date

1820 Sept 3 Emancipation Spanish
1820 Sept 3

Emancipation Spanish

Summary

'. 5 Corruptive influence

or

Domination impossible

True it is again that by Art. 226 these same Secretaries /functionaries/ "of

Dispatch" shall be responsible to the Cortes for the orders which they shall

authorise contrary to the Constitution and or the laws, without this that the having

the Kings command shall serve them for excuse. Equally true it is that the greatest

care is taken that for nine months in the year or at the very least for eight months

there is to be no Cortes in existence: Art. 106-107. and for the securing this term

of non-existence much anxiety is expressed. For the giving the additional months of

existence a majority of the members of the Cortes is not to suffice: nothing less

than a majority amounting to two thirds of the members, or an application from the

King himself: an application which to which he will not probably have much objection

to make, when he is desirous to have his hands thus tied.

These extraordinary cases excepted, if among all his subjects he can but have two

/those/ faithful servants for secretary of finance another for secretary of war he

has by the Constitution nine months given him during which he may do whatever pleases

him with all the money as he finds at his command and as much more as he can find

means to lay his hands on /take into his possession/ by the hands /help/ of the whole

land force of the country militia as well as regulars included. With the help of his

secretary for foreign affairs he may at the same time obtain the assistance of any

sympathising Monarch in whose breast a genuine indignation for the injuries suffered

by him may have been kindled, at the same time; should there have been in any month

any set of troublesome men of whom it may have been his pleasure to rid himself in

[...?], with the help of his secretary of dispatches of grace and justice, he gives

employment to the divine godlike prerogative attribute of

mercy by employing the prerogative of pardon or in addition to such rewards as the

case may require impunity to the faithful hands by which the accommodation has been

afforded.

Meantime the Council of State has the Constitution invested it with any power by

which a course of [...?] such as the above could be prevented or impeded? I have

carefully examined all the Articles that speak of that august body, and I can find no

such proviso.
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    '. 10. Amendment impossible

    2. So in any branch of the administration department. To the injury of indiciduals

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    together arriving at Madrid: by the end of another month, a decision, grounded on

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    months [...?] as above may be any further length [...?] of impunity not exceeding

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    afterwards will be sure to furnish more business than it will be possible for the

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    '. 10. Amendment impossible

    Tru it is that by Art. 157, 158, 159, 160,every Cortes before seperation is to chose

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    '. 10. Amendment impossible

    Such is the impossibility of timely correction of any abuse of the delgated power

    [...?] in those distant regions . Now for an example /a conception/ of the

    consequences

    A recent incident comes to my aid. A Minister of the King A Secretary /One of the

    Secretaries of/ State and dispatch - the Secretary at War sends to Cadiz an order for

    the disbanding of the Army - of the /that/ Army by which the first declaration in

    favour of the Constitution was made. The Cortes is sitting: the order is revoked: the

    Minister displaced. Now suppose no Cortes sitting: the time chosen for the order,

    that on which the sitting having but just terminated, anarchy so far as depends on

    the vacation of /absence of/ the Cortes has the longest range. For the maintenance of

    the Constitution, the further continuance of that Army, for a longer or shorter

    portion of time seens to have been regarded as necessary. Suppose it so: the Army

    disbanded what more would you have seen or Constitution or Cortes? The Constitution

    could have been burnt by the hands of the hangman, and, the Members of this second

    Cortes would have been dealt with as those of the first were.

    Now suppose [...?] governed /Buenos Ayres kept in subjection/ by a Spanish army, and

    an order /a [...?]/ sent from Madrid to disband it. Sent by a Minister, but, no

    matter by what motive in the giving to the province independence, or transferring it

    to other hands: to the Brasilian Government for instance. Responsible to the Cortes

    responsible by Art. was the Minister by whom this order was sent. of This

    responsibility what could

    be the effect.

    Blaquiere's Letter 26 Aug 1820

    Art. 222