1822 April 14

Rid Yourselves

Lett 18. Relinquishment mode

'. 3. Case 11. Subjection contested

Buyers inhabitants

II. Now as to the non-gratuitous plan.

If any advantage as being obtainable in a pecuniary shape from this

plan my expectations are not very sanguine /abundant/. As above observed, the cases

to which it is confined are those in which the dominion /subjection/ is actually

under contestation and then that in which it is as yet uncontested.

As above the hands from which the profit if any is to be obtained are

either those of your kinsmen [...?] or those of this or that foreign nation.

1. First take the case where the dominion is contested, and the hands

locked in by you for benefit of a pecuniary shape those of their kinsmen themselves.

Of all four cases this is that which seems to present the fairest chance.

By this supposition The province in question has /contains/ in point

of fact - a set of men towards whom others in adequate numbers are seen paying

obedience. If in the province there be money in adequate quantity here then is the

faculty of collecting it a chance of it being obtainable for such a purpose. If the

matter be considered in a view exclusively pecuniary here then a survey is made by

the Province of this as the price of emancipation a sum be agreed on less than the

cost /money/ of self-defence with the addition of the loss in all shapes that would

be produced by the continuance of warfare, loss by expence in money, loss in moneys

worth by rapine and devastation.

Here then if the contracting parties are to be considered as belligerent parties,

and the standard of right and wrong is the sword, something may not impossibly be to

be got for you. But if the standard appealed to be the Spanish Constitution, the

Constitution which your rulers made for them as well as for you, cover /veil/ must be

kept over that Article (Article 8) which declares equality of rights: otherwise while

you are receiving the money with one hand you will have to give it back again with

the other.