The National Register. — London, England, 1811-10-06 00:00:00

contemplation :—" W know of no authority the Prerident has, either by the constitution or by statwe, to lay anothur embargo; indted, there may he some secret law on thesubjeet,which, like the laws relative to Florida, are unlit for the public eye." TI-1 [FROM TUE AURORA.] By a tette! from the seat of Government, we learn that it'is ex pected, that a Proclamation, laying an embargo on all vessels in the pi.rts and hirhours of the United States, would.be. issued by the President, in consequence of advict.s received by late dispatches from the United States .Charge d'Affaires in London. SOUTH AMERICA. DECLARATION OF THE INDEPENDENCE OF SEVE. RAL OF ITS PROVINCES. IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MOH, We, the Representatives of the federal provinces of Caraccas, Cumana, Marinas, Margaritta, Barcelona, Merida, and Trialllo, constituting the confederation of Venezuela, on the southern Co:itinent of America, in Congress assembled; considering that we have been in the full and entire possession of our natural rights since the 19th of April, 1810, which w resumed in conse (pence of the transactions :.t Bayonne, the ablication of the Spanish throne, by the conquest of Spain, and the accession of a new dynasty, established without our consent. While we avail ourselves of the rights of men, which have been withheld from us by force for more th:ip three centuries, and to which we are restored by the political revolutions in human affairs, we think it becoming to state to the world the reasons by which we are called to the fret- exercise of the Sovereign authority. We deem it unnecessary to insist upon the unquestionable right which every conquered eountry holds to restore itself to liberty and independence: we pass over in a generous silence, the long series of afflictions, oppresions, and privations, which the fatal law of conquest has indiscriminately involved the discover ers, conquerors, and settlers of these countries; whose condition has been made wretched by the very means which should have promoted their felicity; throwing a veil over three centuries of Spanish dominion in America, we c.tri confine ourselves to the narration of recent and well-known facts, which prove how much we have been afflicted; and that we should not he involved in the commotious, disorders, and conquests, which have divided Spain. The disorders in Europe had increased the evils under which we before suffered; by obstructing complaints and frustrating the means of redress ;• by authorising the governors placed over us by Spain, to insult and oppress us with impunity, leaving ns without the protection or support of the laws. It is contrary to the order of nature, impracticable in rela tion to tke government of Spain, and has been most afflicting to America, that territories so much more extensive, and a population incomparably more numerous, should bo subjected and dependent on a peninsula corner of the European Con tinent. The cession and abdication made at Bayonne. the translc lions at the Escutial and at Aranjuaz, and the orders issued by the Imperial Lieutenant the Marshal Duke of Berg, to America, authorized the exercise of these rights, which till that period the Arne' icans had sacrificed to the preservation and integrity of the Spanish. Ile people of Venezuela were the first who generally acknow ledged, and who preferred that integrity, never forsaking the in terests of their European brethren while there remained the least prospect of salvation. America had acquired a new existence; she was able and was bonny to take charge of her own safety and prosperity; she was at liberty to acknowledge or to reject the authority of a king, who was s) little deserving of that power as, to regard his personal safety more than that of the nation over which he had been placed. All the Bourbons who concurred in the futile stipulations of Bayonne, having withdrawn from the Spanish territory contrary to the will of the people, abrogated, dishonoured, and trampled upon all the sacred obligations ivhieh they had contracted with the Spaniards of both worlds, who, with their blood and trea sures, had placed them on the throne, in opposition to the efforts of the liouse of Austria ; such conduct has rendered them unfit to rule over a free people, whom they disposed of like a gang of slaves. The intrusive Governments which have abrogated to them selves the authority which beloiigs only. to the national represen tation, treacherously availed t hcniwive., oi the known good faith, the distance, and. ?frets which ignor,,nce aid oppression had pro duced among the Ansericmis, to direct their passions against the new dynasty, which had been imposed upon Spain, and in opno sition to their own principles, key: up the illusion amongst u! in 623 favour of Ferdinand. but only in order to babe our national hope and to make us with greater impunityhheir•prey; they held turtle to us promises of liberty, equality, and fr tternity, in pompous discourses, the more effectually to conct al the snare which they were insidiousl y " laying for us by an Inefficient and degrading show of representation. As soon as the various forms of the Spanish Government were overthrown, and others had been successively substituted, and imperious necessity had taught Venezuela to look. to her own safety, in order to support the King, and afford an asylum to their European brethren against the calamity by which they were menaced, all their former services were disregarded; new meads sures were adopted against us, and the very steps taken for the preservation of the Spanish Government, were branded with the titles of insurrection, perfidy, and ingratitude, but only because the door was closed against a monopoly of power which the y bad expected to perpetuate in the name of a King whose dominion was imaginary. Notwithstanding our moderation, our generosity, and the pus city of our intentions, and in opposition to the wishes of our brethren in Europe, we were declared to the world in a state of blockade; hostilities were commenced against us; agents sent among us to excite revolt and arm us against each other t whilst our national character was traduced, and foreign nations excited to make war upon us. Deaf to our remonstrances, without submitting our reasons to the impartial judgment of mankind, and deprived of every other arbitrament but that of our enemies, we were prohibited from all intercourse with our brethren; and adding contempt to calumny, they undertook to. appoint delegates for us, and without our con. sent, who were to assist at their Cortes the more effectually to dispose of our persona and property, and render us subject to the power of our enemies. In order to defeat the wholesome measures of our national re. presentation, when obliged to recognize it, they undertook to rem duce the ratio of our population, submitting the forms of election to servile committees, acting at the disposal of arbitrary rulers; thus insulting our inexperience and good faith, and utterly re gardless of our political importance, or our welfare. The Spanish Government, ever deaf to the demands of justice, undertook to frustrate all our legitimate rights, by condemning as criminals, and devoting to the infamy of the gibbit, or to con fiscation and banishment, those Americans who at different pe riods had employed their talents and services for the happiness of their country. Such were the causes which at length have impelled us to look to our own security, and to avert these disorders and horrible ca lamities which - we could perceive were otherwise inevitable, and from which we shall ever keep aloof; by their fell policy they have rendered our brethren insensible to our misfortunes, and have armed them against us ; they have effaced from their hearts the tender impressions of ove and consanguinity, and converted into enemies many members of our great family. When, faithful to our promises, we were sacrificing our peace and dignity to support the cause of Ferdinand, of Bourbon, we saw to the bond.; of power by which he united his fate to that of the Emperor of the French, he added the sacrifice of kindred and friends, and that on this account the existing Spanish rulers them selves have already resolved to a..knowledge him only condition ally. In this painful state of perplexity, three years have elapsed in political irresolution, so dangerous, so fraught with evil, that this alone would have authorized the determination which the faith we had pledged, and other fraternal attachments had caused us to defer, till imperious necessity compels us tr proceed further than we had first contemplated ; but pressed by the hostile and unnatural conduct of the Spanish rulers, we arc at length ab solved from the conditional oath which we had taken, and now take upon us the august sovereignty which we are called here to exercise. But as our glory consists in establishing principles consistent with human happiness, and not ci ecting a partial felicity on the misfortunes of our fellow mortals, we hereby proclaim and de clare, that we sha I regard as friends and companions in our destiny, and participators of our happiness, all those who, united by the relations of blood, language., and religion, have suffered oppression under the ancient establishments, and who shall assert their independence thereof, and of any foreign power, whatsotm, engaging that all who shall co-operate with .us shall partake in life, fortune and opinion,declaring and recognizing not only the se, but those of every nation, in war enemies, in peace friends, brethren, and fellow-citizens. In consideration, therefore, of these solid public and incon testible mot ives,which force upon us the necessity of re-assuming our natural rights, thus restored to us by the revolution of hu man affairs, and in virtue of the inprescriptible rights of every people, to dissolve every agreement, convention, or social coin plct, which doth not establish the purposes for which alone all Governments are instituted, we are convinced that we cannot, and ought not, any longer to c.idure t!ie chains by which we were connected with the Government of ,;pain; and we do declare, AO N A TIONA L REGIS' I ,R•