In Washington's farewell address, he warned America to steer clear of permanent alliances "with any portion of the foreign world". 30 years later, John Quincy Adams was getting America entangled in "portions of the" South American nations. It was 1825, and President Adams had just accepted an invitation from Simón Bolívar, the "Liberator" of South America to send a delegation to the Congress of Panama in 1826. Adams reasoned that it would be in the best interests of our nation and it would strengthen ties with South America. Furthermore, it would fortify the Monroe Doctrine's warnings against European intervention in the West. But, congress still mindful of Washington's warning about getting entangled in foreign affairs, was not buying it. Some even saw it as unconstitutional and a secret alliance. In 1819, Simón Bolívar led his patriot army to a decisive victory in the Battle of Boyacá over the Spanish and paved the way not only for the independence of Columbia, but the entire region of northern South America. Simón Bolívar invited the United States to attend and President John Quincy Adams was making preparations to attend the deliberations.
Some of the biggest criticisms came from southern congressmen who were concerned that the Panama Congress would express criticism of slavery and slave trade. You see, just a couple years earlier, Guatemala became the first Latin American nation to outlaw Slavery. And many other countries including Argentina, Peru, Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay and Mexico were following suit. Adams explained in his 1825 State of the Union that the United States would take part in these deliberations, but tried to calm the fears of any alliance by qualifying that the U.S. would attend so long as the deliberations were compatible with the U.S. policy of neutrality.
"Among the measures which have been suggested to them by the new relations with one another, resulting from the recent changes in their condition, is that of assembling at the Isthmus of Panama a congress, at which each of them should be represented, to deliberate upon objects important to the welfare of all. The Republics of Colombia, of Mexico, and of Central America have already deputed plenipotentiaries to such a meeting, and they have invited the United States to be also represented there by their ministers. The invitation has been accepted, and ministers on the part of the United States will be commissioned to attend at those deliberations, and to take part in them so far as may be compatible with that neutrality from which it is neither our intention nor the desire of the other American States that we should depart"Nevertheless on April 22, 1826 the house of representatives did vote to cover the expense of sending an American delegation to Panama. It was a victory for Adams, but a hollow one. Two delegates were chosen, one died en route, and the other delegate did not arrive until the Panama of Congress was essentially over. In Adams address to congress, he addressed the "obstacles" which existed in Panama Congress, but ignored the obstacles in his own congress.
"In accepting the invitations to be represented at [the Panama] congress, while a manifestation was intended on the part of the United States of the most friendly disposition toward the southern Republics by whom it had been proposed, it was hoped that it would furnish an opportunity for bringing all the nations of this hemisphere to the common acknowledgment and adoption of the principles in the regulation of their internal relations which would have secured a lasting peace and harmony between them and have promoted the cause of mutual benevolence throughout the globe. But as obstacles appear to have arisen to the reassembling of the congress, one of the 2 ministers commissioned on the part of the United States has returned to the bosom of his country, while the minister charged with the ordinary mission to Mexico remains authorized to attend the conferences of the congress when ever they may be resumed."Of course, this wouldn't be the last time America get's entangled in South American affairs. Not even the last time in Panama, just 75 years later America would help engineer the declaration of Panama's independence.
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