date

[clxvii. 68] 1821 March 25
[clxvii. 68]

1821 March 25

Rid Yourselves

1. Foreigners in Cortes.

Look to ends! Look to consequences! Oh no that they will not: custom is what it has been customary for them to look to: and so they will continue to do. To look to consequences /ends/ requires discernment /eyes/: to look to /follow/ custom none: to look to ends and consequences requires labour: to follow custom none. Custom has been the offspring and servant of sinister interest and it is by sinister interest that every where but in the Anglo American United States government has been created and conducted /led/.

Number of Members of Cortes in the Cortes of 1812, by numeration 181, such at any rate the number mentioned in the Code as having signed. Out of those 181 number of those stated as Deputies from this or that Ultramarian Province by conjecturre about 58. +

Now suppose these 58 Members elected every one of them by foreigners i.e. by the predominance of a foreign population in so many of the primary Elective Assemblies, and so on. What mischief could they have done, against the will of the 123 others. None: unless by addition made to the number of those in whose instance corrupt obsequiousness has been the offspring of corruptive influence: and upon natives it is quite as easy for corruptive influence to operate as upon foreigners.

But so far from the 58, in no state of things there ever was exemplified or in any the slightest degree probable in any one of the Elective Districts population of each District per Article \ZS\ 70,000 or thereabouts that a Deputy should ever be returned /elected/ by foreign influence.

Suppose even the majority of the Cortes composed of foreigners sent into the Cortes /that sovereign Assembly/ by so many majorities composed of foreigners in the several Electoral Districts: or to cut the matter short - suppose the population of Spain composed not of Spaniards but of foreigners: ascribe for suppositions' sake ascribe truth to this self-contradictory proposition let truth be ascribed. On the question whether the claim of Spanish rulers to govern their Ultramarian kinsmen shall be sustained, by what foreigners can any interest be possessed more decidedly or intensely advese to that claim than is the interest of the Ultramarians.

+ To J.B. Pray correct this number?
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    1821 March 25

    Rid Yourselves

    '.6 Anti Constitut Evils

    1 Foreigners in Cortes

    With the laxity thus secretly manifested as to the choice /selection/ of representatives, compare the vigor declaredly manifested in the choice of their constituents.

    The principle is that from the right of contributing by suffrage to the choice of a Member of the Cortes all foreigners - all non-Spaniards are to stand excluded. For the definition of a Spaniard, and thence of a non-Spaniard, I have no need to request /trouble you for/ your attention. Articles nine in number namely from 18 to 26 inclusive are bestowed upon it: labour in my humble apprehension /if I do not greatly err,/ much worse than useless. Useless: because taking notoriety or the equivalent of it for a test of correspondent interest and affection for in any one instance what ground of apprehension can there be that if the doors of all /in any one single instance/ the several Elective Offices were thrown open to all mankind in any one instance a foreigner hostility disposed or a native gained to foreign and hostile interests would be returned /sent/ to the Cortes?

    Much worse than useless. For in the long list of disqualification in which all qualifications are to be returned, which article is there which is not a mine of disputes and law suits. The man who manfactured these means, was either a lawyer or had a lawyer for his familiar /at his elbow/

    Spaniards! one would think these legislators of yours had been bred in England. Not to speak of such reformists, do what I can, I can not avert[?] our reformists from displaying their discernment by straining out gnats while they are swallowing camels.

    But such has been the cause taken on this ground by Custom. Custom the offspring and servant of sinister interest: everywhere but in the Anglo-American United States nor were there any[?] eyes compleatly open to the uselessness and absurdity of these minute offspring of blind and narrow minded /groundless/ /senseless/ jealousy.
  • Title: [1821 April Rid Yourselves]
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    '.11 Ultramarian deputat n none.

    1. In the first place then, according to all appearances, according to /under/ the Code, no assemblage of Deputations - no system of national representatives can they have in Ultramaria can they have from Ultramarians.

    To some /many/ of you at least this position may appear somewhat supprizing /be matter of surprize/. It is deduced from Articles \ZS\ are those from which it is deduced.

    1. In the first place, look at Article 28. By it, "The basis of the national representation is the same in both hemispheres", viz. Spanish and Spanish Ultramarians.

    Look at Article 31. By it, "For every 70,000 souls, of the population, composed as stated in Article 29 there shall be one deputy to the Cortes.  Note here the implied /[...?]/ disqualifications included for which refer to '.\ZS\

    and the grounds of Appeal in Election causes, for which see '.4 Appeals.

    Look then at Article 29. By it "The basis" (the basis spoken of, as above in the last preceding Article Art. 28) is the population composed of those natives (naturales) who by both laws are indigenous (originarios) of the Spanish dominions, and of those who have obtained of the Cortes an instrument conferring /Letters of/ Citizenship (Cartas de cuidan) as those also comprized in Article 21.

    Look now at /then at this 21 st/ Article 21. By it, "In like manner are Citizens the legitimate sons of those foreigners domiciliated en las Españas in the Spains meaning it is supposed the two Spains Peninsula and Ultramarian, who having been born in the Spanish Dominions, have at no time departed thence without licence from the Government ( del Gobierno) and being of the compleat age of twenty one years, have been settled in a district (Pueblo) of those same dominions, exercising /carrying/ on therein some profession, office, or branch of useful industry.
  • Title: [1821 April 1 Rid Yourselves]
    Description: 1821 April 1

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    Ultramarian deputat n none

    But suppose in every one of those same Provinces a competent census in existence. By the census itself no such deputation can be sent. For the accomplishment of this object, some person or body of persons there must be, by whom with this census in hand the several election districts, each of them containing the allotted number of competent electors viz. the 70,000 or according to Arts. \ZS\ thereabouts + a Representative is to be deputed to the Spansh Cortes. Look over the whole Code no such person or body of persons will you find.

    No such territorial division of a province no each division of the existing Ultramarian provinces or any one of them - no such topographical or geographical demarcation does the Code any where refer to, provide for the making of, or so much as direct /ordain/ the making of. In several of the Articles above brought to view, namely in Art. 309 to 323 /mention is made/ territorial divisions termed Pueblos are spoken of. These Pueblos are they to be understood as designed to constitute /constituting/ or capable of constituting so many Election Districts? There can not be too many by far, as should in that case have spoken of them. But no others are spoken of as at that time in existence, they would therefore be all of them to be marked out. By whom? in what manner. In answer to these questions nothing is there to be found

    By Article 311 a thousand is mentioned as the number of souls which is to be or may be contained in an Ayuntamiento.

    + Explain in a Note how numbers below and above the 70,000 are to be dealt with for this purpose.