With such a monarch, and under the guidance of a minister, both a libertine, and a despot; Spain was, at this time, sunk in the most abject state of political torpor and debasement, and appeared to be on the eve, of falling an easy prey, to an insidious and powerful invader. The influence of the queen, and the excesses of her paramour, had spread dissentions between the king and his son; and the unprecedented favours shewn to an intriguing and ambitious, upstart, had not, only, alienated the minds of the nobles from the person of their sovereign; but, had, also, inspired contempt, amongst the lower orders of society. Spain, was, besides, without fleets, treasury, or arsenals; public credit had become extinct; and a considerable national debt, had been accumulated. Flattery, favours, and bribery, had, long, been the only means, by which employments had been obtained; the laws, had, frequently, been founded on the caprices of a corrupt premier; the court, and most of the higher classes, had become a prey to all kinds of immorality and dissipation; and every means of circulating liberal ideas, had been polluted. Patriotism and national interest, no longer preserved the union of society; the press was broken, or fettered; the public writers, were awed into silence, by proscription; or, shamefully, bribed to plead the cause of existing despotism, by ribbands, offices, or pensions; in short, every thing was grown into systematic tyranny and debasement, or consigned to the darkness and apathy of ignorance; whilst every spark of genius, merit, and liberality, were either damped, or extinguished.

Such, was the situation of Spain, in 1808, when Buonaparte threw off the mask of friendship, and entrapped the members of the Royal Family. Ihasten to pass over

that brilliant display of patriotism and national feeling, which, immediately, burst forth in the whole Spanish nation; but, particularly, in the lower classes, where the contagion of the court had not reached; and, which, eventually, led to an alliance with ourselves. Confined, as I am, to the affairs of Spain, only, as they relate to the question, now under discussion, it would be perfectly irrelevant, here to call the attention of my readers, to military details, or to view the Peninsula, in the light of a grand theatre of successive, and brilliant victories. Those errors, also, of our policy, which contributed to weaken the affections of its inhabitants; and by which, the resources and energies of the country, have not been adequately called forth, or united, I leave, to a more able pen; certain as it is, that the public cannot long be deprived of a full exposé of the impolitic measures, and fatal effects of a weak diplomacy, which, if they have not greatly retarded the expulsion of the French, and stripped many of our brilliant successes of half their promised fruits; have, at least, detached the mass of the Spanish nation, so much from our interests, that they scarcely feel bound, either by the ties of gratitude, or by the tenour of that premature treaty, we so early made, with the first self created government of the Peninsula.-Whilst no language can be too strong, or too glowing, to pourtray the valour and prudence of our military chief, and the heroic ardour of his persevering troops; it is, at the same time, painful to reflect, how little effective co-operation has been obtained from a nation, that promised so much in the outset of its just cause; and how much its resources have been wasted and lost. It is lamentable to behold, the domestic anarchy and civil discord, which have been suffered to rankle and impair the energies of a

people, from whose enthusiastic and simultaneous insurrection, (being roused by the ingratitude of its foe, and, stimulated, also, by a loyal impulse,) so much was expected. But, it is high time, to pass on, to that period of our connection with Spain, when our relations assumed the shape of a definitive treaty.

§ On the 14th of January, 1809, that is, after the Spanish nation had been receiving from the government and people of England, the most unequivocal and disinterested proofs of friendship, sincerity, and profuse aid, for upwards of seven months, a definitive treaty of peace and alliance was agreed upon,with the Central Junta of Seville, in the name of Ferdinand VIIth. This treaty stipulates, a perpetual and sincere amity and strict alliance, and an entire and lasting oblivion of past hostilities.—It was, further, agreed, that the contracting parties should make common cause against France, that England should supply abundant succours, and by an additional article, it was, also, stipulated, that a treaty of commerce was to be carried into effect, at a more convenient time; à promise, which apparently stands as a counterpoise,for the aid which England, was, about to give; and as an equivalent for the enormous expences she was, thereby, to incur; but which up to the present moment, has not been complied withBy some posterior arrangement, not attatched to the original treaty, as published in the prints of the day, and preserved in the Annual Registers; it was afterwards agreed, that England should guarantee the integrity of the whole Spanish monarchy; an obligation, which the Spanish government, has interpreted, as a positive exclusion to our interference with the American provinces; and as an actual engagement on the part of England, even, to employ force against their revolted inhabitants

as wanton insurgents; a compliance, with which, the Cadiz rulers have, since, more, than once, officially exacted. This stipulation, was, also, partly, announced in the king's message to both houses of parliament, on the 4th of July, 1808; wherein a pledge is given, to maintain the power and independence of the Spanish monarchy, integral and entire.

Such, is the substance of the engagements, which bound us in sacred and effective alliance with the whole Spanish monarchy: of which, as the American provinces constitute an equal and integral part, not only by the ancient laws of the realm, as already proved; but, also, by the more recent acknowledgments of the newly constituted authorities of the Peninsula, as will hereafter be seen; it appears strange, that it should now be interpreted, that this same treaty of alliance, was, exclusively, confined to European Spain. The want of some definite basis for the American provinces, added to the posterior conduct of both the Spanish and British governments, have, however, practically, given such interpretation to these engagements; thereby, constituting Spain, as the fully authorized and de spotic parent state, and, thus leaving the American provinces, on the footing of dependent colonies, divested of any will of their own. This unfortu

nate and material error, out of which have arisen, most of the fatal dissentions, now so fast, dismembering the Spanish monarchy, to whom we then bound ourselves, and whose integrity we guaranteed, without explaining the real purport of so comprehensive a clause, has never yet been corrected, but has rather been confirmed by the acts and correspondence of the British ministers, in which mention has been made of the Spanish American pro

vinces, as well as in every other transaction relating to them. It is, therefore, here, necessary to enter into some explanatory details, respecting our first treaty with Spain.

It was, unfortunately, at the very moment the Spanish patriotic cause broke out, and when the first deputies arrived from the Juntas of Seville and Asturias'; that England lost the favourable opportunity, of complying with her ancient promises and engagements made with Spanish America; as well as of adding fresh strength and resources, to the new ones, on which she was about to enter, with European Spain. Founding herself on that self evident principle, that Spain could not, eventually, withstand the struggle, and repel the force preparing against her, but, by the aid and resources of her ultramarine provinces, England ought to have foreseen, that their union and allegiance, was not only necessary, but if possible, that it was, besides, requisite to increase their revenue, in order to multiply the essential means. When, therefore, Spain proposed the integrity of the monarchy, as a stipulation to her treaty, if she thereby understood the abject dependence of her colonies, she, as well as ourselves, must have been aware, that if they continued in their past degraded state, and under such an unjust a system, as that I have before pourtrayed, the advantages to be derived, would be but small; and that nothing, but a grand and radical reform, added to a full restoration of their rights, could adequately turn them to account. When England bound herself to give succours, Spain, reciprocally, pledged herself to exertion, and to husband her resources; and when the former guaranteed the integrity of the said colonies, as part of the entire monarchy, she must have been sensible, she was signing the warrant of a fresh war,