date

1820 Sept. 3 Emancipation Spanish
1820 Sept. 3

Emancipation Spanish

Summary

Transfer to U.S.

When the extinction is /instrument is/ to be performed by governing

men against their interests or endeavours, We are for extinguishing anarchy is the

slang of malefactors in high places.

Come, have patience with me and I will tell you how if the

circumstances /demands/ of another country continue as they have been, you /your

rulers/ may compass /ZS/ points at once, pecuniary easement /relief/ to you, good

government and content to a portion more or less considerable of your kinsmen in

America, advantage to a third party, and glory pure and unexampled glory to you and

to themselves. If there be a well and popularly governed Confederacy of States

willing to give money for the valuable land in this or that Spanish American Province

contiguous to its own territory, transfer the province to that confederacy if it can

be done with the consent of the inhabitants, to that Confederacy.

Start not at this proposal. In every part of it, it has (you will

see) for its basis incontestable experience.

The State /foreign Confederacy/ I have in view, you see already, it

is that of the Anglo-American United States.

Every body knows what they gave gave to Napoleon for Louisiana.

Every body knows what they wish to give to your own King for the

Floridas. I say to give: for giving up claims to money is in so far as the money

would otherwise have been obtainable, giving the money.

In both instances, they found a convenience /an advantage/ which for

shortness I will call a Geographical convenience. In what

way it was convertible /expressable/ as supposed in pounds shillings, and pence in

Dollars and Cents in what way it was brought home to individual feelings we have no

need to enquire. Trust these people and rulers together /subject many and ruling few/

- for these, subject many and ruling few are one - trust them as to these matters:

for they are not men to give money for moonshine.
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  • Title: [1820. Sept. 3 Emancipation Spanish]
    Description: 1820. Sept. 3

    Emancipation Spanish

    Summary

    Transfer to U.S.

    Whether of the Spanish American territory there be any other part which in the estimation of the United States would afford them any advantage - advantage in that same or any other shape, it is not for me to say with any decision. For the purpose of the argument I will /may however be permitted/ assume the affirmative: at any rate the proposal carries no absurdity - for it carries not so much as novelty - upon the face of it.

    Will then your rulers make the overture to their rulers, you make to them this proposal. Give us so much money we will not only give up to you all our claims to such or such a province naming it but, on your acceding to certain stipulations in favour of the inhabitants, we will do what depends upon us towards recommending the proposal to their favour and obtaining their consent. You have no objection to the admitting new States into your confederacy. You are in use to do so. You are in use to take in young States to nurse, till they are to a certain degree grown up till they are in such a degree of strength as to be fit to go alone and train up in your own calling /way/ till they are of age, at which time you take them into partnership. Well then if the proposal be agreeable to you take the good people of this province: with regard to the land as yet unoccupied in it you shall stand in our place. But, as it is not our meaning to sell them for slaves so neither is it yours to buy them for slaves. It is not by force and taxing them for money to put into your pocket that you look for your profit, but in that land to which without loss to any one the goodness of your Constitution - of that Constitution which you let them into the benefit of - will give a value. It must therefore be with their consent if they become members of your confederacy, not otherwise.
  • Title: [1820. Sept. 3 Emancipation Spanish]
    Description: 1820. Sept. 3

    Emancipation Spanish

    Summary

    Transfer to U.S.

    Religion need not be considered /regarded/ as forming any difficulty

    In the eyes of your King's former advisers when the determination was taken by them

    to transfer the Floridas without putting it to the inhabitants for their consent, it

    was no obstacle. In Maryland one of the United States in question the majority of the

    population were Catholic: never from their intercourse with Protestants either in

    their own or in any other of the States have the Catholics in that state ever

    experienced any molestation. If the belief of the inhabitants in the religion they

    profess is to such a degree weak, that in their opinion /apprehension/ access to the

    /any/ arguments used against it or even the bare sight of the ceremonies belonging to

    the exercise of another modifications of that same religion would /might probably/ be

    fatal to the only true one, the terms of the Union need not prohibit their

    "prohibiting" in the words of Art. 12 the exercise of any other whatsoever. In the

    Anglo-American Congress not to speak of any of the other states whether the Members

    that came from Maryland are Protestants or Catholics is more than any other of the

    Members ever trouble themselves to enquire: nor if they knew would their conduct be

    varied by their /the/ information any otherwise than by the repression of any rule

    indicative /expressive/ of disapprobation towards that religion as might otherwise be

    liable to drop from their lips. From Louisiana I should expect to find upon enquiry

    that ere now Catholic Members have ere now been sent to Congress.

    Difference of language. From this source difficulties could not but arise. None

    however but such as experience has shewn to be not insuperable. In the representative

    body of the Netherlands Dutch is not only the language of but the only language

    understood in the case of some of the Members, French in that of others. The

    Spanish-speaking inhabitants could not be at a loss for English-speaking

    representatives whose fidelity and zeal in the support of their interests would not

    be less than it would be, if no language but Spanish were intelligible to them, found

    them capable of comprehending a syllable.
  • Title: [1820. Sept. 3d. Emancipation Spanish]
    Description: 1820. Sept. 3d.

    Emancipation Spanish

    Summary

    Transfer to U.S.

    Even if no fit person professing the Catholic Religion and

    sufficiently conversant with English to take part in the proceedings of Congress

    could be found, the example, of so many Protestant Members sent to the English

    National Assembly by Catholic votes would suffice to shew whether in any shape any

    considerable inconvenience on this account were reasonably to be apprehended.

    Supposing the proposal not accepted - not accepted in the first

    instance by the United States they having no present demand for any such commodity as

    that in question - not accepted by any /the people/ of any Spanish American Province

    to which it were proposed conveniently situated for them, where would be the mischief

    /damage/. Would your place in the esteem of the people of the already United States

    be the lower for it? Would your place in the esteem or the affection of your American

    kinsmen be the lower for it.

    On the principles of the Holy Alliance /League/, subjects have no feelings, or their

    feelings, if they have any have no claim to regard on the part of rulers. You and

    your rulers have recognized the new - the opposite principle. Let them on this

    occasion act on these new principles Deal on this occasion on the opposite principle,

    you read /will deliver/ to mankind a lesson - a lesson great and new - and by doing

    you make war - impressive war - upon these your implacable enemies. Yes: for by every

    good which upon a national scale a man does to mankind, he makes war upon that Holy

    League: he makes offensive war in the only shape needful or /and/ justifiable - he

    raises himself, he lowers them in the estimation of their subjects.