date

[clxii. 237] 1821 Jany. 6 Rid
[clxii. 237]

1821 Jany. 6

Rid Yourselves

'. Preliminary distinctions

Such then being on every occasion the contrariety - the irreconcileableness - behold in the present occasion the appplication of the distinction and the consequences of it.

To your interest /the interest of you the subject many/ it is not conducive but repugnant that any such course as that marked out by the Constitutional Code between you and Ultramarians should have place: it would on the contrary be in the highest degree and in every point of view repugnant to your interest that it should have place.

But taken in the aggregate it is perhaps /would perhaps be/ conducive to the interest of the ruling few that such course should have place. For in proportion as according to the terms of the Constitutional Code any such course took place, the dominion over Ultramaria - dominion more or less effective would have place in their hands.

Under those circmstances I will first state to you, and then prove to you in what respects you would be sufferers by this course, and thus /at the same time/ in what respects your rulers would be gainers

Sufferers you would be in two essential points of view the one a pecuniary or financial, the other a constitutional point of view.

If in the pecuniary point of view you were gainers, it would be by saving in taxes: a portion more or less considerable of what you would have to pay on that sum being laid upon and borne by Ultramaria. But all /every/ such expectation you would find compleatly illusory: instead of having less to pay you would have more: more beyond measure or calculation: more yes as much more as by any possibility could be wrung from you, and still the dominion would [...?] remain entire not so much as a year together in to the hands of your rulers of the men whom for their own sinister interest you are thus afflicted /oppressed/
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  • Title: [[clxii. 232] 1821 Jany. 20]
    Description: [clxii. 232]

    1821 Jany. 20

    Rid Yourselves

    '. Prelimy. distinctions

    Now as to the distinction between the appraisal and the real object in view as to this matter on the part of the framers of the Constitutional Code. Nothing could be more perplexing than the situation in which as to the matter they were placed. In reality they were pursuing at the same time two repugnant /opposite/ and incompatible objects: dominion of Spanish rulers over Ultramaria rulers and subjects together, independence of Ultramaria as against Spanish rulers. Equality of rights and advantages as between Spain and Ultramaria, inequality to the profit of Spain at the expence of Ultramaria.

    Such being the incompatible in reality, it was not possible that it should fail of being such sooner or later, in appearance.

    My friends, whether the case was not /any other than/ as here represented, the next section but one, such of you whose patience shall have carried them so far, will have to judge. /be in consideration/

    A compleat tissue of inconsistences is the whole system of their arrangements relative to Ultramaria. This you shall see: from beginning to end you shall see how wrong they have acted in relation to it. Acted wrong? But in what circumstances? In circumstances in which it was absolutely impossible to act right. To maintain dominion to any considerable extent by military despotism would you will see be in the highest degree: otherwise than by military despotism, absolutely impossible how can any such despotism be established in Ultramaria, but unless in Spain if either not the whole Constitution, or at least every thing good in it is turned into a dead letter In this result ends every view I have been able to take of the disastrous field

    My friends, it is to dissuade you from maintaining the dominion of your rulers over Spain to the same extent as under your former Kings. As soon would I think of dissuading you from crossing over to America dry-shod: it is to dissuade you from the attempt. For should you persevere in it till it terminates in success as surely will you all perish in the attempt, or should you persevere in travelling to Ultramaria on horseback you would all drown yourselves.
  • Title: [[clxii. 235] 1821 Jany. 6 Rid]
    Description: [clxii. 235]

    1821 Jany. 6

    Rid Yourselves

    '. Preliminary distinctions

    So much for the distinctions themselves: now as to the application I have to make of them: the importance of it you can not but in some degree have already anticipated.

    1. Distinction between the interest of Spain and the interest of Ultramaria. Of the two interests that of Spain alone is on the present occasion the direct and ultimate object of my regard. Yes People of Spain on the present occasion it is for your sake alone that I write. Not that in equal numbers, the people of the one hemisphere either have or ought a higher place than those of the other. But in place /in the first place/ is the interest that the Ultramarians have in the business that there is scarce any risk /danger/ of its being misconceived: in the next place it is not possible for me to bring to view /shew you/ your interest in the matter, without bringing to your view their interest in it at the same time. Why not possible? For this plain reason. The more strongly and manifestly repugnant to their interest the case in question would be, the stronger will be their aversion to it: and the stronger their aversion to it, the greater will be the difficulty you would find in any endeavour of yours to surmount it, and the greater the sufferings to which you would by all such endeavours be subjected /affected/.
  • Title: [[clxii. 234] 1821 Jany 22 Rid]
    Description: [clxii. 234]

    1821 Jany 22

    Rid Yourselves

    '. Prelimy. Distinctions

    My friends, to deal plainly with you /come to the point at once/ the general result is this: proof will meet you as we advance.

    To the interest of the subject many not only in Ultramaria but in Spain itself, all dominion over Ultramaria would be pernicious in every imaginable way /point of view/: pernicious to the interest of the subject many, thence to the universal interest.

    On the other hand, in Spain the interest of the ruling few as such, the dominion /possession/ would /beneficial: beneficial in exact/ in proportion to the extent of it be beneficial: the possession; nay even the endeavour to retain or obtain that possession in this case may be, even /under an original certainty that the endeavour would/ should the endeavour be ultimately fruitless: for that there are those to whom /not only preparation for war but/ war itself the source of universal misery, produces profits - profits in that such as this their share in which may be greater than their share in the loss and misery, can be no secret to any one.

    Even in Ultramaria itself, so effectually opposite every where are the interests of the ruling few to the interests of the subject many, this sinister interest will have its partakers, and so far as this community of sinister interest has place an alliance offensive and defensive, against the subject many in both countries will have /has/ place between the ruling few in both countries.

    Nor is this the worst Every where the mischief produced to the universal interest by the sort of dominion in question to the universal interest in a pecuniary or financial shape is accompanied with a correspondent and proportionable mischief in a constitutional shape: the matter of wealth which in so far as being applied to this purpose, constitutes in respect of its passing out of the hands of the subject many the subject matter of waste, constitutes it passes /by passing/ into the hands of the ruling few the matter of profit, and by the eventual expectation of it by ruling few and a portion of the subject many together at the hands of the ruling few, it constitutes the matter of corruption: thus waste begets corruption and corruption waste, till the process of reciprocal generation is stopped at length stopped as now in England by that exhaustive check sooner or later can nowhere fail to take place