The Sun.
London, England, 1846-10-17 00:00:00

REPUBLICS OF COLOMBIA.

Sincerely desirous of the almost universal peace now
prevailing betvi yen the respective Republics of South
America being preserved, and more particularly anxious
to avert the horrors of civil war, which no pen can ade-
quately describe, nor any pencil faithfully pourtray, nor
indeed any person form any idea of who has not wit-
nessed them, I therefore take the liberty, through the
medium of your columns, of warning my countrymen
against the insidious attempts now making by General
Flores, late President of the Republic of Ecuador, to en-
list them in his cause.

The General, in his manifesto, lately published and
circulated in this country by his agent, " Equatoriano,"
states his grievances and puts forth his claims on the
present Government of Ecuador—an ex park state-
ment, the accuracy or inaccuracy of which we have no
means of ascertaining ; but supposing the contents of
his appeal to the British public to be as true as holy
writ, or profane history, what in the name of common
sense have we English, Irish, Scotch, or Welsh got to do
with it ? And why, let me ask my countrymen, par-
ticularly those who are about to embark in the three
steamers now fitting out at this por►, should we inter-
fere in the squabbles of another state, and lend our aid
in kindling anew the flames of civil war in Ecuador?

Without disputing the General's pretensions to be re-
installed President of that republic, what, I ask, have
we or any other European state to do with it ? All we
have got to look to is, how far our own interests and
commtrce may be affected by any attempt of the
General to regain a situation he freely abdicated. Now,
it is very evident that to regain by force what he re-
signed of his own free will (according to his own state-
ment) must have the effect of reproducing in the South
American republics, from the Isthmus of Panama to the
Straits of Magellan, all the horrors, miseries, and atro-
cities ; the protracted struggle for their independence,
first with the Mother country and then amongst them-
selves, so long inflicted on them, and from which they
have just emerged.
The present position of General Flores is analogous,

in almost every respect, to that of General " Oribe." in
the " Oriental' Republic—both were driven from their
Presidencies before the expiration of the term for which
they had been elected President ; both submitted to
self banishment. Oribe removed to Buenos Aytes, and
excited the sympathies of the Governor-General of that
province, and chief of the Argentine Confederation, who,
with an eye to annexing the Oriental State to his Con-
federation, espoused Oribe's cause; the result is too well
known and felt in this country, to require an investiga-
tion into the means employed. General Flores has
thrown himself upon the sympathies of the Spanish
nation, but, having failed, perhaps, in exciting them,
under the existing embarrassed state of their own af-
fairs—be has, as a dernier ressort, ventured to appeal to
British bosoms and British pockets, and placed a sprat
on his hook to catch a' whale—namely, that the pay-
ment of the dividend on that part of Colombia Loan
placed to the account of the Republic of Ecuador may
stand some chance (it is easy to foresee how little) of be-
ing paid! Paid, inded!—by re-introducing that disorder
and discredit which have hitherto prevented that repub-
lic from acting honourably! General Flores himself
says he was elected President in 1843, for eight years,
and resigned in 1845. During the two years of his
Presidentship what dividends were ever paid on their
share of the Colombian Loan, I should like to know?
The answer to a similar question, put two years hence,
or after his restoration, it that should ever take place,
will be identical. No; the only chance the British holders
of Colombian bonds have for the payment of the divi-
dends of that portion thereof for which the Government
of Ecuador became responsible is the continuance of that
peace, and consequently the prosperity, that republic
now enjoys.
What consequence is it to England whether Rosas or
Flores is President of the Ecuador Republic? Shall
England permit the commerce of New Granada and Ve-
nezuela to be interrupted, if not annihilated, by the
stivabbles in Ecuador who shall be President? Will
England run the risk of another Anglo-Franco inter-
ference in the affairs of the Colombian States, as in those
of Ls Plata? Will the British Government incur the
expense of another joint mission—other Gore Ouseleys
and Daffaudises—and another Hood as umpire?
If we wish, in fine, to preserve our trade with these
states, and secure the payment of the dividends on the
ColombiatiLoan, we must do all in our power to preserve
the harmony and good understanding at present esta-
blished by treaty between them, and not connive at any
attempt to introduce discord, disorder, and disorganisa-
tion under the mask of patriotism, to gratify self-aggran-
dizement or to satisfy personal resentments.
In conclusion, those who are about to accept the terms
offered by General Flores, and to enlist in his service,
had better read the "Foreign Enlistment Act!"