orecast, and in the spirit of
these principles I may, I hope, be permitted with as much confidence as
earnestness, to extend to the governments of all the republics of
America the hand of genuine disinterested friendship and to pledge my
own honor and the honor of my colleagues to every enterprise of peace
and amity that a fortunate future may disclose."

The policy here outlined, and elaborated a few months later in an
address before the Southern Commercial Congress at Mobile, Alabama, has
been termed the New Pan-Americanism. The Pan-American ideal is an old
one, dating back in fact to the Panama Congress of 1826. The object of
this congress was not very definitely stated in the call, which was
issued by Simon Bolivar, but his purpose was to secure the independence
and peace of the new Spanish republics through either a permanent
confederation or a series of diplomatic congresses. President Adams
through Henry Clay, who was at that time Secretary of State, promptly
accepted the invitation to send delegates. The matter was debated at
such length, however, in the House and Senate that the American
delegates did not reach Panama until after the congress had adjourned.
In view of the opposition which the whole scheme encountered in
Congress, the instructions to the American delegates were very
carefully drawn and their powers were strictly limited. They were
cautioned against committing their government in any way to the
establishment of "an amphictyonic council, invested with power fully to
decide controversies between the American states or to regulate in any
respect their conduct." They were also to oppose the formation of an
offensive and defensive alliance between the American powers, for, as
Mr. Clay pointed out, the Holy Alliance had abandoned all idea of
assisting Spain in the reconquest of her late colonies. After
referring to "the avoidance of foreign alliances as a leading maxim" of
our foreign policy, Mr. Clay continued: "Without, therefore, asserting
that an exigency may not occur in which an alliance of the most
intimate kind between the United States and the other American
republics would be highly proper and expedient, it may be safely said
that the occasion which would warrant a departure from that established
maxim ought to be one of great urgency, and that none such is believed
now to exist."

The British Government sent a special envoy to reside near the Congress
and to place himself in frank a