CORRESPONDENCE. [1824. 



cially the line to be taken on Spain and South Ame- 

 rica at the meeting. 



" I did not trouble you during the last fortnight, 

 when we were all at sixes and sevens about the old 

 question of amendment or no amendment (for, strange 

 as it may seem to you, there were some who thought 

 we should have one). But now all difficulties of that 

 kind seem to be removed, and we shall only have a 

 discussion. Now, how does it strike you 1 If we 

 could all actually secede and leave the Government to 

 fall out, no doubt that would be inevitable ; but this 

 is impossible. If we could virtually secede, by leaving 

 them to themselves nine nights in ten, it would be 

 next thing to it, and certainly I should for one be 

 most happy. But this is almost as impossible, and I 

 doubt if it is justifiable. 



" The only practical question, then, is as to the 

 ground we should take. To represent all the conse- 

 quences of the state of things which the ministers have 

 made for us in Europe ; to show the gross inconsist- 

 ency, of those who would do nothing to keep Spain 

 from falling into the hands of France taking any steps 

 whatever, much more threatening war, to keep the 

 Spanish colonies from falling only into the hands of 

 the mother country through the assistance of her 

 allies ; and then to express our thankfulness to North 

 America for having helped us out of so great a scrape, 

 and our humiliation at being obliged to follow in the 

 wake of the Yankees,, seems, on the whole, our best 

 line. But we shall all be most anxious to know what 

 strikes you upon the subject. Our ministers will pro- 

 bably take a very moderate tone, except as to pros- 

 perity at home. You know when stocks are above 



