The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1821-12-20 00:00:00

LONDON.
THURSDAY. Decums go. iett.

The Moniteur of Monday last has arrived, bet
upon the subject of the recent changes in the
French Cabinet, or upon the course of policy,
foreign and domestic, which the new Ministers mean
to pursue, it offers no intelligence of sly interest.
The accounts which it contains from Spain are very
unsatisfactory, inasmuch as they shew that the
public mind in that country labours under a very
alarming state of excitement, and that some revolu-
tionary explosion is at least apprehended by many
persons, although there appears nothing very precise
to justify a terror so extravagant. The only well-
founded alarm seems to be one on the part of the
Ministers that they must lose their places. To
this point, indeed, the public mind in Spain is very
earnestly directed, and from all that has hitherto
appeared of the conduct of the present Ministers,
the Kixo and country would, as it seems to us,
suffer but little evil if they were compelled to give
way to better Ines and more energetic measures.
It is possible, certainly, that the clamour against
the Ministers may be nothing more than a pretence
to conceal ulterior and more violent purposes; but
when, as we are told, officers of high rank in the
army, commanding bodies of troops who entertain
similar feelings, require the dismissal of Ministers
as the only security for the public peace, and
when two of the most populous and by far the
most important provinces of Spain, Andalusia and
Gaels, declare that they will not recognise the
KING'S authority until these Ministers are dies
missed, it is not wise in the KING to balance be-
tween the certainty of a civil war, fur which he is
very ill prepared, and the support of a set of
Ministers who have not the ability nor the means to
render his power formidable or his person respected.
We cannot, however, form any fixed opinion
upon the state of parties iu Spain, or upon the
actual condition of that monarchy, for it is impos-
sible not to see in every account that comes from
it teeming with alarm an evident disposition to
exaggerate and distort every occurrence. We turn
therefore with pleasure from the consideration of
the matter to a closer view of the affairs of
France, which, under the present aspect, offers to
our mind a fir more interesting subject of inquiry.
A change of Ministry so extensive and decisive as has
been so suddenly accomplished in France, naturally
implies an equally extensive and decisive change
in the principles which are to govern the future
march of public affairs in that country. The
Royalists have hitherto tasted so little of the sweets
of power since the restoration, that they have out
had sufficient eisportuniey of letting the world per.
crier and appreciate the objects and character of
their government. Out of power they have never
ceased to complain that the true interests of the
KING and of France .have been sacrificed to what
they call the system of revolutionary interests, and
which, as they pretend, concealed but imperfectly
the ulterior object of • change of dynasty. They
have always affected to believe that the KING, who
was meant to be the victim, has also been the dupe
of the conspirators, and it was iu support of this
presumption that they somewhat affectedly pro-
claimed their resolution to save the KING in
spite of himself." They also have asserted that
one of the principal means employed for subverting
the ',sepa throne was the destruction of the church,
and they thence inferred, as • necessary consequence,
that if tite monarchy were sought to be protected,
the power of the clergy should be enlarged, mad an
identity of interests established between the throne
and the altar. If the principles, however, of the
Royalists be sought us in a system, they will, we
Ismer, be fumed moat fully and witisfectorily de-
' tela iu the celebrated work by M. de CHA-
rllrn
14,D, eu TAe Maar cAy according to the
cimr ter." That work has beep always lauked to by