafter both by direct repre sentation at Madrid and by solicitation of the co-operation of other European powers, it sought to induce Spain to recognize the govern ment of the new republics created from her former provinces and in September 1834 it finally obtained a decision in favor of negotia tions to that end. In 1825 it recognized the independence of Brazil which had been pro claimed in 1822 and established by force a year later.