y j:.T;. ft vmXXVi: ' ' ' ': . i . v. 7: ; ' FRIDAY. TtJNE 20. 1823. ; - 5: : rVKAhjNO.'. JSS . Jislract. oJZurcpean JSocumerits., The following is an abstract of clasIbf the -Documents, respecting The affairs of France and Spain; v They are headf ed Pam aind Madrid.? ' . . Ko. 'r Canning to -Sir. William ACourt, British- Minister at Madrid, da ted December 3, and enclosing copies of the principal communications received froin the Duke of Wellington from Vero Ba. &c.4 ' , .: v -v ;:- ' To. 2.-Mr. Canning to the ; same; en closing the note from Mr. de Colomb.the iSpaaish Charge d'Affaires 'see abstract y6. 7, in tHe preceding class of papers. ' " No. 5. Mr. Canniog to the same, De- ctmber 9, and , announcing the receipt of the final dispatches from the; Duke-of Wellington at Verona, and intimating a willingness to make , an effort at media tion. " H" says , Mr. C. Spain be dis posed to solicit that mediation, she will entitle herself to it, first, by redressing out grievances and secondly, by a con f dpntial and spontaneous assurance, that his Catholic Majesty and his family are altogether safe from violence. Upon this Jatter point, it 'is not intended thju-yu should make any. direct demand to the Spanish government. , It could notjsro perly find its place in a diplomatic com murication to the Minister of-his Catho lie Majesty. But M. San Miguel may be easily led to understand how important an aid would be afforded to any interpo-; sition of ours in behalf of .Spajn, if. we. could accompany it with a'declaration of our entire convictiGn, that on this point Europe has nothing to: fear." ; ; No. 4 and No. 5, xare from the same to tKe same, but simpry enclosing copies of pipers marked No. 8 and No. 10, in the abstract of Paris and Verona papers. $ No. 6. Mr.- Canning to Sir William ACourt, dated December 9. This let ter encloses the answer to the note of the l)uke cf.Wellington, presented at Paris, (see. No. 12Verona and Paris- papers.) This is the paper in which the French government declined the mediation of Enelabd. We extract the following froiii 3VIr.. Canning's despatch toMadnd upon this subject. x ' - UA thr object at Verona was to induce vs to make common cause "with ail ; jso, the object of France, since she has to a certain degree reconsidered for herself the measures framed at Verona, appears to be to induce us to concur in her sepa rate and mitigated measure. . 44 The truth is, as you are aware, that "our drction to loming in the measures settieu at verona v t.rincifile: not of degr was an objection of ree ; an objection not capable, therefore, ot being overcome by a mere modiiication of the execution cf them. ' 1 ' It would have been 'idle , to offer our mediation to France, if we had been pre pared to unite with her in the condition . al menace.contrined in the dispatch which she has now addressed to her at Madrid a menace softeml perhaps inlts terms, and less precise as to the conditions ' on : vhich Tt depends than those of the ether Continental Powers, sut still vicious IX PRixciPLEas at once demanding of .bpam something to-be done in the ar Tangement cf her -internal concerns and denouncing (in however comparatively distant and obscure a manner) War as the consequence of refusal. 44 In speaking to M. de San Miguel up on the subject of -those instructions, you vill disclaim fcr your government any par- zicijiation in this proceeding of the t rench Government. -But you wttf avow the deep interest which the King, our mas- :r, ieris in me agnations now prevailing in opain ; His Majesty s anxious hope that the Spanish government f and nation niay avoid any excess, either in ction or cesire 10 employ ; nis gooa onces in natever wav may: be roost useful to Spain, for r averting: "the dancers with "fchich she is threatened,and for reconi filing her to France and,to all Europe. o. 7. Mr. Canning to Sir William A Court, same date in which Mr; C says: It' mav be of so'muclr.use to'vou. in the present critical state of . things, to iiave vith you some" persons m the Duke ' vciiingtdn & entire conhuence, "and csl pah'.e of commuhicatihg in his Grace's! name with individuals whom he has per- fwaily known, and who are- now in the ?panih J?ovenmerit, or councils, that , kcrd Fitzroy Somerset has agreed to un frtake a journeyo Madrid, for thepur of affording you such assistances -No. 8. Sir William A'Court to Mr; vanning, dated Madrid, DVcetiiber Zi. 'is note first speaks of the adjustment f ihe commercial dispute b.tween Eiig -tid and Spain, ;as then 1 nearly; certain, and details a conversation with M, San 'Y'Suel, in relation : tb that subject; and .aso the proffered mediation ot England la the dispute, with France." 44 We 'are Jre of Engtand," said M. San Miguel. 3Dd satisned'with her position ; ani we ,lcPe that the Cortes will enable us to ake her satisfied with Spain.,' We" can -exPf "her to range-berseif on our nor' to send troops or fleets to assist '. bui Ave are pursuaded that she will '5TJf r 2ssist out ejiemies, norfurnislTthenr the means ot invading us.' It is, moreover, so much her interest to nrevent war breaking out between us and France, that it is quite unnecessary to ask for her mediatipn.xTliere is certainlv nothing to induce us ask for such a mediation at present 5 but we are at sea- surrounded by dangers, and menaced by storms and it Ujmpossible to say that we may not yet require a .Wrmfvyiazi. But we see no thing yet to mike it necessary for us to ask any mediation, nor haxV. we.at pre sent anv int-htion to solicit oftr." . No. 9. Mr. Cannine to,lLoi d Titzrov Somerset, dated January 6 -being a let ter of instructions.1 We copy only the following paragraph as going to show5 the earnestness with which England has at tempted o keep the peace::- ; -4 At the same time, that you will be careful to mark vour relation tp his Ma jesty's established Minister, it will Jbe es- sential to avoid creating tiie impression, that the suggestions whichyour Lordship has to offer fon the, part of the Duke. of Wellington, as the friend and well-wisher of Spain,; are only in another shaTDe demands on the part of your government. A voluntary adoption 01 the suggestions of the Duke of Wellington would enable us to mediate for Spain with France, with an effect infinitely more powerful. But we donoU like France, demand any thing of this sort, as the firice of our forbear ance to break with Spain. Enclosed in No. 9, was a memorandum by the Duke of Wellington, for the as sistance of Lord Fitzroy Somerset, on his arrival at Madrid. We think it necessa ry to give these memoranda entire, as ex hibiting the impartial views of the distin4 guishe'a author, in ..relation to the defects of the Spanish constitutionand the reform necessary, in his opinion, for the preser vation of a . proper balance of power in the Government. : 1 MEMORANDUM &c. London, January. 6, 1823. ' It is important to make; the Spaniards feel, that, a King being necessary for' the government of their country, and a part of their system, as established by them -selves it follows, as a niatter of equal necessity, that the powers and preroga tives assigned to thejing;in the system, snould ne sucn as ta enable him to per form his duties, and such as, in reason, a King ought to be itisfied with. If the situation of the King is not what it Ought to be ; if he has npt the power to protect himself, and those?- employed un der him, in the performance of their du ty in the service of the public ; and if the King has "not reason to be satisfied that the power, alldtted tohimhy law is suffi- cient, the country will never be in a state of tranquillity, be the systtm of Govern- menr wnat it may. 1 - n 1 I her Will be perpetual, successive royal insurrections 1 in one part of Uie country or the other : and the Kii;g and his Gowrnmeht will be objects of never ceasing jealousy snd. distrust. J t The family connection between his Catholic Majesty and the King of Frahce and the interest which Jhe latter natu rally feels for the welfare of the former will occasion a perpetual irritation be tween the two court tries, so long as the situation of the King in Spain is not what it ought to be ; which it nday be expected will, sooner or) later, occasion war, and the invasion ot the weaker country. Inus, then, those ihparuards who real ly d?ire the peace and welfare of their country, must look1 to an alteration of their Constitution, which shall have for its object to give the,Kidg the power of- executing his otnee. .1 con tess that 1 do not see any objection to f this alteration, either in the -antecedent? conduct of the King, or in the apprehension that his Catholic Majesty will abuse the power thus confided to him. The King will feel the advantages of the position in which he shall find himself, and will have no motive; for wishing to overthrow the sys tem established, particularly if the alter ation is made in concert fwith him ; arid, moreover, the .spirit of the people, & the exertions' of ;lhpse individuals, who have prevented the existing system from being overthrown, will preserve that to be es tablished, even though the King should be desirous of overthrowing it, by tHe a buse of the power entrusted to him. - This will be the case particularly, if the proposed alterations of ' the system are concerted with the Kng; Indeed, no .0- ther mode of making these alterations can have the desired effect : as, if, thev are not made 111 concert with the Kinc and his Catholic Majesty will not cordially carrynto execution the system nroDosed : land, both King and people being dissatis- ncu, mere wm ai.ui uc i same causes lor internal disturbance;and;for external war as eStlsts at present. Tiie concert with the King on the alterations must be a real the Constitution, as altered, will secure the foundations pi his power "over, the Execu tive government, and - will erive him the means 01 - protecting r himself, his familyi and his servants. , w . v ;VNeither.dq I see any reason, for defer ring to make these alterations in the re cent transactions of- fareirn :nowprs.: Those transactions are all nrofessedlv de- f cn'bive. 2 France, firofestes. bv her arm v of observation, to de drftmtuei and de- ciares tnat sire w;ll not pass the froctier; t exceptinar on the Occurrence of certain ca- 00 the principles proposed, would render; ses. 1 ne. alteration 014 iub- otmi.iunoii. those cases , so impropaDie, as tnac tne continuaiice oK the .army 01 oaseryation would be an useless ex$ense ; and there is no doubt that.it would be immediately withdrawn.' i i - : " 7.; Then another advantage which; would result from this alteration in aid of inter nal tranquility, is, thajFrance would most probably immediately adopt, some efficient measure to prevent the Assembly Vf the Rovalists within the French fron tier. AH Spaniards who pass the frontier, might be ordered to reside at such a dis tance from the frontier, as to render their intrigues or their operations within the Spanish1 frontier nearly impossible; and thus the assylum given in France'to per sons of this description, would not be in consistent with the peace and tranquility of Spain. - But this is not all The Spaniards must see that all the sources of the prosperity of their country are nearly destroyed ; and that the very foundation of social or der and government are in a state of risk. There is no trade, no private or public revenue ;. the national property cannot be sold ; the interest of the national debt cannot be paid ; nor can the army,-" or any of the publicseryaiits or- establishments ; and no money can be borrowed I happen to know, jthat' thfc. principle moneyed people in Europe will not lend their money to SpainJ till they shall see a system prevail in that country which shall afford some hope of the re-estabiish-ment and permanence of peace and good order. ; v If all this be trueif! it be - ruev' besides that the best chance that Spain has of fcoming to some arrangement with herco lonies, is to be found in some settlement nf her internal dissentions and distractions, it is impossible that any reasonable Span iard can donbtj that the time is come to effect those alterations, which the common sense of mankind points1 out to be neces- arv. N. 16. Mr. tanningy to Sir t'Court. being , a kir-dof intr William A'Court. being , a kmoVof introductory letter nf Lord Pitzroy Somerset, in an un official capacity,, but as the .confidential agent thro whom was to be communica ted the yievv,sof the Duke of Wellington. Speaking of the advantages: anticipated from this agency, among other things Mr, Canning sa s : 44 There may be those among the leaders of the Cortes, or in offices of the Executive Government, who would listen to friendly counsels, coming from a man to- whom' Spain is so deeply indebted as the Duke ot Wellington, and to whnm her welfare is naturally so dear. from the very services which he has had the glory of rendering to her, though they might turn a deaf ear to any other sugges lions", ;..., ."' . .. .. Jn 11 IVIw rnn!nir a thp am(. Jan. 9, enclosing a copy of the official note! r"Mr ,T3 Dnnto oni Vpi-nn-i niinprs. Class ! A-l addressed to the French Charge d' Affairs in London, in reply to the Duke Montmorency's answer toVthe note of the Duke of Wellington of , the irth ultimo, which tendered 4to the French govern ment the mediation of iis Majesty for theadinstmentofits differences with Spain. Tlfis note principally relates to the com- nierciai negocianons in wfiiuu ouV was engaged Oh the subject ot the me ion, however, it is said 44 our positioi diation, however, it is said 44 our position between France and Spain is strictly me diatorial, even though neither of the two states should (for different reasons) .think fit to avail itself of our formal mediation; and though we are not invested wish the office, we mWt endeavor practically to perform the duties of it." - ' No. 12. Sir William A'Court to. Mr. Canning, dated Dec. 26. This letter de tails another conversation with San Mi guel which is not important. ' The Con gress had then adTonrned the sovereigns had retired to their respective states, and; the Spanish minister was flattering him self with' the idea that there wtfuld be no war with France. , -' T-a-. : No. 13., Mr. Canning to Sir. William A'Court, dated Jan. ; 11. We extract the following1; as shewing the early and positive determination of England to maintain a strict neutrality in the event of a war, - - t;-;- '-' .'- - vv, - - VThe position in which the Spanish and French governments stands to each other cannot last. Everyday brings i'-with it the hazard -'of -an accidental infraction of peace oh the1 frontiers ; - and the small est such infraction might confound all pur hopes and endeavors." Till France shall withdraw her Army of Obseryatiori, there is no security, atrainst such hazards. France. cannot withdraw, her army (it is (air to; admit) without- some cause to as sign for doing so. The only- cause to be assigned must be some satisfactory assu- ances received trom Spain bpain may be relnctanrto give such assurances to France under the apparent influence of a menace. But she mav confide, them to'-us. who neither reouire them, 'nor threaten ahv consequence of withholding them. If Spain has griefs against France, she may , in like manner, confide to us the state ment of them, as an inducement to France to be satisfied with less concession. ) " Such is the summaryof the present state of things on which depends the fearful alternative of peace or war. We earnestiydesire the former our owninterest;M.SaM gests, but for theKlargeri interests, ot , km rope, (those of Spain herself JncJudrd J in which ultimately, if not imrnediateiy.our own. no doubt.-may be involved We wish for peace,' therefore: in rope ; buf peace for ourselves we are de termmedltH events' 6;?s6nreiand: should our efforts tmajntainclf betweeh France and Spain proylKiviciwhall have the consolation to ?:have discharged the I duty (towards both: a. faithfplaHd disintere.; ed ally and shall retire thence forth within the limits of a strict peut'rali THislaAKtbp'yooahtte tbo dearly, nor press too strongly upon &an Miguel i as there are not wanting those who may; wish to inspirehim with the no tion . that the anxiety; which wfe, manifest to rescue Spain from. thej:war; i is'ait "ear-- rsi or a cietermmation co join aer 111 uic war; in case it should come, upon her. I haVe discourae-ed in the most decisive manner; some obscure indication of la Avish and hope of this kind in the bpanish mission in this country,." v 'pv-; No. 14. Sir William A' Court: to Mr. Canning, Jan. 7. This letter relates to the generalstate of things for a few days at the receipt of the notes from tne Min isters of the Allied Powers. The 'Span- lards did noteven then believe therejwoutd be a war. The British resident minister, after announcing the receipt of these do cuments by the Spanish ministry; .re marks ;-r-4 I must do the Sfianish govern ment the fustic e to say that, so far as I can perceive, it has not assumed, any im firoter manner or exhibited any extrt.01 dinary presumption on the fireseritiocca-: sioti. M San Miguel, indeed, iri his con-' versations with me, since, the'arrival: of the despatches abovementioned, has spo- Ken m a lone i hiui,h gi caicr juouera tion, and has held out much greater hopes for the future,' than lie ever ventured to express before ; be more than" insinuated that modifications might be effected; when ever tJie country should be relieved from the danger of foreign interference No. 15. Sir William A'Court to Mr. Canning, Jan'y 10, mentioning the reading of the despatchesfrom the Allied Pow ers, and the Spanish replies in he Cortes, and the effect produced. There is noth ing new or important in this communica tion. War beganto be more seriously anticipated, and Sir W. ACourt thought the good offices of England ' would, soon be solicited by the Spanish Ministry. 1 No. 16. Sir William A'Court to Mr. Canning, dated January lS,- enclosing a ing a , San In an- nd.-i; letter from ;the bpanish minister, Mieuel, soliciting, at last, as had been ticipated, the good omces ot H.ngian Asa temperate exposition of the feelings i 1 j and views of the. Spanish cabinet at this moment, we extract tne touowing 44 You,' sir, who have been an eye wit ness of the events which have occurred in this. capital during the last three months and oft he-scene vhicli it has presented iuring the lasf three days, can -inform your government better than any one else, of the firm determination of ill Spain to defend her; national independence at all hazards, and never to acknowledge a right of intervention on the part of any j foreie-n nnwer. The justice of the cause of the nation is so obvious, and its; right to be independent so sacred and imp rescrip- tible.that his Majesty's govei nment would think it an aflront to your judgment, sir, to dwell anyUonger upon this point. 44 Any defect, which the present Consti-1 1 tution of Shain may have, ought, to be discovered and remediedfreely and spon taneously by the nation itself, The con trary would tend to establish a right of the most terrible arid insup'portable'op: pression4The Spaniards are aV present identifiediwith the .Constitution promul gated in 1812. They all behold in their present monarch Don Fernando the Se venth, the sacred arid inviolable person of their Constitutional King ; and it cannot be concealed from you, sir that this re speet professed to the King is extended to au tne memoers o me ttoyai r amuy. i4, Spain,, unvarying in herrprinciplesi awaits calmly the result of. the answers which have beenr given to the communica tions of the four great Continental Pow ers ; but she flatters' herself, however, 4that blood will not be shed in Europe,6r questions so evident 4n themselves j and that France will lay aside her system of precaution, as she calls At; fsu Hlamado sUtema de precaution,)" whi0h7; without beine ot the slightest utiuty to her. is the source of so many evils to Spain. 3 -.", To England, who has taken-in the conferences- at .Verona so moderate and pacific ajine, it NOWfcEONTOCROwtf the work ; and to preVent fm effusion of blood whicli can be ' productive of; no possible advantage to the interest ot any nation. To England, too, belongs , the t a sk of m akiiig the, French ; goveruraefat j fiercewe tne crrarjw nicn ;i is coimniuing, in takmgmeasures and'precaulions,which only produce ; contrary results to those which it states itself to have in 1 vie w; h The existence :''qC'AVmy.;bf ObKr. vation on the Pyrenees and the protectir l on afforded to the insurgents are entirety U incompatible with that tranquility,, whjch j j theFrench government says it .wishes Spam tp enjoy 2- -'M yBfi:S:;M i V His Catholiq Mijesty's Gbvernineni obiect; it feeii tha t i t' can no where iopk for more effectual assistance than, frotrlr V 1 . ;t ?tbe cabinet 6f Great. -Britain; the exercise w'tf ; it (rusts; be deniedI"TS 1 ; 7-. :v ; - No: 1 - Canning, to Sir Charles SriajtRfitlmmii4 January 24, "andrenclnsing a copy 6f the'-' piote from M. tie San Miguel, from which t-.ff the( foregoing, is art extractT'r C di ' rects that this despatchlb4.itoedjMely v, ; -. laid befere M, de Chateaubriand; The ;'&!, importance of - Mr : Carwitng's letter o C: ' -v thw ; occasion, arid the clearness ;f,of his : ' ' view 's and solidity of his'ihions; ' induce f43S teaubriand,.your Excclfehcy is hotrto'o- yerrate the value fthe concession im- ' pHed, f ather than distinctly ez pressed iri t t he note of M. de 5an Mierul : nor to re present it as completely satlsfactory and . as leaving nothing to be desired : ' but it is ;f just and iasonahla thesame tfrneto consider the circumsUniinderwhlcli' itwag.writteii. i ih ? , , i' T ;i-burediy. the fricfre enlifhtenecirriaffi . to make air extract of some lencrth. - F Mr;Can,ning; says ':'ti:x:f'; ;'; 0:y:h n"4Vln your conversation wlihrMs'de Chai j ;? ! of the. government, or of the Cortesbf y ' ' C Spain, doesnot belie W the Spanish ; Cori siitution of 1812 to be, jnjtflits paft use- y fully andj permanency practicable . ;.: 1 if there eiistsTnipy-felction in the frame 4 ".X of the gOyrnmeht Vof F'ranceor -of E11- , gland, respectively, should we conserit irt ' reform those imperfect ioiisonxhe demand' of a foreign power and tinder the menace of a foreign war; as the penalty rof , our refusal ? . ;'f ' nii'A: ''f,j': '" : 44 Even byj the mode in whfch thede-T ' mand was made by France; that part of ' , ' the Spanish governmerit or natiori, whiclt : ? might be willing to undt;ftaEe'thosm liorations of I the presenH conititutibh bf Ai Spain, .without whichvitialledged to bq , k . unsafe to herlneighbors. ha been placed ; . ' in a situation of great difficulty, s ts it hot V : plain, that the same proposition complete- , ,'. ly changes its" nature; according ta, the s ; manner. in which It i brought forward ?--.)iv ' ;: ; that one; which, if submittthrtuigh thd , ' ' iregtilar chahriels i; of ;dipIo'fWacy, might - V he matter of wholesome advideor ami- ' ' X" Cable rempristrailOe, wherj addressed to a ; nation aloud,- and in the presence as . it r' were, of all the'vyorld becomes aV taaht v i ' and ailefiance !? The Ipubiicatioh of ; the! ' despatch to M; Lagiifde, while ir wa i 'ye - ; . ' on its road to Madriil, is, J" know, defend-? ing(he public mind at, Paris. But, if the 1 public raina at rans required' to Oe-i ran- , : quilized. was not the public, m'md at: Mif" :. v drid liable tohe inflnmed ; '- ' "' YtMir Ejx4ellencyWll iibt understand. r(1 .. these observation, to- be made with any, the F rench governm eht; with waich, lab- stractedly, we have no conciern. is; --; ' ,-T 44 1 would recal M. de Chateaubriand's' attention, t the situaioiiin wMch: Me French-government (has placed itself to- ' ' wardsain, 6y the manner in whica her fjrst;,alternatiye fpr ';ar: has ".been pro- ) pounded--onl v for the purpose of impress- : V ing upon the, French government - the ne- -cessity, of not omitting any fresh oppor- tunityhowever little promising they may, ; deem it. ; for aeaih . stating, to Spain the grounds bt their dissatidfactipn": arid na- . ' ttre of thefr demands. ' .7. -1-: Vv '.-- - , 4 The French govern'mens desires, to , - assure itseit ot tne satety; ot tne. Hoyal ramily of rjpain,; and 01 adispositu msition in the; leading members . of the" Cortes, as vfriira nf thpNrnvenrnphtlto-tiirriirfi arl. vantage any occasion that ma occur d'l ; that: can bej treated by 'sa prudent; .and gradual course of measures, fr thereme- , dy of the defects of the Spanish "constitu tion tr-a channel is. tow opened to tbek French gbyernment forendeaVoring to; arrive at those assurances.' : Apicipitate removal of the Koyal family from. Ma drid. Would " be the instant and - infalljble. consequence of the march of the French! -army across the frontier tft he amendr ments to the Spanish constitution are ab-; soliitely necessary, and it b'.hopelesH ;to . bring about these amendments otherwise, than by arms ; ; has, the French govern-? ment chalked' out to itself rthe course by -. which? a successful invasion is 40 be made - -to lead to the desire,d result ? :The occu-. pancy'ofMadrid, a$ repeated experience' shows, is not' thedominioh of Spkin The, -King and the Cortes .will tbrstahlished; " eLevvheri and what js then to fQllow.,but; a continuance vof civil vahd foreign warJ - spreading misery iariddevasiaUoq over. V the whole kingdom ' " : ' No, iar m ACurt to Mrv Canhinc- Jan. 15 a" short no:e, of ho imrjibrianca here, v--, ; ." V--lit ' 'it ': -X.'- -'" No. 19 Sir Charles Stuart' to "Jrt Canjung.' ' ' dated-P Jan,23. -'ThUis i fahori letter j -; gi ing an account bf the writer's 'conversation' -v' with M. def 0hateauhrianV .The .latte ' V Ixren2b (Spanbh niurt-lrut? ken respecting the siVutitioVbf the two ct V yermnenis, dui mat a conciuajLorytoiie :ts as- sutned by the 'itgtntsrof i Spairi.;'which does' '"K"- '. not" prevent the adoption; oi' phiiciples the ' ';, ' . . mortiricompatiblew the trsnquiliry x&: Enmnp. "x Kv the' etivemmpnt niiui hv th t. gis that at! the mo- ment stitutioh their readiness; to concur in , met-; sures to produce a chariger-and tneir ;iuh '.. 1 ' i'-V.. -.V. 1" 71 A "... -- V :,:J K. s;