quence of the connection they bear to subjects of diplomacy. The good faith and credit of a Nation are objects of such vital importance, that without them every pretension to be held, considered, or respected in point of rank, which might otherwise be claimed with justice, is vain and illusory. The wisdom of the Legislative Body can alone conciliate this apparent contradiction, by virtue of the powers it is invested with by our Constitution, in all affairs of credit. It is of most imperious necessity, and superior to every other consideration, that our Debt should be consolidated, in order to silence at once the clamours of many, and to place our Diplomatick Negociations on a footing with those of other Nations. Hitherto the Executive has been able only to restrain the progress of evil, and to steer clear of the ruinous consequences which threatened the Republick in future.

Of all civilized Nations on the face of the globe, Spain is the only one which disavows, or appears to disavow, these grand truths;-that a Nation in want of every thing, a Nation which has lost its Manufacturing Industry, whose fields are abandoned and left waste, and which is devoid of the necessary knowledge and experience for bettering its condition, ought to re-organize itself, as the only means of escaping from the fallen and wretched state to which it has been reduced by an arbitrary Government of many Ages; that the extension of the Constitutional System of Cadiz to the vast possessions of the ancient Spanish Monarchy in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, is a complete delusion, and a chimera which has never existed, and never can rationally exist; that, without a competent Navy, distant Colonies cannot be preserved; and that the relations of one People with another, founded on good-will and reciprocal convenience, are much more advantageous, and infinitely more lasting than those established by force.

The Treaties concluded in Truxillo, on the 26th Nov. 1820, after such dreadful scenes of slaughter and desolation, seemed to announce, that Spain was beginning to abandon that ruinous Policy which had rendered miserable all those living under it. On that memorable day, Don Pablo Morillo appeared at Santa Ana, and, invested with the full and unlimited powers conferred on him by his Sovereign, saluted the Republick of Colombia and her illustrious President; when both, by common accord, adjusted and ratified the said Treaties of Armistice for 6 Months, and the regularization of the War. An act so sublime, and which did so much honour to the Contracting Parties, was principally with the intention, that an understanding might be established during the Truce, so as to bring about a Peace. The formalities with which the Negociation was conducted, the decorous and impartial language used in both Instruments, and the repeated protestations of the Spanish Chiefs, which appeared really to proceed from their hearts, were sufficient to induce a belief that such a happy result was pro

bable. The Government of Colombia immediately appointed Messrs. José Raphael Ravenga and José Tiburcio Echeverria, to the Court of Madrid, with Credentials, Full Powers, and Instructions, signed in the City of Bogota, January 24th, 1821; and, as 2 Months of the Armistice had already elapsed, they had Special Powers for soliciting in Caraccas a prolongation of the time necessary for treating in Madrid with the Government of His Catholick Majesty. The Parties not being able to agree on the conditions of prolongation, our Plenipotentiaries embarked at La Guayra, March 24, on board the Spanish Corvette Arethusa, and arrived at Cadiz, May 14, 1821. What must have been the astonishment of our Messengers of Peace, when having scarcely reached the Shores of Spain, they began to hear from those initiated in the mysteries of that Cabinet, a very different language from what had been used by its Agent on the Main! The Government of His Catholick Majesty had just granted amnesty to those who had obtained applause from one extremity of the world to the other for their extraordinary exertions in defence of their Liberties. A line of conduct, as absurd as unexpected, was seen, by the reflecting and really liberal minded men in Spain, with a disgust which can neither be explained nor described but by those who have attentively observed the steps of a Government, which, from the first, has never ceased to undermine secretly the edifice raised in the Island of Leon.

Notwithstanding the discouragement excited by such contradictory conduct, our Plenipotentiaries pursued their journey, and reached Madrid the 30th of the same Month of May; and there they had positive proofs, that not only the Ministers of His Catholick Majesty, but the pretended Pacificators of the Main, were not animated with that good faith and sincerity with which we had entered into Negociations for Peace. The former thought they could induce us to sue for Peace on degrading terms, derogatory to our dignity and National character, and the latter sought numerous pretexts for renewing Hostilities previous to the expiration of the Armistice, as is proved by the Correspondence of General Don Miguel de la Torre, of February and March, with the Minister of Ultramarine Affairs. The Government of Colombia, which, in the very first days of the Truce, had discovered the artifice and duplicity of the Enemy, made preparations to let him feel the weight of its power; but as that Correspondence was then attributed to Men led away by their passions, to Men habituated to the enormities committed during this War of extermination, the resolution was suspended, and it was determined not to act, until it was also evident that no good was to be expected from Madrid. The consequence was, the renewal of Hostilities on our part, on April 28th, 1821, at which time our Plenipotentiaries remained in Madrid, without having been able to advance one single

step in the Negociation. Their first and last interviews with Señor Bardaxi de Azara did not take place until June 5th, in presence of the other Secretaries of State, and was confined to a conversation of trifling interest. This, together with other circumstances, shewed, that no Negociation would be entered into with Colombia separately, whilst so many were occupied with forming Plans of General Pacification, with opposite views and interests. The most strenuous Enemies of America had at last learned, that their wretched ridiculous system of amnesty, far from producing any favourable effect, was every day increasing the irritation in the minds of the Inhabitants of this Continent, confirming some in their noble intention of being independent, and inspiring others with the wish of being so. It was, therefore, necessary to set that temporizing Policy aside, and seek more efficacious measures. It was now requisite to examine the question thoroughly, and to remove the obstacles opposed to the Pacification. The Report presented by the Minister, Don Ramon Gil de la Cuadra, to the Ordinary Cortes, on March 1st, 1821, on Ultramarine Affairs, offered no materials which could be made use of in such a discussion. In it Mr. Cuadra speaks diffusely of Lazzarettoes, Hospitals, Schools, the arrangement of his Office, and other Minor and irrelevant matters, as if the whole of America were in profound Peace. The Committee of the Cortes, which examined this Memorial, shewed, in their Report of June 4th following, on the Population of the Ultramarine Provinces, what People are capable of doing, who shut their eyes and ears to the causes of the evils with which they are surrounded. The Committee thought of rendering us a great service by their Project for the division of waste lands, because M. Cuadra had asserted in his Memorial, that the measure was of the highest importance to America, as well economically as politically, and in both respects the King expected wonderful results from it. A long period did not, however, elapse before the King and the Cortes discovered, that they were losing their time in extraneous questions, while the real matter was left untouched. Cortes, on the proposal of M. Paul, appointed on their part a Committee of their own body, to suggest the best means of closing the dissensions with which various Countries of America were unfortunately afflicted. The Committee, after frequent and long Sittings, at which the Ministers and a great number of Deputies attended, presented their Report, June 24th, concluding with an opinion that the Government should be invited to propose to the Cortes the fundamental measures which the situation of America required. In this it was easily seen that several, or all, of the Committee, wished to enter into the merits of the Case, but abstained from doing so out of respect to the private opinions of His Catholick Majesty's Ministers. Great hopes were formed from the plan of Regencies, which the major part of the Ultramarine Deputation, and particularly that of Mexico, presented

The

to the Cortes the same day. Ministers secretly supported the plan, but, as we learn, refused doing so openly, that they might sound public feeling without compromising themselves. Messrs. Ravenga and Echeverria immediately sent a Copy of our Fundamental Laws to the Secretary of State, to shew the incompatibility of the measure proposed, with our Social Organization. The Plan of Regencies was finally given up, Ministers themselves thinking it unconstitutional, and the King finished the Speech, with which he closed the Ordinary Cortes on the 30th June, by saying, that urged to propose the most proper means for the well-being of the Ultramarine Provinces, he would do so with all possible expedition and liberality, but that the Spaniards of both Worlds might be persuaded, that he desired nothing so much as their happiness, founded on the integrity of the Monarchy, and the observance of the Constitution.

This decisive and solemn declaration, together with the false direction given, at the same time, to public opinion, by means of virulent invectives and calumnious Publications against America, caused every shadow of hope for Peace to vanish. Our Plenipotentiaries, however, in spite of all this, determined to remain at Madrid until the 1st September, when they received a Note from the Secretary of State, of the 30th August, in which, after having, amongst other charges, accused the Government of Colombia of the infraction of the most Solemn Compacts and of the Law of Nations, he enclosed their Passports, observing, that they should lose no time in commencing their Journey, as their remaining in Spain might be prejudicial, and was moreover quite useless, from their not being in a condition to be listened to by His Majesty, and for other reasons which he did not think it necessary to explain. This unexpected determination, which had been for some days previously announced in the Publick Papers, together with the irritation excited against Americans in general, in the most scandalous manner tending to implicate them in the tumult of the 20th August preceding, against the person of General Morillo, convinced our Plenipotentiaries that they had not a moment to hesitate as to the part they had to take.

Vain, indeed, would have been all explanations given, at that time, however clear and convincing, against the imputations, and the general and indefinite charges, of the Spanish Government. The resolution was taken not to lend an impartial ear to any thing that might be advanced; and accustomed to decide on the Destinies of America from the interested information of its own Agents, this first instance of respect and consideration towards those hitherto held in degradation, must have been particularly mortifying. Such is the force of habit, that it confounds times and circumstances, and keeps those under its influence in a state of continual delusion most flattering to their self-love. The Plenipotentiaries of Colombia were obliged, in consequence, to content them[1822-23.] 3 C

selves, for the moment, with a simple reply to the Note of dismissal, and left Madrid in 36 hours after receiving their Passports, reserving for a more favourable opportunity the vindication of the honour and dignity of their Country, of which they availed themselves at Bayonne, under date of September 14th. In their detailed explanation, the facts are set forth which appear to have given rise to those general and indefinite charges. In it, the Enemy will have seen the Principles on which our Right was founded of protecting Maracaibo, then independent, by the spontaneous declaration of the Spanish Authorities and the People, and in which affair our Chief Magistrate could not have given a stronger proof of his love of justice, than by offering to leave it to the decision of Arbitrators, and by nominating on his part the Spanish Brigadier, Don Ramon Correa. In it will have been seen, that we did not (26 days before the expiration of the term of the Armistice,) renew hostilities, except for our own preservation, the first Law of Nature, when it became unavoidable, and after fulfilling the formalities prescribed by Article XIV. of that Treaty, in the event of such an unfortunate contingency taking place. In it, in short, the Government of His Catholick Majesty will have seen, that if, on their side, they had vague and indefinite accusations against us, we could, on ours, complain of positive infractions by irrefragable acts, which, from the very first, placed beyond a doubt the want of sincerity and good faith with which we were invited to enter into the Negociation for Peace.

Since the departure of Messrs. Ravenga and Echeverria from Spain, the Government of that Country has, by degrees, been moderating its pretension of addressing America with that decided and imperious tone which it had previously assumed. In the Speech with which the King afterwards opened the Cortes, he slightly noticed the Pacification of America as a point not inseparably connected with the Constitution. The Cortes, after hearing the Reports of the respective Committees, resolved, on the 13th of February, 1822, to recommend to His Majesty, that he should without loss of time appoint fit Persons to present themselves to the Governments established in America, to listen to and receive such proposals as they might have to submit. The King did not order this Decree to be complied with and carried into effect, until the 5th of March; the Minister of Ultramarine Affairs did not transmit it to the Minister of War, until the 31st of the same Month, nor the latter to the Commander-in-Chief of the Expeditionary Army, until the 15th of April, and it was not before the 18th of May that the said General-in-Chief learnt, that His Majesty had appointed Brigadier Don José Sartorio, and Capt. Don Juan Barry, to treat with our Government.

In commencing this extraordinary Negociation, His Catholick Majesty, in consequence of Article IV. of the Decree of the 13th of February, addressed a Manifesto to the Courts of Europe, protesting