1823.] 



tion existed. From tills period nothing 

 was heard of interference by tlie Allied 

 Powers in the iuternal affairs of Spain, 

 until the aist of September, 1822, when 

 the Duke of Wellington appeared first to 

 have nndcrstood that the affairs of Spain 

 were to be discussed at the Con{rress of 

 Verona. From these facts and circum- 

 stances, from the conduct of the Allied 

 Powers in crushing every effort of liberly 

 in Germany, in Piedmont, and in Naples, 

 and from the determination now acted 

 upon with regard to Spain, he thought 

 himself entitled to draw two conclusions; 

 first, that the influence of the lale Mar- 

 quess of Londonderry had, up to the 

 period of his death, prevented any inter- 

 ference in the affairs of Spain ; and 

 secondly, that the contest now embarked 

 in Spain, was a contest between the 

 principle of despotism and the spirit of 

 liberty. The conduct of the Allied 

 Powers in Germany, in Naples, and in 

 Piedmont, left indeed no doubt of their 

 desire to extinguish every remnant of 

 freedom ; but the now unprincipled inter- 

 ference in the affairs of Spain, put an end 

 to all possibility of doubt as to their real 

 object and intentions. Nothing short of 

 the utter extinction of all freedom would 

 satisfy them ; and, should they succeed in 

 their unprincipled designs in Spain, should 

 despotism through their means again 

 triumpli in that state, could there be a 

 doubt that their next efforts would be 

 directed against this country, against 

 that Parliament which was the tribunal 

 of Europe, against that press which was 

 the refuge of the oppressed, and the 

 shield of freedom? The whole conduct 

 of the Allied Powers clearly showed, that 

 nothing short of the ntter extinction of 

 liberty, and the supreme triumph of 

 despotism, would satisfy them, or be 

 commensurate with the designs ihey now 

 entertained. Ministers received the 

 dispatch of the Duke of Wellington on 

 the 24th ot September, stating the i:iten- 

 tion of bringing forward the affairs of 

 bpain at the Congress of Verona ; and on 

 the 27th, only three days afterwards, an 

 answer was returned by Mr. Secretary 

 Canning, that "If there be a determined 

 project to interfere by force or by 

 menace in the present struggle in Spain, 

 80 convinced are his Majesty's Govern- 

 of the nselessness and danger of any such 

 interference, so objectionable does it 

 appear lo them in principle, as well as 

 utterly impracticable in execution, that 

 ■when the necessity aiises, or (I would 

 rather «ay) when the opportunity offers, 

 I am to instruct your Grace at once 

 frankly and peremptorily to declare, that 

 to any such interference, come what may, 

 His Majesty will not be a parly." The 

 Uukt having rcturued from Verona, it 

 appeared lo have bcou determined to 



Political Affairs in April. 3/1 



send Lord Fitzroy Somerset to Madrid; 

 ^nd he now came to the memorandum of 

 the Noble Duke, written upon that occa- 

 sion for Lord Fitzroy Souiersst," that the 

 powers and prerogatives assigned to the 

 King of Spain in the system should be 

 such as to enable him to perform his 

 duties, and such as in reason a King 

 ought to be satisfied with." What a 

 King ought to be satisfied with, or would 

 be satisfied with, was, indeed, very diffi- 

 cult to ascertain ; but it was clear that the 

 duties of a King, under a Constitution, 

 must involve the powers and prerogatives 

 to perfoim them, otherwise it would be a 

 manifest absurdity. But the memoran- 

 dimi went on to say that the King must 

 be satisfied ; and what King was it that 

 was to be satisfied? the very King who 

 had shown by his previous conduct that 

 he would be satisfied with nothing short 

 of despotic power. What, however, were 

 the Spaniards called upon to do? to make 

 certain alterations in their Constitution, 

 in which case it was observed, "the 

 continuance of the Army of Observatioa 

 would be an useless expense, and there 

 is no doubt that it would be immediately 

 withdrawn.'' Thus Spain was called upon 

 to do that which she could not do without 

 admitting that very principle of inter- 

 ference which was contended against, 

 because it could not be done under the 

 circumstances of the negociation, as it 

 had then turned, but at the dictation of 

 France as well as of the Allied Powers. 

 It was of importance, however, to refer 

 to a note of M,-. Canning, dated the 10th 

 January, asserting that no objection was 

 stated to the precautionary measures of 

 France " against those inconveniences 

 which might possibly arise to France 

 from civil contest in a country separated 

 from France only by a conventional line 

 of demarcation, against the moral infec- 

 tion of political intrigue, and against the 

 violation of the French territory by occa- 

 sional military incursions." Mr. Canning 

 seemed to be aware of the importance 

 of the concession he was then making; 

 for immediately after he stated, in a note 

 to Sir William A'Court, that the Army of 

 Observation was bkely to present the 

 greatest difficulty in the way of media* 

 tion. — In a subsequent dispatch to Sir 

 Wm. A'Court, dated January 11, Mr. 

 Canning used the following words :■ — 

 " Till France shall withdraw her Army 

 of Observation, there is no security 

 against such hazards. France cannot 

 withdraw her army, it is fair to admit, 

 without some cause to assign fur doing 

 f-o. The only cause to be assigned must 

 he some satisfactory assurances received 

 from Spain." The moment Mr. Canning 

 made the admission, he allowed France 

 a justification upon which she might rest 

 the defence of her conUutt. Accordingly 



it 



