1820 Oct. 10 Spanish liberticide measures 4 Torreno

An impartial Spectator may /can/ allow the people of Spain can allow – the

people of Spain ought to allow for a moment of irritation and alarm – for

measures that under the influence of those passions present themselves as

dictated by self-defence. I do not say that merely it is for the interest of the

Spanish people that for having passed this law the existing rulers should be

dealt with as they dealt with their predecessors. But I do say that so long as

this law remains despotism reigns, and that if this law or any thing like it is

permanent the liberties of Spain are gone: some sort of mixt tyranny nobody can

foresee what is substituted to the pure Monarchical one. Under the like tyranny

we in England are groaning. True: but then we have our recollections: we have

our fixt habits: we have our laws incompatible with all liberty: but then we

have our habits of acting against law and in spite of law – it is to the

weakness of our laws that we owe every thing by which we are distinguished to

our advantage from other nations. We have laws and rules of law in abundance any

one of which if executed would suffice to divide the whole population into two

classes – prisoners and jailers.

Ah! who ever are their rulers, the people of Spain the people of Spain before

their salvation is accomplished the people of Spain will have much to

forgive.