696 
Tnagio Molina,on the other hand,was born 
ata time when the conaseanence of the Je- 
suits began to decline, and he himself in- 
’ deed actually outlived the order. Attach- 
ed to the place of his birth, the measure 
adopted by the court of Madrid to an- 
nihilate this class-ef the priesthood, must 
have been peculiarly disagreeable to him, 
and indeed we find him abandoning his 
native land, and taking refuge in Italy, 
within the dominions of that very Pope 
who had signed the fatal order. It was 
there,.amidst the leisure afforded by his 
exile, that he drew up, in distinct works, 
the account of the geographical, natural, 
and civil, history of Chili. This state- 
ment abounds with a variety of curious 
facts, all of which were collected on the 
spot, by a prying and jadicious clergy- 
man, who possessed means which few 
laymen could enjoy. 
— Lettre aux. Espagnols Americaines, 
par un de leurs Compatrioies.’ A Letter 
to the Spanish Americans, by one of 
their Countrymen, Juan P.V.Y. Gus- 
man, Svo.° Molina, and several other 
Spanish ex-Jesuits died in Italy, whither 
they had fied for refuge, but Gusman 
resigned his breath in London, in 1798, 
and this is a posthumous work, printed 
in America, after his demise. Mr. Pitt, 
who in the éarly’ portion of his life, was 
zealous for the cause of liberty, had de- 
dermined at one period of his administra- 
tion, to make a grand effort in its behalf, 
for in imitation of the policy of Elizabeth 
m respéct to Holland, he resolved to 
effect the emancipation of Spanish Ame-_ 
ri¢éa. The dispute with the court of Ma- 
drid, about Nootka Sound, was the epoch 
of this statesmaii-like ‘project, and Ge- 
neral: Miranda became one of his chief 
agents upon this éccasion ; or perhaps, 
more properly speaking, was the original 
author of the scheme. "To effect a revo- 
Jution in a catholic nation, who moré 
proper than the Ex-Jesuits, who had ob- 
tained their confidence? Accordingly, at 
the instigation of the officer alluded to 
above, a certain number of members of 
this celebrated order, were invited froin 
the papal dotiinions, and readily con- 
sented to use all thcirinfluence to achieve 
the great changein question. : 
Gusman proceeded so far as to write 
the letter now under cons:deration, for the 
express purpose of preparing the minds of 
the Spaniardsin the New World fox this 
singular event, but a peace having been 
patched up, that circumstance, together 
with the death of the author,which occur- 
red soon after, preventéd the publication 
Retrospect of French Literalure—Miscellaneous. 
during his life. Perceiving that Mr, Pitt’s 
new principles would but little incline him 
to any thing likely to shake the authority 
of existing governments, or Imagine that, 
the North Americans, the children of . 
liberty, were the most. likely to adopt 
such a project, he confided his papers to 
his excellency Rufus King, and that mi- 
nister, after his return to his native coun- 
try, permitted the impression of the pre- 
sent article. This was effected at the 
request, and we believe also, at the ex-- 
pence of general Miranda, who agam ap- 
peared on the scese, and had become 
eager to execute the primary object of . 
his life—the independence of his coun- 
trymen in South America. It was his 
intention to circulate this pamphlet 
which 1s drawn up in the shape of a let- 
ter, among the natives, and’ he accord- 
ingly carried some thousand copies with” 
him, during the late expedition, for this 
purpose; but, we believe, without any *— 
correspondent effect. He was indeed . 
suilcred to repair thither, not in the 
character of a deliverer, but of an ad- 
venturer, and the consequence was such 
as might have been easily foreseen. 4 
Don Jtan Pablo Viscardo y Gusman, 
aname not unknown in the Spanish _ 
Annals, commences with the early his-_ 
tory of the conquest and settlement of , 
South America. This was effected by 
bold and adventurous men, some of ¢ 
whom aspired to the character of he- 
roes, while all exhibited instances _ 
of courage and foititude, until then al- 
most without example. The mather 
country was not called upon for supplies | 
or assistance; she did not advance a 
single dollar upon this occasion, fer all 
had been effected at the expence of the 
individual conquerors. After obtaining 
these valuable dominions, the mother 
country, instead of being grateful for the> 
acquisition, exhibited the most oppres- 
sive, jealous, and tyrannical disposition. 
Personal liberty was restrained, an odi- 
ous and debasing monopoly created, 
and laws and customs unworthy of free- 
men, promulged, established, and acted 
upon. To sum up the whole of their 
grievances in one word, none but na- 
tives of Old Spain were adinitted to pub- 
lic offices, or the enjoyment of any ho- 
nourable or lucrative situations. ‘Thus 
the descendants of these very men who 
had enriched the mother country by the 
acquisition of those territories in the new 
world, of which all the nations of Europe 
had been so jealous for centuries, were - 
excluded like so many aliens, from any 
- share . 
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