552 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1813 



expelled from their country these 

 authorities, and estabhshed a 

 government of their own, totally 

 unconnected with that of the 

 other provinces, with whom they 

 manifest an unwillingness to 

 keep up even a commercial in- 

 tercourse. This has given rise 

 to a suspicion in the minds of 

 some that there is a secret pre- 

 dilection among them for the 

 ancient order of things. But, 

 from what is said of their cold 

 and calculating character — from 

 the safe position of their country, 

 and its capacity to supply its 

 own wants, it is probable that 

 tlieir object is to husband their 

 resources, and profit by the ex- 

 ertions of others, without giving 

 their own in aid of them ; and 

 possibly, in case of ultimate 

 failure, to place their conduct in 

 a less objectionable point of 

 view before the government of 

 Spain. Whatever may have 

 been their motives, they have 

 hitherto contrived to escape in a 

 great measure the evils of war. 



Their resources, in men and 

 money, are said to be consider- 

 able, and no country is more in- 

 dependent of foreign supplies. 



Their conduct furnishes a 

 striking contrast to that of the 

 people of Buenos Ayres, who 

 entered into the revolution with 

 unbounded zeal and energy, and 

 have ever been ready to meet 

 the difficulties of so great an 

 undertaking. This circumstance 

 connected with their local situa- 

 tion, greater resources, and more 

 general information, and perhaps 

 the fact of theit hf^ving been the 

 first to get power into their 

 Iiands, have had the eflect to give 



them a controlling influence over 

 the revolutionary government, 

 which has not failed to excite, in 

 some degree, the jealousy of the 

 other provinces, and amongst 

 themselves a feeling of superio- 

 rity little calculated to allay that 

 jealousy. Great evils were at 

 one time apprehended from this 

 state of things ; but the Congress 

 which met at Tucuman, in March, 

 1816, composed of deputies from 

 the several provinces then united, 

 assumed the sovereign power of 

 the country, boldly declared its 

 absolute independence, and adopt- 

 ed a provisional form of govern- 

 ment, which is understood to have 

 the effect of allaying dissensions, 

 and of introducing a more regular 

 administration of public affairs. 



It will be seen from the docu- 

 ments in your possession, that 

 this provisional constitution re- 

 cognizes many of the principles 

 of free government: but with such 

 drawbacks as are little calculated 

 to enforce them in practice. 

 Great allowances are doubtless 

 to be made for the circumstances 

 of the times, and the danger and 

 difficulty of tearing up ancient 

 institutions, or of adapting new 

 principles to them. But, after 

 due allowance for all these con- 

 siderations, it did not appear to 

 me that so much had been done 

 for the cause of civil liberty as 

 might have been expected, or 

 that those in power were its 

 strongest advocates. It is ge- 

 nerally admitted, however, that 

 some changes for the better 

 have been made. Much care 

 seems to be taken to educate the 

 rising generation, and as those 

 who are now coming on the 



theatre 



