276 
wich it is connected. with the country, or 
to what is required by the honour of the 
nation and the dignity. of my crown; and, 
if. circumstances shall require it, it will 
seek,,in the extraordinary. Cortes, a sare 
harbour for the vessel of. the state., In 
such case, I will assemble them, al- 
ways. depending upon their zeal ani 
patriotism, and jointly we will travel 
in the path of glory, witil a peace be ob- 
tained at once honourable and worthy of 
Spaniards and of myself, 
Answer of the President. of the Cortes, to 
i the King’s Speech. 
Sire,—The Cortes of the Spanish nation, 
on terminating their ordinary: sessions, 
could wish to congratulate your majesty 
and themselves on the tranquil enjoyment 
of the beneficent institutions by which we 
are governed. But in reality, as your ma- 
jesty has just observed, treacherous ag- 
gression has scattered over this nation.all 
the evils of an atrocious war, in which fa- 
naticism,.the vices and ignorance of the 
aggressors, are obstinately struggling against 
the virtues, the honour, and the illumina- 
tion of the offended. In such a situation, 
the noble resolution of upholding the con- 
test, so as eilkier to vanquish or perish with 
glory, is worthy of Spanish breasts. 
_ And what pietexts have they chosen for 
hostilities that will ever be the scandal of 
the civilized world? ‘To protect religion, 
and maintain the prerogatives of your ma- 
jesty’s throne, through a reform in our Con- 
stitufion, But Religion is not protected 
by the violence of the superstition of the 
barbarous ages; nor are the. throne and 
person of your majesty defended by expo- 
sing them to. untyersal disrepute, by the 
excesses which are committed in the abuse 
of your majesty’s name. Above all, fo- 
reign legions, with arms in their hands, do 
not intend to reform the constitution of 
any country, but rather endeavour the de- 
struction of its liberty, and the violation 
of its most valuable rights: but can these 
be the active measures, at this moment, of 
princes who, but lately, owed to our firm- 
ness, and to the exalted state of those 
principles which they are persecuting, some 
the restitution, and others the preservation 
of their thrones, and all the security of 
that power which they now employ to 
reward such benefits, at our hands, by in- 
juries and calamities? Such conduct can 
be sanctioned only by the perfidious in- 
gratitude of those Princes who dcebased and 
prostrated Lhemselves before a daring soldicr; 
nor can it be supported and adopted but 
by degraded Spaniards, who are absolute 
strangers to honourable sentiments and na- 
tional independence. 
The contest at last begun, we at first 
experienced reverses from it, of which 
some should pot surprise us, because they 
were loresecn, and others have been tlie 
' Political Affairs in September, 
[Octi ty 
results of seduction and. deceit; rather 
than of the power of the aggressors, But 
these. momentary advantages, far from 
humbling our valor, have given us fresh 
vigour, and, confiding in the justice of, our 
cause, we await our triumph unmoved. 
The august.person of your, Majesty 
and his Royal Family, being now sheltered 
within these impenetrable walls, together 
with the national representation, from 
them we will repeat the lesson which we 
gave, some years ago, to the armies the 
most formidable in the world, by the 
talents of the chief who directed them, 
and by the numbers of which they were 
composed. In a crisis so terrible, the 
Cortes have done all they had to do, 
which was, to be faithful to their oath. 
To this effect, they have pnt their conrage 
to. the severest trial,,and. performed all 
that necessity required; and, however 
painful some of their. resolutions. may 
have been. to, them, the sacred duty im- 
posed on them and the fandamental law 
compelled their adoption. 
The just wish to provide the necessary 
resources, in order to maintain the inde- 
pendence of the nation, has likewise in-+ 
duced them to grant the aid\of men and 
money which have been called for, as well 
as the extraordinary, powers which. cir- 
cumstances required, and.which the -patri- 
otic Government of your Majesty. so 
well merited; the Cortes having ever 
been guided by the sole object of saving 
the country from the abyss in which its 
enemies wish to plunge it; employing 
their utmost zeal. in so regulating the 
distribution and. the means of execution 
as, atthe same time, and as far.as.pos- 
sible, to attend. to. the relief as well as 
welfare of their constituents. 
In the arduous position in which the 
Cortes were placed, almost from the 
moment of their first assembling, an exr 
ternal war onthe one hand, and on the 
other the lamentabie effects of the sordid 
machinations of the enemies of light, of 
the painful dereliction of some perverse 
ministers of religion, and of the stibborn 
conduct of certain individuals inured to 
the exercise of despotism, they were 
scarcely allowed time to attend to other 
matters. Nevertheless, unwilling to omit 
any thing intrusted to them, they have 
endeavoured, by all the means in their 
power, to open the sources of public 
wealth, to set aside the impediments 
which industry laboured under, and to 
facilitate trade and circulation; careful, 
at the same time, to secure the right 
administration of justice, and the safety of 
the persons and property of Spaniards. 
If they have not accomplistied more, it 
has been owing to that unfortunate 
moment when the chiefs of the European 
nations conspired agaist us, i 
