[clxvii. 119]

1821 March 31

Rid Yourselves

'.10. no Improvement or redress for Ultramaria.

Not to speak of the evils in question if actually suffered, think but on the indignation which the bare anticipation of them would excite in your breasts if you yourselves were placed in the same situation in which the Code undertaken to place your kinsmen in Ultramaria. What would be your feeling if told that in the event of another invasion from France you could /should/ not have an additional man or an additional musket cannon or barrel of powder to defend yourselves with nor an additional real to buy rations and cloathing with, unless and until you had obtained leave to that effect from Chile or Peru? What would be your feelings if you were to understand that through /in consequence of/ the badness of the roads in one of your provinces the people were starving by thousands for want of that corn of which in another province there was such a glut, that it was not worth gathering to those who might have it gratis, not an additional share could be laid upon any of your roads without leave from Chile or Peru or Chile as above?

A system of oppression such as this would it not of itself be sufficient to place each of you according to his temper in a state either of despondency or of rage: of despondency if the above were regarded as not susceptible, of rage if it were regarded as susceptible of remedy by insurrection? Would not the return of the so lately excluded disposition be longed for as a remedy, instead of being deprecated as the sum and substance of all evils?