JB_167_288.xml

Title: [[clxvii. 288] 1820 Aug. 19]

Description: [clxvii. 288]

1820 Aug. 19

Emancipation Spanish

Summary

Mode of riddance

Note the difficulty as to the Negroes, Indians, &c.

Now then in which hemisphere is the greatest number to be found. According to all the Authorities, such as they are, in the American (a).

This being admitted, and all controversies as to what shall be the description of the Electors under Articles 27 and 25 set aside, it is not in Spain that the next Cortes will be to be held, but somewhere in Spanish America. Where then in Spanish America? to this question no answer is to be found /does the Constitution/ [...?]: a plain proof that the possibility of its being any where but in Spain had never presented itself.

Well but suppose it settled that it shall be in Spain, and no where else that the next Cortes shall be held /have its sittings/. This can not last for ever. When the time comes /Supposing the time comes/ when the Spanish Americans are to the end [...?] two to one and thence the Spanish American Deputies are to the end two and one and thence the Spanish American Deputies two to one, will it seem /feel pleasant or even/ reasonable to the two that their convenience should give way to the convenience of the one.

There again in lieu or in aid of reason shall precedent will be looked to?

1 As to the original determination there stands the British Empire with its three kingdoms. In which of the three are /and is/ the seat of the Empire? In the most populous. So it was as between /in the original England and Ireland: so it was in the free [...?] by compact when England and Scotland were united into Great Britain: so it was in the other union by compact between Great Britain and Ireland.

There again as to a change in the seat: and in particular as to a change from the old continent to the new. Is there any /inescapable/ difficulty? Ask his Majesty whose seat was for so many centuries in Portugal and is now in the Brazils.

JB_167_289.xml

Title: [[clxvii. 289] 1820 Aug. 19]

Description: [clxvii. 289]

1820 Aug. 19

Emancipation Spanish

Summary

' Mode of riddance

In the present /existing/ Cortes it being the first these and abundance of other Gordian knots are got rid of /have been cut/: got rid of by being cut. But in the next Cortes destined for existence, they will all knit /renew/ themselves /again/

When /Supposing/ the seat of /empire/ thus changed, Spanish America will have become the principal, Spain the dependent country: and, unless the plan which has hitherto been pursued and /the pursuit of/ which it seems still in contemplation to be pursued be given up as unjust or impracticable, the tables will be turned, and relief to Spanish America will be looked for at the expence of Spain.

With this prospect before the eyes of your rulers what will be their conduct their policy? To let the prosperity of Spanish America take its course unimpeded /unrestricted//unshackled/? /If so,/ You see the consequence. To impede it? to keep them poor and weak and blind? to institute and organize a system of misrule to that effect, and pursue it by design or negligence. I hope you /your rulers/ would not be willing: and if willing I am sure you /they/ would not be able. For, as above, they could not blind Spanish America without blinding Spain at the same time

JB_167_249.xml

Title: [[clxvii. 249] 1820. Aug. 17. Revd]

Description: [clxvii. 249]

1820. Aug. 17. Revd. 6 Aug. 1821

Rid Yourselves of Ultramaria

Letter 5. Submission impossible

'.2. Cortes unwilling

Letter Under Code Ultramarian submission impossible /hopeless/. Much more &c.

II. Much more detrimental, in this same point of view, would the dominion in question, or any attempt to exercise it over Spanish America, or any part of that vast country, of course, be, to the interest of the subject many in Spain, upon the supposition of repugnance, in any part of the other hemisphere.

As the repugnance encreased, or were thought to encrease or were pretended to be encreasing, so would the expence, of the preparations made for surmounting it. It would encrease, in proportion to the number of the provinces in which the discontent had place, and in proportion to the apparent comparative number and force of the discontented in each province: and so, in case of disobedience, or revolt, in proportion to the extent of it.

In Spanish America, the probable existence, and, in case of its existence, the probable magnitude, of the repugnance, discontent, disobedience, and revolt respectively, would, of course, receive encrease from every distinguishable arrangement, by which relief, or benefit, were seen to be endeavoured to be attended to the people of Spain: - to the people of Spain, subject many, ruling few, or both together - at the expence of Spanish America, in general, or of any portion of that vast expence.

In speaking of the repugnance, and its consequences, I have spoken of it, as yet, as no more than probable. But the truth is - it will be - it is already - matter of certainty: of certainty - not merely in this or that one of these provinces, but in every one of them: of certainty, sooner or later, but, at the furthest, not very late. It arises out of the very nature of the relation thus endeavoured to be maintained or restored, coupled with that of the change by which every such endeavour has been preceded: the change, I mean - the change, no less vast than salutary, that has been effected in the character of the constitutional branch of the law. In case of separation as to government, the interests of the two countries are, (it will be seen further on), most intimately united. But, in case of unity of government, their interests of those same parties are, (it will be seen presently), unchangeably opposite.

Not less surely irreconciliable is this opposition, there, as it stands, undeniable. Supposing it possible, that, by this or that particular arrangement, so long as submitted to in Spanish America, advantage in the shape in question - a pecuniary shape - could be made to accrue to Spain - it could not be made to accrue to Spain, but disadvantage would, in a correspondent shape, be felt in Spanish America: and the disadvantage in the subject country, could not possibly fail to be greater than the advantage received in the seat of empire. In regard to every possible pecuniary shape in which the advantage to Spain could have existence, this has been shown already. From the county subject to the dominion, to the county in which the seat of that same dominion is, whatever it were that were received would be to be conveyed: and part of the disadvantage - and that an inevitable one - not to look out for any others - would be composed of the expence of conveyance.

Thus