nish American transactions, is, however, exremely, incorrect and unfounded; and has only originated from gross misconceptions, arising out of the complexity and obscurity of a subject, hitherto, unexplained to the public. In the revolution of France, we had before us, the fatal consequences and atrocious effects, of extending licence beyond what its votaries could bear; but in the insurrections of Spanish America, we have beheld a stimulus of action, both just and respectable, and the accompanying movements, have not been similar. Though many scenes of confusion, and some instances of cruelty, have occurred, the ones, have, nevertheless, not hindered considerable improvements in the governing system,where any thing regular has been established; and the others, have not been wanton, or when sanguinary, have not been instigated by any other motive, than retaliation, as will be more fully understood, when I subjoin my abridged detail of the horrors and havoc, which have desolated the several regions of the unfortunate Spanish Columbia. If the situation of those sections, where the governmental changes, have had a fair, though yet partial means of operating, had not been, thereby, bettered; many of the accusations brought forward by the monopolists of Cadiz, and which, have, in some measure, produced amongst us an unwarranted stigma, might have had their due weight; but the political and social state of Buenos Ayres and Chili, the only two sections from which any limited inference can be drawn, have materially changed for the better, as will, hereafter, be fully considered.

§ The facts I have, so far, related, respecting the views and intentions of the Spanish Americans, in their res pective governmental changes. I now leave to the un

unbiassed conclusions of British minds; fully sensible, that these transactions, will never warrant the charges of disloyalty, ingratitude, or of sinister, or unlawful proceedings. The preceding description of the relative bearing and position of affairs, sufficiently manifests the grounds on which the transmarine provinces, then acted; and this material point being once established, and in exact conformity to the events as they occurred, it results, that the original views of the Spanish Americans, in deposing their own chiefs, and establishing provincial Juntas, were excited by the alarm, spread amongst them, in consequence of the hopeless situation of the Peninsula. They were urged by the immediate, evident, and general despondence, which every where reigned, and by distrust in the government at home, and in the chiefs, who were then in office, amongst them. These, with a variety of local and more pressing causes, were the radical and primordial motives, which stimulated their conduct; but, in addition to all, they felt, heavily, the fatal effects of their bad plans of government, and its galling oppression, which had grown into a most degrading system, to which they saw there was no end. They laboured under a total suspension of commerce; and the aggravated weight of domestic tyranny, had, daily, more and more, irritated and roused their feelings; for they looked round and beheld other nations, their neighbours, and even the colonies of European powers, situated on their own shores, happy, prosperous, and possessed of civil liberty, whilst they, alone, were to have their old and abject degradation prolonged. They pondered on the prospect before them, and scarcely a bright or cheerful shade, was found in the melancholy picture, that rose before their troubled sight.

The great instruments destined to carry on the cololonial system of Spain, were the viceroys and captaingenerals; and consequently, it was natural, that they should be the first to feel the blow. That the Spanish Americans, could, no longer, remain cold spectators of the fate preparing for them, or tamely submit to be made over to the French, much less, endure the fresh insults heaped upon them; was the natural result of their long injured, but not abject, feelings; their resentment was of course, directed against their rulers, as the persons intrusted with the machinations of Buonaparte. Their removal was, thence, resolved upon; but they were divested of their commands, in the most quiet and constitutional manner possible; and Juntas were established to represent their authority, on exactly the same plans, as those of Oviedo, Seville, and the other provinces of the Peninsula. The Juntas of the transmarine provinces, were, therefore, exact prototypes of those of Spain; they were created under similar circumstances, and I can with confidence assert, that had the Cadiz Regency, at this time, and the Cortes afterwards, when they first entered on their national functions, and as urged by the American deputies therein, only, then, confirmed these same Juntas, as authorities constituted in conformity to the laws, and the urgency of actual circumstances; nay, had this local administration, been granted to the Americans, for the time being, and with only a partial redress of the most galling grievances, the horrors, anarchy, and bloodshed, which have since followed, might have been avoided, and cordiality might have been preserved.

§ The Cadiz Regency, that had, by this time, created itself into a Sovereign power,and though chosen for a tem

porary purpose, sought the prolongation of its command; instead of entering into the feelings of the Spanish Americans, and weighing, well, the circumstances which had stimulated their conduct, declares war, and orders measures of a strict blockade against Caracas; from whence, as being the nearest section of America, the news of the recent governmental changes, had been received. This declaration of war and of blockade, is dated August 31, 1810; and from its being the first link of that long chain of impolitic and unjust measures, which have, at length, produced open enmity, I add it in my Appendix D, in order that my reader may judge for himself. This being, however, the primary source, and real cause of all the subsequent calamities, it is necessary to subjoin some explanatory remarks.

The motives of the Spanish American provinces, in changing their respective governments, have, already been manifested, literally, as they occurred, and, as explained in the declarations of each. In Spain, the same motives had authorised the institution of Juntas,and a murmur was not heard; yet the same measure in Spanish America, produces a declaration of war, on one part of the monarchy against the other. In what way, can this be reconciled? As an exterior form, and, perhaps, as a snare; but, at the same time, with substantial grounds, the ultramarine provinces, by a royal decree, dated 22d Jan. 1809, had been declared integral and equal parts of the Spanish monarchy; this had been confirmed, by a fresh decree of May 22, same year; and again, by proclamation of the Central Junta, on January 1, 1810. This was, still, no more, than a just restitution of sacred, but long invaded rights, as fully pointed out, in the early stages of this

production. Why, then, is Spanish America, to be precluded from consulting her own safety, and promoting her own welfare, in a way not only conformable to the laws and precedents, but also, sanctioned by most recent example? The existing Regency, was no more than a committee of the Central Junta; this had decreed Spanish America to be equal, in rights, with the Peninsula; and, now, the former, by its decree, again, publicly, divests them of this right. Whence, then, this palpable contradiction? The small island of Majorca, was allowed to assemble a Junta, for its own local administration, and no complaint was ever uttered. Why, then all this partiality? To the fact. The government had now been removed from Seville to Cadiz, and in their plans and of reform, the Americans sought to rend asunder their trammels on trade. The Cadiz merchants, trembled for their monopolies, and the Regency, by this time, had become the tool of their extravagant pretensions, and the instrument of their injustice.

As a specious pretext to this public outrage, and in order to gloss over their arbitrary conduct, the Regents declare, that the people of Caracas, had made themselves independent of the mother-country, and created a governing Junta, to exercise a supposed independent authority; when, at the same time, nothing of the kind had either been attempted or manifested. But it was necessary, to give some plea for so flagrant an act of injustice, and such an abuse of power; and the Cadiz monopolists, and the ravings of a mercenary war faction, were, not long, in defining the nature of the colouring, that was to be given to so intemperate a measure. If the self constituted Regents of Spain, then, charged their