Did you know that in Caracas, Venezuela a monument was built to honor the great American politician, Henry Clay? It is dedicated to the cooperation that Henry Clay provided to Simón Bolívar in the liberation of the South American colonies from Spain. As early as 1816, as speaker of the House, Henry Clay began a campaign in the U.S. Congress to support the colonies of Spain who were then in revolt. When Henry Clay became Secretary of State under John Quincy Adams, his zeal in promoting the the friendship between the republics of North and South America, got the attention of Simón Bolívar, the "Liberator" of South America who then invited the United States to send a delegation to the Congress of Panama in 1826. Pictured above is Henry Clay addressing the senate years after the Panama Congress. Unfortunately, I could find no copyright free picture of the statue in Caracas, but the pose looks to be very similar if not the same as this picture.
The invitation to the Panama Congress, gave Clay an opportunity to prepare instructions to the United States delegation which would outline the principles of "the Pan-American movement" and enunciate the principles of the "Monroe Doctrine" (Highland Recorder 1941) . Under the leadership of Simón Bolívar, the newly liberated republics of Mexico, Columbia, and Central America, all of whom depended upon the "Monroe Doctrine to guarantee their independence were forming a league to oppose the aggression of Spain. Secretary Clay and President Adams viewed it as a way to fortify the Monroe Doctrine against European intervention in South America, and accepted the invitation, but the slave holding states saw this as a grave danger. The revolutions in South America was bringing not only independence to the southern half our our hemisphere, but also the emancipation of slaves. If the two new republics of Cuba and Puerto Rico were admitted to the Panama Congress than slaves on those islands might be liberated. And if countries like Haiti where blacks were free, were admitted into the Panama Congress, then the United States would be forced to accept their ministers into our country. Some Southern Congressmen were not willing to permit black consuls and ambassadors into to our country and treat with all the privileges and honor of an ambassador. The debates in Congress were long and bitter, but with pressure from Secretary Clay, the Senate voted 24 to 19 to accept the invitation from Bolívar to attend the panama Congress. With the acceptance of both the President and Congress, Secretary of State Henry Clay, then appointed Richard Clough Anderson Jr. of Kentucky and John Sargeant of Pennsylvania as envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Panama Congress. Earlier in 1823, Richard Anderson served as the first United States Minister Plenipotentiary to the Gran Colombia and in 1825, where he concluded the first bilateral treaty with another American State. Unfortunately, on October 15, 1826 Richard Clough Anderson Jr. died en route to Turbaco Columbia.
In President John Quincy Adams second State of the Union address, he discussed the untimely death of Anderson and it's impact on our attendance at the Panama Congress. First Adams shared the good news that the Spanish military had been totally expelled from the South American territories, and except for an occasional agitation lingering after civil wars, the continent of South America was enjoying tranquility. The Panama Congress which met in Panama had adjourned and was to meet again in Mexico. Due to the death of Minister Anderson, the envoy never made it to the Congress in Panama and "deprived United States of the opportunity of possessing precise and authentic information of the treaties which were concluded at Panama". Even though Adams had no reason to believe that the any transactions of the Panama Congress were detrimental to the interests of the United States, this lack of knowledge made it urgent that the Senate nominate a replacement to join the remaining delegate, Mr. John Sargeant of Pennsylvania. Ambassador Sargeant was already on his way to Mexico and would be awaiting whomever the senate nominates.
"With the American Governments of this hemisphere we continue to maintain an intercourse altogether friendly, and between their nations and ours that commercial interchange of which mutual benefit is the source of mutual comfort and harmony the result is in a continual state of improvement. The war between Spain and them since the total expulsion of the Spanish military force from their continental territories has been little more than nominal, and their internal tranquillity, though occasionally menaced by the agitations which civil wars never fail to leave behind them, has not been affected by any serious calamity.
The congress of ministers from several of those nations which assembled at Panama, after a short session there, adjourned to meet again at a more favorable season in the neighborhood of Mexico. The decease of one of our ministers on his way to the Isthmus, and the impediments of the season, which delayed the departure of the other, deprived United States of the advantage of being represented at the first meeting of the congress. There is, however, no reason to believe that any transactions of the congress were of a nature to affect injuriously the interests of the United States or to require the interposition of our ministers had they been present. Their absence has, indeed, deprived United States of the opportunity of possessing precise and authentic information of the treaties which were concluded at Panama; and the whole result has confirmed me in the conviction of the expediency to the United States of being represented at the congress. The surviving member of the mission, appointed during your last session, has accordingly proceeded to his destination, and a successor to his distinguished and lamented associate will be nominated to the Senate. A treaty of amity, navigation, and commerce has in the course of the last summer been concluded by our minister plenipotentiary at Mexico with the united states of that Confederacy, which will also be laid before the Senate for their advice with regard to its ratification."As with all State of the Union Addresses, the words are delivered the President, but represent his entire cabinet. In this case, there is no doubt that these words are in support of and in concurrence with the thoughts Secretary of State Henry Clay whose passion was to see the independence of the South American colonies. One hundred years later, during the preparations for the anniversary of the Congress of Panama, an American citizen and chairman of the Pan American Society in Caracas, Venezuela proposed building a statue or monument to Mr. Henry Clay. In his proposal he cited 25 reasons why Mr. Clay deserved the recognition, starting with his efforts in 1816 to urge congress "to take part with the patriots of South America" whose wars of independence were then raging. Number 19 on his list was Mr. Clay's dedication to obtain the acceptance of both Congress and the President to accept the invitation to the Panama Congress. Number 20, was his appointment of Mr. Richard Clough Anderson, and number 31 was his appointment of none other than General William Henry Harrison nominated and appointed by Congress to replace Minister Anderson following his untimely death. Secretary Henry Clay was truly a Great Pan-American here.
References
Presidency.ucsb.edu. (2018). John Quincy Adams: Second Annual Message. [online] Available at: http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29468 [Accessed 12 Mar. 2018].
Muzzey, D. (1920). An American History. GINN, p.219.
United States. Congress. House. Committee on Foreign Affairs. House of Representatives, Committee on Foreign Affairs. (1926). United States Congress, April 28, 1926, pp.pgs. 10-15.
Virginiachronicle.com. (2018). The Highland Recorder 17 October 1941 — Virginia Chronicle. [online] Available at: https://virginiachronicle.com/cgi-bin/virginia?a=d&d=HR19411017.2.45 [Accessed 12 Mar. 2018].
Wagner, D. (2018). 1825 John Quincy Adams - Anderson–Gual Treaty. [online] Stateoftheunionhistory.com. Available at: http://www.stateoftheunionhistory.com/2017/12/1825-john-quincy-adams-andersongual.html [Accessed 12 Mar. 2018].
Wagner, D. (2018). 1827 John Quincy Adams - Panama Congress. [online] Stateoftheunionhistory.com. Available at: http://www.stateoftheunionhistory.com/2015/07/1827-john-quincy-adams-panama-congress.html [Accessed 12 Mar. 2018].
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