JB_172_061.xml

Title: [1820. Sept. 4 Emancipation Spanish]

Description: 1820. Sept. 4

Emancipation Spanish

Summary

Mode of riddance

In those undisciplined or ill-disciplined minds, the power I mean the

minds of the influential few among those whose situation lays open to that view the

chance of any thing like a capital prize in the lottery of power, that general

prosperity the degree of which depends on the goodness of the political constitution

would, it is to my eyes but too sure, be but a secondary object: the difficulty would

be to find it any where a primary one. The great difficulty would regard not so much

the legislative, as the administrative /executive/ department of government: the

composing the storm raised by the appetite for power in the minds of contending

factious chiefs and their adherents. By no advice, by no exhortation would ny one of

those votaries of ambition be induced to abate any thing of his pretensions: by no

advice that any Commissioners either from Spain or from the United States or both,

could give. True. But in a political state of any kind on the part /in the situation/

of head of a party his chance for success will at all times in a degree more or less

considerable be dependent on the good will, and thence on the good opinion /esteem/

/on the part/ of the people at large: and by men bringing with them in the sight

/eyes/ of every body the esteem of the nation /people/ from which they are sent, no

people how ill disciplined so ever could fail of being in a greater or less degree

influenced.

Well then - the United States Commissioners go back to Buenos Ayres: they go back to

Chile. They do exactly as they did before: they comport themselves as they did then:

they continue their enquiries: they open their new commission. The supposed

Commissioners from Madrid pursue the same course: the same course is a better, if the

nature of the case affords a better, which as far as I can see, is more than ever I

can conceive.

JB_172_060.xml

Title: [1820. Sept. 4 Emancipation Spanish]

Description: 1820. Sept. 4

Emancipation Spanish

Summary

Mode of riddance

By this magnanimity Spain would set the example of England. Shew

England what true /pure/ glory is - and that it is not wild, absurd, or visionary, or

visionary and senseless, a magnanimity quiescent not condemned by prudence. Leave

cut-throat glory to Wellingtons and Bonapartes.

To call back to mind the so nearly analagous expedition the commision that went no

longer than last year went to Buenos Ayres and Chile from the United States. With no

complacent eye of course was it regarded by your rulers of those days /that time/:

with very different eyes would it, on the above supposition be regarded the rulers of

present time /by men in that same situation in the present state of things/. By the

most frugal of all governments, when the sole object was to know whether the people

in question were in a condition to be traded with and contracted with the expence of

that commission was not grudged. As little would the expence of the like commission

be grudged to every other Province in Spanish America be grudged, when to that object

would of course be added /of course/ that of actually forming treaties with them; and

when /especially if/ to a commission and order to that effect were added if not one

order, at any rate /the least/ an understood permission to render towards the

adopting of a popular constitution to the circumstances of the province in question,

whatsoever assitance might by the joint dictates of /under the guidance of/

benevolence and prudence be rendered at the hands of superior to inferior

experience.

JB_164_132.xml

Title: [1820 July 4 Emancipation Spanish]

Description: 1820 July 4

Emancipation Spanish

.8. Corruptive influence

Buenos Ayres [...?] for a King

An incident that has but lately come to light, will afford to any fortunate and useful illustration of these truths.

In Buenos Ayres, and the neighbouring provinces, not to speak of Chile thought they had thrown off the yoke of your beloved Fer[...?] were still bent upon having a King, who for decency sake /form and imposition sake/ should be called a Constitutional one: and to whose [...?] there can be no doubt that their intention was to apply /limits/ considerably extensive and effective limits.

Why a King? For this plain reason that under a King a much greater share of the instruments of external felicity as abovementioned in all their several shapes will always be had there under a set of representives of the people that is to say chosen under the only [...?] and efficient Election system so far as [...?] the powers of appointment and removal under the people themselves.

This they perfectly understood.

Before them stood on one hand the British and French Monarchies: on the other hand the Anglo-American Republic or cluster of Republics. In France and Britain they saw the system of corruptive influence composed of depredation exercised for is own sake and for the sake of corruption carried to its perfection: in America the system of frugality and official probity: they took /made/ their choice! that choice which man or this situation might to be considered /regarded/ as being in all places and at all times determined to make if the people have it in their power. Followign the example of America they would have had more official security for every thing they could possess: but their security they would /have/ share with the whole body of the people, and have no larger a share than the meanest. Following the example of England and France they would have not offices: offices as rich, as in their bargain with the Monarch of their nature they could contrive to make them. It is true they would not have equal security. But a security in which the lowest of hte people are to share with the [...?] ones at least out of a hundred will always be content to barter for any portion of money, power, or though it be but factitious and imply dignity, in which he has the highest for this fellow sharers.