stitutes, voted against one hundred and twenty-five Spa nish deputies, nearly all filled with prejudice, and tutored by the monopolists of Cadiz, jealous of their privileges.; This same remonstrance, was afterwards transmitted, with seven other public memorials from America, to a committee, where it was buried in oblivion; and, in November following, instead of pacification, redress, and conciliatory measures, troops were sent to Mexico. And who was it fitted out these troops, since the poverty of the government, deprived it of the means? It was done by a subscription of the very same merchants, who trembled for the loss of their monopolies; the same who influenced the Cortes, as will presently be shewn, by specious arguments, not to open the trade of the transatlantic provinces to Englaed; the same, in short, who were ready to sacrifice the vital interests of both countries to their own private ends.

The only material alleviation granted to the Americans, has been permission to work their own quicksilver mines, found in New Spain and Peru; an article essentially necessary for the amalgamation of the precious metals, and, consequently to the coining of money, of which government stood in the greatest need. This grant became the more urgent, as the mercury from Trieste and Almaden, could no longer be obtained; but, it appears rather to have been a want of funds, that gave rise to this condescension on the part of the Cortes; for the monopoly in favour of the crown, still exists; though so extremely destructive and cramping to the mining interests. Generally, every memorial, petition, and remonstrance of a public nature, presented by the American deputies, has been passed over to an ultramarine com

mittee, which, figuratively, has been called a well of oblivion, where they have been forgotten, and from whence the strenuous exertions of the parties, have never been able to call them forth.

The fact is, no cordiality existed, nor is it possible, that it should exist, as long as the mercantile interests, hold so much influence, or till liberality is made the basis of the governmental conduct. The Spanish go vernment may boast of decrees made to better the situation of America, but what good have they produced? Even what reforms were decreed, have not been executed; and it is of this default, that more is complained, than of the letter of the law. Many parts of the code of laws of the Indies, were in theory, good, but they were never practiced. The sections of Spanish America, are still under the same kind of governors, and the same maxims, and the same routine, prevail. The same arbitrariness exists in the interpreting and infringing of the laws, and the same impunity is practiced to oppressors.

It has not, however, been for the want of means, or of correct data, on which to found themselves, that the claims and rights of the Spanish Americans, have not been, hitherto, fairly discussed, and adequately redressed by the Cortes of Spain. The wishes of the trans-atlantic provinces, beside the cases already named, were fully explained in the remonstrance of the Mexican deputy to the Cortes, in which he stated, that, according to the general opinion of New Spain, it was indispensably necessary to adopt the measure of provincial Juntas, in order to shield the inhabitants from the persecutions of Spanish chiefs; which Juntas, by holding, locally, the supreme power, under the government of the Peninsula, and act

ing as its immediate organ in point of right, might restrain and keep in due bounds, the despotic and arbitrary authority of the viceroys and judicial magistrates, who would, then. become more the administrators of the law, than the tyrants of the people, who, if injured, would not, then, have to come to Europe for redress. That this local administration and check on the viceroys, even up to the present day, appears to be the chief object for which the Spanish Americans are contending, will be clearly seen from General Rayons letter to the Bishop of La Puebla, dated September 15, 1811, in which he says, "We are now arrived, at that precise period, in which it is not possible to remedy the great confusion the country at present experiences, unless it is, by adopting the system of government, intended to be established. The essential point of this is, that the European give up and resign the government, which he has held so many years, into the hands of a congress, or national Junta, to be composed of representatives of the provinces. That this congress be not the tool of Spain, but that it have the care of itself, of the defence of the kingdom, the conservation of our holy religion, the observance of just laws, the establishment of those which may be deemed adequate, and, also, that it watch over the rights of our acknowledged monarch, Ferdinand VII." And is not this consistent with justice, is it not practised by all other extensive settlements, does not the same exist in Ireland, in the British East Indies, in Canada, nay, even in our West India islands? Had not, also, Ireland her parliament, prior to the union, and was she not possessed of the means to withstand the abuse of power, and to stop the arbitrary acts of guilty ambition?

In thus, fundamentally, discussing the origin and causes of the unfortunate dissentions, which exist between European and American Spain, and, in circumstantially relating the various particulars, as they occurred, I conceive it my duty, before I proceed any further, to give my reader, in as abridged a shape as possible, an idea of the nature of the eleven propositions, made by the American deputies in the Cortes; as they were supposed to contain all their constituents demanded, and to amount to the specific basis, on which the Spanish Americans were ready to lay down their arms, and again enter into sincere friendship with their Peninsular brethren. At the end of each, illustrative observations, are added.

Proposition I. In conformity to the decree of 15th October ulto, the national representation of every part of Spanish America, and the Spanish West India and Philipine islands, including each individual class of their inhabitants, shall be, respectively, the same, in form, manner, and without distinction, as in the provinces and islands of European Spain.

Observation. By the decree of the 15th October, all the inhabitants of Spanish America, had been indistinctly declared equal with those of Spain. According to the ancient legislature of the latter, as explained in the early pages of this exposé, even the Indians had been declared as much subjects of the king, as the natives of Castile. It was this practical equality, particularly in representation, which the American deputies now insisted on. The population of both countries is, certainly, mixed in a great degree, for in Spain, besides Moorish descendants, there are persons of colour and gypsies, against whom no exceptions existed. In the

ultremarine provinces, some of the most laborious, valuable, and, often, rich, part of the population, consists of coloured persons; and if, under the ancient laws, they were even admitted to study in the colleges,* certainly, they were deserving of being represented, as long as their state was that of freedom. Against the Indians, there could be no reasonable objection, they being blended in the general population; nor can any thing be supposed so ridiculous, as that the chief inhabitants of an immense continent, are to be subservient to laws, in the formation of which, they have no part. This point was never carried, and in the new constitution, as will hereafter be seen, its intention was completely frustrated.

Proposition II. The free natives and inhabitants of Spanish America, shall be allowed to cultivate and rear whatever their climate will produce; and to promote their manufactures, industry, and arts, in all their extent.

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Observation. Granted: but, it is much to be feared, that this, like other concessions made by the king's ministers, when from the evidence of justice, they could" not be denied, will be of little avail. That is, the chiefs in power, have always been instructed to contravene them, in a secret manner. Humboldt, in several places, alludes to this fact, and observes, that even what the laws permit with regard to manufactures, the policy of the government frustrates, not only by not encouraging, but also by hindering them by indirect measures, as has always been the case, with the manufactures of silk, pa

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* In Lima, some mulatoes, under the celebrated Dr. Unanue, have made singular progress in medicine, and many useful discoveries, in the virtue of native plants, are owing to them.