[clxvii. 130]

1821 March 31

Rid Yourselves

'.11. To Ultramaria, share in Spanish Cortes worthless

But in answer to their offer a very obvious observation presents itself: an observation which it does not appear to me that to any Ultramarian it should fail of presenting of itself.

So far as your Constitution is a good one, we applaud you for the making of it, and we felicitate you on the possession of it. But to enable us to possess it likewise, in any part or in the whole, it is not by any means necessary that, at our immense distance, we should submitt to be ruled by those who rule over you: be you ever so well satisfied with them, and with ever such good reason, no reason is there in that or any thing else why we should be satisfied to have them for our rulers.

This same Constitution of yours - the Portuguese, in so far as in their eyes it is a good one, have adopted for theirs. Never have you proposed to them, or perhaps thought of proposing to them, any such thing: much less of employing force for compelling them so to do. At the same time, look over in this view the list of those evils which the dominion would entail upon Ultramaria: of these evils, many may you see which the dominion of your rulers would not entail upon the Portugueze.