1821. Jan y. 2 d. Part II Lett. 12.

Rid yourselves of Ultramaria

Part II

Lett. 10. Better Ultramaria [...?]

All this while, a question that can scarcely fail to present itself to an impartial observer, is - these and all other imaginable contributions, be they what they may, for what reason should they be exacted from Ultramaria for the profit of Spain, any more than from Spain, for the profit of Ultramaria? On what ground can the reciprocity be refused? But, if it be not refused, contributions from neither would be a much more economical mode than contributions from both: carriage both ways would thus be saved.

Now, if, to the eye of an impartial observer, equality is equity, what chance is ther of its failing for any length of time to be so, to any of those to whose injury the correspondent and opposite inequality would operate?

My friends! by shutting your own eyes, can you (do ye think?) shut, and deep shut for ever, so many millions of other eyes, and at such a distance?

Never, even in a purely self-regarding point of view,- never, to Spaniards, can the feelings, not therefore, the interests, of their Ultramarian kinsmen, be objects of indifference. Even supposing them not to have, on their own account, any claim to consideration on the part of the subject many in Spain they will still be found to possess an incontestable claim to such consideration, on the ground of the effect of the dominion on the interests of those same subject-many in Spain themselves. For, the more strongly adverse, in its very nature, so the interest of the Spanish Americans, is the dominion thus exercised over them, the stronger is the resistance, of which, on their part, in proportion as the opposition of interests is understood and felt, it can not but be expected to be productive.