439 



selves ; and examine, from motives of distrust, 

 the elements of which their cast is composed. 

 Every enterprise in favour of independence and 

 liberty puts the national or American party in 

 opposition with the men of the mother country. 

 When I arrived at Caraccas, the latter had just 

 escaped from the danger, with which they 

 thought they were menaced by the insurrection 

 projected by Espana. The consequences of that 

 bold attempt were the more serious, because* 

 instead of investigating the real causes of the 

 popular discontent, it was thought, that the 

 mother country would be saved by employing 

 vigorous measures. At present the commotions, 

 which have arisen throughout the country, from 

 the banks of the Rio de la Plata to New Mexico, 

 an extent of fourteen hundred leagues, have 

 divided men of a common origin. 



It seems to excite surprise in Europe, that 

 ' the Spaniards of the mother country, of whom 

 we have remarked the small number, have made 

 during ages so long and so firm a resistance. 

 Men forget, that the European party in all the 

 colonies is necessarily augmented by a great 

 mass of the natives. Family interests, the de- 

 sire of uninterrupted tranquillity, the fear of 

 engaging in an enterprize that might fail, pre- 

 vent these latter from embracing the cause of 

 independence, or aspiring to establish a local 

 and representative government, though depen- 



