[clxvii. 167]

1820. Aug. 31

Emancipation Spanish

Lett. 14 or 19 Average Cause

Under the /state of universal/ despotism which the Constitution has established, true, all this /this and more/ was effected /made/: had it continued, this and much more might have been continued to be effected. But under the Constitution as it stands, neither this nor any thing like it can be effected. By the Constitution, the Provincial deputation chosen by the people at large - by the subject many had their negative /you have seen/ upon all taxes: the people therefore had thereby the negative upon all taxes

Under the former despotism, in Spain as to all matters of government was kept in a state next to /above/ other darkness the communication /intercourse/, small and interrupted as it was which they had with enlightened nations saved it from being a /exactly/ state of utter darkness. But in the Ultramarian possessions /dominion/ /provinces/ it was actually a state of utter darkness

But under the Constitution as it stands here stands both countries /hemispheres/ here stands the American in particular, as to the difference between light and darkness? Unless it be a settled thing (and how can it be so?) that in all America the Constitution shall be a dead letter, in vigour only in Spain that which the seat of the lesser part of the population shall be a seat of liberty /light/ and good government, the seat of the greater part shall be the seat of despotism /darkness/ misrule and intellectual darkness, and the whole system taken together a system of injustice, oppression, despotism, perfidy and impostures - the imposture a [...?] for the covering of the despotism - unless in the eyes of the people can not be more widely open to it /political light can not be more universally diffused/ in Spain than they will be in America

Look to the system /[...?]/ of Education, is it not to be exactly the same in both countries /hemispheres/? Look to the qualification required for a vote in the \ZS\ assembly: is not that to be the same in both countries? the voter able not only to read which for constant capacity of instruction might (or should have thought) have been sufficient) but even to write?