and tedious deliberations, they were, at least, entitled to an immediate and willing redress of those most glaring privations, by which, they had been so uniformly depressed. If the government of Spain, had, then possessed sufficient wisdom and energy, to second the manifest wishes of the transatlantic provinces, in sueing for an essential reform; if gratitude, equity, and good faith, had, then, triumphed over the enfuriated yells of an inconsiderate war faction; if the conduct of Spain, had been confined within the sober range of rational hope, and had only laid aside, its deluding intoxication, then, and only then, might Spain have been made strong, and then might she have hailed the cheering return of virtue, happiness, and domestic peace. If the Cadiz Regents, instead of being misled by intrigue, and stimulated by faction; had, only been influenced by a mutual spirit of benevolence and accommodation, under the influence England, these differences, whilst yet in embryo, would have been adjusted; fresh vigour and resources, would have been added to Spain, and the career of those, who delight in the annihilation of confidence, would have been checked,

Every government in the Peninsula, that preceded the Cortes, was illegitimate, in its essence and formation; and the sovereign powers by them arrrogated, were, in direct contradiction, to the laws and usages of the realm. Necessity, and the absence of avowed opposition, on the part of the people, might have given a limited sanction to their conduct, in acts relating to the defence, or more immediate welfare of the nation; but to overturn its fundamental laws, and to declare war against one half the monarchy, before the consent of the other, had been obtained; was not, only, exceeding, the powers which

Charles or Ferdinand themselves possessed, had either been quietly sitting on the throne of his ancestors; but it was, moreover, exercising an arbitrary and impolitic despotism, which could not fail of meeting with the deserved reproach of every member of Spanish society, as soon as calmer feelings, had succeeded to the general confusion of the whole kingdom. From such a system, nothing, but a perfect disunion of the elements of the state, could be expected. And if the agents of England, then looked quietly on, and without a solemn remonstrance or protest, suffered this great and flagrant act of injustice, to be carried into execution; and which, alone, sufficed to defeat the very object of the sincere treaty, that formed the basis of her conduct, it is hardly to be distinguished, whether, the conduct of the five Regents of Cadiz, or the pusillanimous negligence of the British cabinet, was most to be blamed.

From that moment, it was, that, unmindful of the real and durable interests of the Spanish monarchy at large, we were awed into silence, by the upstart and self-suffi、 cient governments of the Peninsula, who sought power, more for the gratification of ambitious views; than for the well-being of their fellow-subjects. We then became subservient to the will of creatures, who, by their conduct, have proved, that they were ready to sacrifice the lives and rights of their distant brethren, to the smiles of greatness, and to the undue gains, of one hundred and fifty Cadiz monopolists. Even, if we had no other means in our power, than the press, we might have convinced Spain, of the injustice and impolicy, and of the tyrannical nature of this single measure; we might have forewarned the people, if we could not the government, of the fatal

consequences that were about to ensue; nay, we might have excited and fixed the impartial judgment of the nation at large, on this singular and intemperate act of its rash government. Every one, who knows the peculiar situation of the Cadiz government, in those moments, and is aware of the many successful springs that might have been touched, without implicating the dignity of the nation, or offending our new ally, will candidly confess the truth of this assertion.

Our

This over delicate conduct on our part, has not cured the Spaniards of distrust; it has not inspired them with confidence, but it has alienated the affections of the Spanish Americans, and has blasted many of our future prospects amongst them. It has produced a civil war, with all its fatal consequences, and it has, besides, driven the injured provinces on the other side of the Atlantic, even to the extreme, of sighing for the, aid and protection of our enemies, and of rejoicing in their success. delicacy and forbearance, must have been intended, as a remedy to the captious distrust of the Spaniards: but this remedy, has, rather, aggravated the disorder, and caused its baneful influence to spread still wider. Would not, the pacification and union of the transmarine provin ces, have been the most powerful tie to the affections and gratitude of European Spain; and, if, in either quarter, it is deduced, that a want of energy, and zeal on the part of England, and illiberality on that of Spain, has been the only bar to such desirable results, the unfavourable conclusions drawn against us, in the minds and feelings of the Spanish Americans, are not divested of grounds.

But, what is most to be feared, is, that England, in this particular, has erred, rather from a want of serious and deliberate enquiry, into this important question; or, that she has been influenced by the acrimony constantly circulated in the Peninsular prints, and the partiality of the Cadiz government. This, could not have been the case, if, as before fully testified, we had, only, in our very alliance, traced out a line of conduct for both parts of the monarchy, with whom we were contracting; and had fixed the relative duties of each, before we gave a pledge, both vague and inconsistent in its essence. Had England, then, reflected on the consequences about to befall all parties; or even as a redemption of this first error, had she been, only, sensible, that, every month, she was delaying efficient remedies to the evils thence arising, she was, actually, condemning thousands of the unredressed inhabitants of Spanish America, to death, to dungeons; and was, besides, throwing millions of useful resources into the general scale of destruction; it scarcely can be thought, that her ministers, would have delayed, for a moment, some firm and humane resolution, on this material subject; nor can it be supposed, that the policy of her deliberative and executive measures, in this particular, would, then, have been so remiss. It was a reasonable anticipation, in the Spanish Americans, from plentiful motives already explained; to expect that England would sympathize in the repeated acts of cruelty and injustice committed against them; and, when the fatal effects of the precipitate and rash conduct of the Cadiz Regency, became public and manifest, they had still more founded hopes, that no time or opportunity would be lost, in England, resorting to some sound and liberal experiment, in order to stop the effusion of

blood; or at least, that under her mediation, a prompt and cordial means, equally honourable and desirable to all parties, would be afforded, for discussing and adjusting the interests of each. In short, the decree of the Cadiz Regency, declaring war, and instituting a blockade against Caracas, under the peculiar circumstances just explained, stands as an everlasting monument of the injustice and intemperance of that same ephemeral government, and, further proves, the want of influence, or existing coldness, on the part of England.

Some of our statesmen, speaking of our policy, with regard to European and American Spain, have been heard to say, that the British government could not interfere, or have any direct, or indirect correspondence, with the latter; for, what should we think of an ally, who took part to protect a revolt in Ireland against ourselves, whilst under a treaty of alliance and mutual co-operation. How fallacious such reasoning, and how devoid of all analogy. The government of Cadiz, has, indeed, construed the conduct of the transmarine provinces into wanton revolt, and into an open rebellion, founded on ingratitude; and such is the picture, drawn of it, in the Peninsular prints. But, is this a fact, or does this inference, equally, belong to England? Has she, in like manner, been, influenced by partial, or undue motives? The prejudices and invectives of Spain; have never slept, since Cadiz became the seat of government; and to judge from appearances, it would seem, as if they had, also, formed the basis of the political conduct of England, in those points, to which they referred. Yet, when viewing the subject, dispassionately, it comes to be un