that no man of honour in the world, would fail to say, such a people has committed an indignity; and so criminal a proceeding, deserves condign punishment. He would add, government ought to take the most effective measures, to oppose so absurd an idea; it ought to blockade their shores, that they may have no communication with others; the ships which approach their ports, of whatsoever nation they may be, ought to be confiscated, as those of enemies; and, though it is hard, to go to extremes against a people, who formerly constituted one family, and to arm brethren against brethren, it is nevertheless, necessary, in consequence of their rebellion, to shut them up and to blockade them, by land and sea; and their neighbours ought to be commanded, to hinder the entry of provisions, and the export of the products of their soil and industry; in short, every exertion ought to be made, to prevent every communication with their inhabitants. In case the authors of such a measure, are apprehended, they ought to be punished, with all the rigour, authorized by the rights of sovereignty."

And, what would the unhappy and benevolent Ferdinand VII. say, if he knew, that this same rigour had been decreed against a people, who, enthusiastically, renewed their obedience to him; who offered their blood in order to preserve their fidelity and dominions to him; who tendered the fruits of their industry, as a ransom, for him, and his country, whilst in the possession of enemies; who affectionately hoped at some period, to have the means of consoling him, for all his misfortunes; and who, perhaps, only err, in believing, that their beloved sovereign, is not, at present, represented in those distant provinces, in a manner,

even, conformable to his own interests? Certainly, I cannot guess what Ferdinand VII. would say, but I do not believe, he would use the language of the Regency, in its decree against Caracas."*-These sentiments, were penned in September, 1810, that is, a month after the Regency decree, had been signed; consequently, long before its fatal consequences had been produced.

Not, sufficiently, satisfied, with the sole testimony of one Spaniard, however weighty and respectable his authority, before I take leave of this part of my subject, I conceive it my duty, to insert the avowed sentiments of another; who in presenting to his own nation, “An impartial examination of the dissentions of America, with Spain," uses the following words. "In conformity to these mistaken principles, the Central Junta, instead of binding, afresh, the sections of America to the Peninsula, by authorizing them to name and form provincial Juntas, composed of their own inhabitants, as the only means, radically, to destroy the repeated acts of injustice, there, committed by the governmental authorities; not only endeavoured to abolish them in the Peninsula, but, also, never took care to establish them in America. This measure, alone, would, most assuredly, have filled the Americans with joy; and by this means, discontented parties, would have beeen avoided." Further on, he adds. "The news of the occurrences in Caracas, was received by the Regency; but, instead of preventing a civil war, by acceding to the most just proposals, made by the members of that Junta, in their letter of May 20, directed to the Marques de las Hormazas, (hereafter

* Vide El Espanol, London, Sept. 1810.

† Estrada, Part I.

quoted) and without attending to the uniform dictates of justice, and unmindful of the situation of the Peninsula, it decrees, to reduce them, by force, to submit to the law, which they (the Regents) thought proper to dictate. Neglecting all other measures, but those suggested by an impotent vengeance, the Regency declares the port of La Guira in a state of blockade, commissions a counsellor, and a parcel of other ministers, with ample faculties, to oblige the people, to enter into what, despotic governments, usually, call, duties of the subjects; and for this purpose, it adopts such measures, as a similar government would only adopt, when able to realize them; but which, in other cases, it would disregard, if want of reflection were not added to despotism, &c. Such measures, which, besides, being unjust, the Regency had not the faculties to carry into execution, could answer no other purpose, than to exasperate, still more, the minds of the discontented, and to give them new and just motives of complaint, thus, urging them on, to the prosecution of their enterprize.”*

These are the united sentiments of Spaniards, and of the two principal characters, who have attempted to discuss the question in view. To them I could add, the corresponding opinions of others, were I not afraid to trespass on the patience of my reader. I have produced them, rather, as a corrobation to my premises, than as an amplification of my subject; and when the British government had equity and justice on its side, when the thinking part of the Spanish community, also, both openly, and in their hearts, condemned the arbitrary

Estrada, Part II.

conduct of the trade-leagued Regents, their perusal cannot fail to excite surprize, that no effective measure of prevention was attempted; and that the ministers of St. James, in this unguarded moment, should thus, by their want of energy and foresight, have blasted the fairest prospect of giving force and efficacy to our new alliance with European Spain; and of securing great and lasting advantages, to our mercantile and political interests, in Spanish America. The present convulsions in this unhappy country, thus clearly, resulted from the intemperate and impolitic conduct of the five Regents who succeeded the Central Junta, overawed, as they were, by the trading interests of Cadiz. The Regency, in its official capacity, might have been injured or offended by the acts of the transmarine provinces, but how could it allege the rights of a sovereignty, of which it did not possess a single component element; and under the circumstances in which Spain was at that time, how could such impotent rigour, redound to the advantage of the general cause? This offence, however, could scarcely be resented by the Cadiz Regency, individually, for the occurrences in Caracas took place, when the dispersion of the Central Junta was known, that is, prior to advices having been received, of the installation of the Regency.

§ The evident injustice of the Cadiz government, towards the ultramarine provinces, and the marked impolicy of England, in first not preventing, and afterwards, during more than four years, in not applying ef fective remedies to the increasing evils, which, have, already, bathed the fairest portion of the Spanish America, in the blood of its inhabitants, are, I presume, sufficiently,

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evinced in this division of my subject, and in the deductions, thence, regularly, established. From my general statements, it would result, that most has been owing to the wanton cruelty, and unjust and intemperate conduct of the Cadiz Regents; who, callous to the sufferings of their fellow-citizens, and awed by the mercenary clamours of the monopolists of that trading port, declared war against their distant brethren, and thereby opened the floodgates of anarchy and civil discord. It was this impolitic measure, which first excited a spirit of indignation and open enmity, in the insulted and outraged inhabitants of Spanish America, whom we, lately, beheld glowing with the most enthusiastic sentiments of loyalty and patriotism, and pledging their lives and fortunes in aid of the Peninsula. Amongst the same, for more than four years, have we, nevertheless, witnessed a merciless warfare, such a one, that humanity shudders to contemplate. As a vengeance on them, we have seen new racks and tortures invented, even such, as are unknown to the States of Barbary. We have read of oceans of carnage, and of the indiscriminate massacre of the defenceless natives of every section; and still, we are not weary of the long drama of iniquity, so long representing in that unfortunate country. We see 17,000,000 of our most faithful and zealous allies, endure all these evils, and we scarcely remember that they exist. Yet, what has been their crime? If only redressed and regenerated, Spanish America, was ready to form a sincere and active part of the entire nation; she was willing to contribute with her treasure and her sons, to fight the common enemy; and could England or Spain, require more? Could either, look for a greater