1822 Apr. 17

Rid Yourselves

Lett. 18. Relinquisht. Plan

' 6. Case V. Subjection uncontested

2. Buyers foreigners.

With relation to their interests, objections to any such transaction

are obvious: 1. distance from the central seat of government so vast: 2 thence,

tardiness of redress after complaint of grievance: 3. encrease given to patronage,

thence to corruptive influence: in a word mischiefs /evil/ in kind the same as those

which I have been as long labouring to represent to you as resulting from the claims

made by your rulers of the dominion over your Ultramarian kinsmen.

But to this there are two answers.

1. As to the distance it will be but a comparatively small part

between Spain and those her Ultramarian Provinces

2. As to redress there is /will be/ no demand for it where there is no

grievance. Many /Already/ are the new born States which have had for their nursing

mother the Anglo-American Columbia /for their nurse/: in no one of them, while it has

been in her leading strings, has there been grievance or complaint of grievance: in

the instance of no one of them has there been on her part any backwardness as to the

taking off the leading-strings.

As to the patronage and corruptive influence on the part of those who profit by

/draw profit from/ it true it is that a propensity /desire/ to give encrease to it

can not be reasonably doubted of: but on the part of those at whose expence it is

created and sustain loss from it /deserve loss and danger/ from it there will exist

/exists/ a counter desire to apply diminution to it: and that which they desire to do

is in their power to do. Though at no great distance from the pinnacle of perfection

their constitution is not yet in actual contact with it: ever since the Union changes

have accordingly been making: but they have always been from good to better: never

from better to less good: not to speak of the changes as are every day making in this

country: changes from bad to worse.