date

[clxvii. 251] 1821 Aug. 6.
[clxvii. 251]

1821 Aug. 6.

Rid Yourselves of Ultramaria

Lett. 5. Continued Submission impossible

Equality on surface, inequality at bottom.

For the lodging in your memory the substance of all this various matter, one expression, one phrase, one principle may suffice: Between one country /people/ and another all inequality or injustice, injustice, continued submission to which can never be produced but by equally continued fear. Towards your Ultramarian kinsmen, on the surface of your Code I have beheld equality and freedom: at bottom, inequality, injustice, despotism /tyranny/. I a foreigner, remote from both friend alike to both, have seen all this in theory, have read it in this Code /law/ of yours: they /meantime/ the persons interested, must in so far as it has been endeavoured to be carried into practice have been feeling it in practice.

These causes of discontent developed of aversion to the claims and that aversion unsurmountabledeveloped, follow in the postponed matter a few miscellaneous observations under four heads

1. Better Ultramaria rule Spain. A claim on the part of your Ultramarian kinsmen to rule you, even as your rulers would rule them would be less unreasonable than as that of your rulers thus to rule them.

2. Better conquer Barbary than reconquer Ultramaria. The enterprise would be more feasible, more profitable less mischievous.

In vain would your rulers repeat and say - Well if there is injustice we will put an end to it: if there is inequality, we will remove it. Out of this suppose it possible - out of this suppose it effected not so much as a shadow of justification to you for perseverance in the claim would yet be framed. To you it is all loss /the whole result of it is loss/ in all events: to themselves long before the injustice were put to an end to - the inequality removed, all profit would be removed.
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    1821 Aug. 1

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    4. Supposable resource 4. Emolumt from Ultramarian Offices

    In England all this in accordance with the Constitution; I mean always with what would be the Constitution, if there were one. For if the English Constitution, according to the account given of it in all speeches given no less by Whigs than by Tories, the end in view is the maintaining the lustre and splendour of the Crown: to which it is necessary that the pockets of all the rich who are near enough to be seen on their knees before it should be kept in a state of perpetual plunderage. But of your Constitution, which, such as it is, is a really existing one, the end in view - at any rate the declared end - (Art. 4. 13) is the greatest happiness of the greatest number.

    But suppose it admitted that it is proper that to all offices should stand attached masses of emolument such as should suffice for the making fortunes out of them. Suppose it were admitted that it is propoer that the fortunes, when made, should be carried out of the country at the expence of which they have been made. These same admissions - what would you be better for them? If it be proper that, to offices in Ultramaria, masses of official emolument should be attached for the benefit of Spaniards, to the end that, after making out of them each man his fortune, he may on his return to Spain, carry it with him to Spain, - it can not be less proper, that, to Offices in Spain like masses of official emolument should be attached for the benefit of Ultramarians, to the end that after making out of them each man his fortune, he may carry it with him on his return to Ultramaria. These your distant kinsmen - suppose them to urge /claim/ this reciprocity: what will you find to say to them /answer them/? That they are an inferior cast, and that reciprocity would be injustice? There stands your Constitutional Code, and at every page it contradicts you. When they want an example for misrule, it is to England that your rulers send you. The fund is an inexhaustible one. Thus it was when they tried to destroy the liberty of the press and public discussion. On this occasion, one little circumstance excepted. Here too, if in their eyes it be expedient they may find a case in point to shew you. /Look at/ British India with its population of hundred millions. Englishmen are sent to India to make fortunes and bring them to England: Indians are not brought over to England to make fortunes here and go carry with them to India. But now the little circumstance. The people of English India avowed a conquered people with reference to England: but your Ultramarian kinsmen are not a conquered people with reference to you or your rulers /reference to England: but your Ultramaria kinsmen are not a conquered people/. They are descendants of the conquerors. And, between Spain and Ultramaria how little soever there may be at bottom - (but this you will see in its place) in profession, and on the surface of the Code, all is equality and reciprocity.
  • Title: [[clxvii. 242] 1821 Aug. 5.]
    Description: [clxvii. 242]

    1821 Aug. 5.

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    Letter 5. Continued Submission impossible

    When I have thus given you in the way of enumeration only, /without either proof or/ explanation or proof the last of the circumstances in which this aversion has its causes when I have thus given intimation only and no more of those evil effects in your comfort which have for their source the /that/ aversion, discontent, resistance and hostility, as /which/ to your rulers and in so far as you second their endeavours as to yourselves the claim in question to whatever extent maintenance can not fail to be productive - when I have done this, I shall then proceed to beg your /keep before your/ attention to these evils, which in a more immediate way, and independantly of all such aversion on the part of your kinsmen, apply in an individual way to yourselves.

    You have seen a set of supposable resources /sources//channels/ of profit, from which all expectation of pecuniary profit from Spanish Ultramaria to Spain appear to have been derived. You will see that which /although/ in the character of channels or sources of profit in this shape all these circumstances are illusory, /false and delusory/ yet in the character of sources of irritation on their part, and consequent /correspondent/ aversion to the dominion, they are every one of them, but too real and substantial and unavoidable /irremovable/.
  • Title: [[clxvii. 241] 1821 Aug. 5 Rid]
    Description: [clxvii. 241]

    1821 Aug. 5

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    Letter 5. Continued Submission impossible

    Spaniards! you will find it but too true - if you dare to look the subject in the face. You will find it but too true - on the part of the persons proposed to be kept in subjection to this dominion submission for any continuance is morally impossible Aversion unconquerable aversion is sure. The causes of it are numerous: causes, amongst which are several, any one of which would suffice for the production of the effect.

    In this letter I shall proceed to enumerate them to give you a list of them: and in any space that can reasonably be allotted to one Letter out of a number, this is all that can be done. For explanation and proof I must refer you to as many succeeding Letters as there are clauses in this list. And this deduction so unpleasant is it in its nature and in its whole length this long deduction I shall put off for the present, and postpone to a sort of Appendix with which no man whose satisfaction is compleat without it, will have need to burthen himself to afflict his sensibility or burthen his memory.

    It is your interest and your claim that is the direct subject object and subject of this address: that of your Ultramarian kinsmen no otherwise than in respect of the relation borne by theirs to your's: the injury /evil/ /detriment/ done by the dominion and the claim to their interest is no otherwise considered than in so far as it produces correspondent injury /evil/ to yours. Their aversion it is unconquerable and necessarily direct. But if such bring their aversion being thus unconquerable all endeavours on your part can not but be fruitless, and the whole of the blood and treasure expended in that endeavour, expended in waste.