The Sun.
London, England, 1817-12-27 00:00:00

~''.

SPAIN AND HER CQLONI'ES.

(Concluded from The Quarterly Review.)

We cannot conclude this masterly Statement of
the Causes and Progress of the Revolted Colonies,
excellent Observations which the subject
si!ggested to the Writer of the admirable Article,
for which we are indebted to The Quarterly Re-
view, without a- sincere acknowledgment of our
thanks for being permitted to take so long
au Extract from that truly valuable Work:-7
As this Review, if we are rightly informed, has
now arril.ed at a regular sale of twelve thou-
sand, we may confidently hope, that the
article on SPAIN and her COLoNIES, will not
only attract the notice of the Parent-
State, but of •tbe REvot.TED COLONIES
It will afford abundant matter for reflectimi to
both parties, and perhaps render as much set-=
vice to that cause in particula'r as the-work does in
general to whatever,may diffuse right principles,
inculCate_ truth in all its operations, and place
BloaAts and ,LITEBATURE upon the most sure
and solid bases. ,

The Government of Buenos Ayres refused to

stirre9der Monte Video to General Attigas,- who
chimed it as chief of the provinces' on the east-
'ern hank of the Plata, and who, -having, possess-.
ed4eff of part of Paraguay, had assumed in-
dependent power : he gained possession of the
town, continued to make war upon Buenos Ayres,
and defeated the army that was sent to dispossess
• }rim. After frequent changes of government, and
many popular commotions, anew congress was
elected, which named 'Don M. Pnyrredon sole
and supreme director, and which published a
formal declaration of the independence of the

provinces in July, 1816. The Pottugnese go-
Ibent, constantly tormented by the ambition
of extending their enormous dominions to the
river La Plata, broke the articles of the treaty',
and advancing under_ General [Arent-. to Maldon-
ado,' entered Monte Video without resistance in
1817. The POrtuguese force is still
there.; but all is independent of Spain.
The proVinces of Chili having assembled a con,
' gress; and the country being disturbed by the
altibition of three brothers, named Carrera, who
• Ladtisurped.the chief authority, the'viceroy of
Lima sent an army there in 1813, which gaiued
partial success, hut made no considerable progress.
41' e colonists. had deposed Carrera, and given the
command to O'Higgins, a brave and skilful offi7
'cer.. The Independent troops were on the point
of\ fighting in this civil-contest, when it was an-
nounced to them ihat'the viceroy of Lima refused
• to ratify an armistice, by which Chili was to have
sent a certain number of deputies, to •the Cortes
in'z)pain, while its new government was to be ac-
-linoWledged The Spanish -General; atter several
actions with O'Higgins, took all, the principal
tnwns.of Chili, in the autnunt of 1814, and sent
the chiefs of the Independents to the deseit,
island .0f Juan Fernandez. But the government
of Buenos Avres foreseeing, in the success of the
Spaniards, the danger to their own 'canse, dis-
plebe& an army under General San Mart n, wliich
crossing'the great chain of the Andes,' and hav-
ing dtteated the royalists in a general action near
Santiago, succeeded in restoring the former con-
gress in February,- 1817. .Their. success has; in
every instance, been materially assisted by the
c,ppressive and,impolitic measures of the Spanish
generals and governors. - -
From this brief outline it will appear that
Lower Peril is in fact the only colony of Spain in
America, •in which no independent government
has been formed, and in which the authority
.of
Sl:ain has ht-en maintained without interruption.
'There have' been many conspiracies at Lima, but
they have• hitherto failed in- their objects. The
,
principal reason of this exception seems to be,
that there is in that pioVince a greater number of
large capitalists and opulent slave-holders than in
the other American provinceS, who are naturally
iuteeest, d iu preventing the success of any com-
motne which In:Ay-alter the slate of property and
of po\yer, and may deprive them of their exclu-
sve privileges.
Perhaps the most important changes in there-
lative condition of thse belligerents in America,
will'result from the erptipment of naval forces-
6ythe,Caraccas, under the command of Brion,
and by Buenos Ayres, under Admiral Brown.—
. Their vessels have been the mea44s of cominuaiea-
timi between the colonies, too distant to have act-
ed with concert
.; and they have already assailed
the trade of Spain in the South Seas, and even-in,
sight oh The appearance on the high seas
• of independent flags, not acknowledged by the
European lowers, must raise questions of public
lacy, of which the decision, involving considera-
tions of the greatest political importance, will he
difficult and embarrassing. But all nations know
what is doe to pirates ; and the tribunals of ma.;
riliute law %%ill not be embarrassed in disposing of
t hose whose object has been general and. -lawless

piwider.
this rapid sketch of affairs so rations and
complicated, the. fear of being prolix Must be our
ap,)10;-zy for many omissions. 13tit we cannot dis-
miss the suhjcct of South America withont some

rcu►arks on tite iderease of trade which`Engl.►nd
may-derive from an intercourse with that country.
tVhh an extensive line of. coast, with numerous
navigable rivers, which, like great arteries, in-
tersect the Continent, . and form abundant cban-

nets for internal traffic, with a population of 17

n►i:lions, which was increasing befo're the present
war, and must rapidly increase under an improved
system of government, without any manufactures
ut c•vuseTience, and possessing abundance the
prtciptis" tinetals-South America presents a mar-
ket tte Skill and enterprize of our merchants,
hope..and believe will not. long be with-
frotsy,.olem. •
Whwevet rtteiy-•.,be the issue of the contest in
South America, whether tl►e Colonies become
in,!epetideut I,ations, or m!lether they continue to
be governed by Spain, advantages must accrue to

IMtish commerce. On this point we cannot bet-
ter express our opinion than in the words of Lord
Glenville, who in his celebrated speech on the
renewal of the Charter of the East India Compa-
ny, rejoiced in the hope of our acquiring a tree
trade with the rich kingdoms of South America, a
country hitherto barred against us as much by
the monopolies of its own. Government as by our
Own ; hut now at 14st, by the course of events no
longer within the controul of man, opened, in
every c!.'ase I trust, infallibly opened to the com-
merce a the world.'
The exports of the Colonies, which-, we be-
lieve, have not hitherto exceeded 18 millions Ster-
liog in value, are
,peculiarly adapted to the 'taste
and to the necessities of the European nations.
Humboldt states their total of imports from Eu-
rope at 13,320,0001. A rapid increase in quan-
•tity and value Of both most follow-the abandon,-
mew of the restrictive policy, which has not been
more pernicious to their welfare than to the real
interests of Spain. 'There is 'a cutions. proof of
the rapid increase in the prosperity of - one of.
the most important of those COloniei, which we
shall adduce on the authority of Mr. ThOtupson.
While the provinces of La Plata were not admit-
ted to the advantage, of a separate vice-royalty,
and of a fair competition with the other American
provinces, we find the annual average of exports
;from La Plata, from the. years 1748 to '1753,
amounted to 1,677,250 of dollars; 'but from the
years 1793 to 1796, after the introduction of a
better system of trade_ and of government, the
same average was 4,744,173.
.It m.ay be fairly interred tram this fact, as well
as from the rapid advance of"their trade after the
.partial opening of 1778, that no calculation can
be drawn from the pastor present produce of the.
Spank!) Colonies, a's to the.futtue results•of their
free intercourse with Europe—these must be in-
fluenced by another cause, of which the effects are
also inctdculable. It had been a favourite part of
the penerse policy of Spain, to exclude all her
colonies (Com any sha're in the getieral advance-
ment of knowledge. But this exclusion can in no
case be continued. It Ivorild be as easy to turn
the current of the Orenoko. .

It was indeed idle to suppose that the system
had been pertectlY successfhl before the Revolu-
tion. In defiance of the "IngnisitiOn, which has
become in America as in Spain, an instrument of
police, rather than of religion, the inhabitants of
South-America had long been sufficiently enlight-
ened to reflect and reason on their own condition;
and as linnian nature turns most eagerly to what
is most severely interdicted, they had also lo»g
been in the habit of procuring and s7udying the
works of the French p .ifosophersand
This state of partial and imperfectknowledgelias
been injurious to their interests, by misleading
them to an imitation Of the revolutionary forms
and doctrines of France in the reign of jacobinical
plarenly.- But their present intercourse with Atte
United Skates atilt with Europe will Lapidly .aug-
ment their means of information, and will enlighten them on every noint•ofiniblic- welfare and
Of private happiness. With the increaseof know-
•ledge will arise the wants, the refinements, and
the. varied pursuits of civilization. The des-ire
of possessing the productions 'of. foreign Conn-
trios will become more active, and Pro-
duce reciprocal advantage,—to the colonists, iu
the improveMent of their industry, and conse-
quently of their happiness ;--,-to the foreign trailer,
in the abundance of the means add resources of a
valuable enamel ce. _ _

We look forward with ardent and sincere hope,
not only as friends to the commercal and political
interests of England, hut as men interested in.the
welfare and improvement of our feliow-creatures,
to such auspicious changes in the condition of the
'American people. We trust the time will come,
when, released from the state cif exile to which
they have been too long condemned, they. will at
length be admitted into the pale of European in-
tercourse—when they will enjoy the arts and the
knowledge of this quarter of the globe, of which
they have -extended and preserve.: the language
and the religion. But, impressed with these
feelings, we confess that we should prefer export-
ing to them our commodities rather titan our Out-
cast patriots. We cannot be of opinion that the
part which France chose to •play in the distutb-
iances- of North Amet ica, should be repeated by
England in the South. We cannot, in eompli-
Anent to the freedom of any country, abjure all
regard for the honour and interests of our own:
Even if we were professed advocates of the Colo-
nists, we should have enforced the desirableness
of an absolute neutrality on tkepart of all the ilk-
dons of Europe. No one of them could interfere
in the quarrel, but least of all England, without
exciting rival nations to take a part, in the war ;
and infecting America with the intrigues and per-
pleXitiesof European policy. As Englishmen we
have expressed our opinions and hopes, that no
hostile interferehce-in the contest between Spain
and 'her COlonies, that no equivocal ,system of
partiality to either side, will hazard the loss of
those.advantages which Must ultimately result, in
the natural course of events, from our persever-
ance in the policy adopted at the beginning of the
war: That policy consists in the observance of a
fair, declared, unambiguous neutrality, so long as
our national honour is respected by both parties,
and our good offices are not Called tbr by either to
heal those dissensions u.-Mich we are determined
not to aggravate and inflame :..and it would lead
(in the event of such a call being made upon us)
to an active and impartial exercise of those good
offices, for the purpose of effecting, on equitable
arid reasonable terms, a reconciliation, by which
the respective claims and interests of the mother-
country and the South American prOvinces might
be acknowledged and adjusted, and the peace of
the new world consolidated with that of the old."

SUDDEN DEATH.--A more extraordinary in-
stance of sudden death than the following has not
rccently.occurred. 'Mr. CLARKJ (OH-keeper of the
Greenwich Trust, who is also a hair-dresser,: wars
shaviui a Gentleman a "few days ago, and was
suddenly taken ill ; he said, " Oh ! my head,".
fell on. the ground, and instantly expired.
11. GUNNING, jun. Esq. on Saturday.brst,7shot
in ickleton fields, in Cambridgeshire, a sky lam k
of a most beautiful pale huff colour ; its singular
plumage renders it a rara axis.

KOSCIUSCO.

WARSAW, Dsc. B.—The following is the excel-
lent Funeral Oration on Koscluico, delivered by
his companion in arms, the celebrated Polish Au-
thor, M. VON NIEMKRWIKZ, on the occasion oh
his funeral solemnity, Nov. 14. :

`‘ This mournful solemnity—this homage to the
dead--these flaming torches—this multhmk of
assembled nobles and people—these mournful ac-
cents of the revered priest—all, all anounce to
us a bitter, an irreparable loss. But what can I
add to the suggestions of your own feelings—
what to the, words of, the revered servant of re-
ligion ? Ah ! it does not befit these grey hairs,
bending forward into -the grave—it does not
become my broken voice—it does not become
my mind, enfeebled by years and fatigues, to
speak of the .man of peace and war. But it
is your pleasure that •should address you ; and,
disregarding my oWn unfitness for the task, I wilt
obey you ; and, following the dictates of my own
grief, will become the interpreter of the general
sort ow. Our country has suffered many and great
losses within the course of these few years ; but
no loss fills tis with greater sorrow titan that which
we bewail in the death of one Thaddeus Kosciusco.
To pronounce the name of Kosciusco awakens in
the heart of every Pole a thousand grateful, but
at the same time a thousand motnnful recollections;
it recalls, a pattern of civic virtue; that patriotism
which, flamed in his breast with the purest fire till-
his last sigh, his intrepid courage in battle, his
manly perseverance in misfortune, his Roman shn-
plicity of manners, and his modesty, which is al-
ways the inseparable companion of true merit.
" Before history describes our misfortunes, and
pourtrays the transcendent merits of the man, it.
maybe allowed his cotemporaries to take a brief
view of his life and deeds. Thaddeni Kosciusco
sprung from an ancient family in Ole\ Iltaywodship
of Lithuanian Bresk ; received his first education
in the military school, founded at. that time by
Stanislans Augustus. The cOnamontant or this
school, Prince Adam'Czartoryski, observed in this
youth ,an uncommon valeut:and love for the mili-
tary art, and sent him, at his own expence, to
France,there to be ethicated.Tohis last momentKos-
ciusco remembered -with gratitude his benefactor.
The state of Weakness and subjection under which
Poland then laboured excited in the heart of the
youth deeps'orrow and despair. He proceeded
therefore to a foreign land to fight for independ-
ence,as no opportunity offered of struggling for
it on his native- soil. A-companion of .the. im-
Mortal Washington, he' boldly shared his dangers
and his battles, from Hudson's river to the Po-
tomack, and 'from the A*lantic Ocean to the
takes• of 'Canada ; he endured incredible hard-
ships, he-gained .a flattering renown ; and what
Was more than all this, he obtained the .gratitude
of a free people.
'`f. Already did the flag of the United States
float over the AnteriCan torts ; already was the
'great uvork of libewion completed, before Kos-
ciusk'o returned to his native laud.

"Just then the Polish Nation,•aronsed from its
fatal lethargy—alas !'too late—had obtained the
reinarliable constitutiOn proclaimed on the 3d of
May, and declared its determination to•submit to
nn laws hut its own. Thence hostile 'attackS;
thence the war that ensued. Say, ye imperish-
able witnesses ; say, ye plains of Zielenice
and' Dubinki ; say, it KOaciuso- and his Polish
handi did not fight as became the • Polish
name ? It was not the overpowering of our feeble
means, but the crafty 'plots of isitvr enemies, which
wrested the weapons from our bands and quench-
ed -our burning ardour for the contest. But solt
.happenedwe were paralysed ; We felt so, --when
itt a short tinie the insulted dignity of our nation,
and the perfidious dismemberment of onr provinces,
again stirred up.oor bitterest indignaticht. The
excess of out misfmtuties roused the cation t(4 a
noble despair; our, agonized country again seized
the sword and put it into the handsof Kosciusko.
" The ties which unite us with a fraternized
nation, the possession of a common Sovereign,
-and our gratitude to the EMperor Alexander, for-
bid me to enlarge on the events of this celebrated
war. Kosciuscit led against disciplined nations,
not bodies of troops distinguished for.their regu-
lar array and militßry. splendour, • but bands of
peasants, armed with the implements of hus-
bandry: Yet, in how many battles, how many
sieges, how many frightful nightly attacks,
how• many skirmishes, did benot_lead.fliem on
to glory ! our soil was reddened with the
blood of our champions before it became our tomb.
The results of so many sacrifices.;were cruel fet-
ters. We wore them for two years ; they would
even have continued longer ; and thou Kosci-
use°, tvouldst not have ended thy lamented days
in thy free residence of Soleure, nor would thy
thousand companions in arms have ended their
wretched existence on their own soil, but would
have died in foreign chains, bad it not been for
the magnanimous Emperor Paul 1. The first act
of his sovereignty was the breaking of the chains
of 20,000 Poles. Thanks to thy revered shade
Poland will alwayS pronounce. the name of Paul
with patitude. -
'' When Kosciusco was liberated, he never more
•returned to his mourning country, to the land
which had now become a .foreign land to" him.
He .directed his view to a -distant region, where,
When a youth, he bad fought for freedom, and
which, • as it, was. free, he adopted as his steond
country. Although-lame and covered miith wounds,
he did not permit himself, to be deterred from his
purpose by the hardships or the dangers of a sea
voyage. Oil -this passage, the depths of the
ocean had nearly become the grave of our cham-
pion. In the darkness of night, ,a ship belong-
ing to a fleet of merchantmen returning from Ja-
maica, having parted from the rest, andlailing with
incredible speed, ran foul of the American vessel
inAvhich.we were.; Masts, rigging, and sails be,.
came entangled, and these two .heavy vessels
dashed against each other with violence. The,
terrors and. confusion of. the passengers,on deck
were general ; death appeared before the eyes of
all., • In this frightful moment Kosciusko alone
maintained his usual-composure. His last hour
was not yet come. Providence decreed that he
should live to see the day when the magnanimous
Alexander would proclaim the re-erection of the

kingdom of Poland. With the loss of the maiu4
mast and sails, our vessel escaped this imminent ,
danger : our melancholy voyage lasted 70 days.,
At last we espied the shores of the happy Americai.
Pennsylvania, the land of Wm. Penn and Frank
lin, received Kosciusko into its bosom. After.
so mariv' disasters this was our first joyful blessed
Indolent. The,. Members of the assembled Con-
gress, his 'old companions in arms, his acquaint-.
ance, and all the people, came to welcome his ara
rival,. surrounded the carriage of the hero, stilt
suffering from his wonodS, and accompanied hint
to his place of residence. It was not only in
America, but in all places through which he passed
after his liberation, in Stockholm, London, and
Bristol, that all those wbo cherished the•love oIF
freedom in their breasts pressed to see him, and t 4
offer him proofs of their esteem. It is gratifying
to the heart of every Pole to behold, in the boa
news paid to the heroic defender of their index
pendence, respect and \regret for an unjustly ex-
tinguished Nation. •
" Whather it was from the impulse of deceitful
hope, or fiotn the wish of consulting able physi-
cians for the restoration of his'health, Kosciusco
once more was induced to set his foot on the
shores of Europe. Already bad, he reamed the
'nothingness of promises, and the fruitless nature
of all human exertions, and therefore removed to
a distance from the din of the great world, and
even from its praises. He enveloped 'himself iti
his own virtues, if I may use the phrase, anti re-
tired into rural seclusion. Here agriculture was
his employment, friendship his consolation, and
the. oy of his life. He only once let this tran-
quil retreat, and that was to see the. august
Alexander, to thank him for restoring the Polish
name. His aversion 'to all public employment
increasing with his years, and his love of re-
' tiretnent anti tranquillity, carried him to Swit-
zerland. There, in the 'state of Soleure, on the
25th ;of October, God. took . away this .virtuous
spirit, after so many severe sorrows and hard.
trials, to the abodes- 'of the
,blessed. Koseius.co
died, as it' becomes every Christian to • die, with
pious trust in God, with: calm and manly com-
posure. Poor as Phocion and CincinnatuS his
prototypes, he fobad all splendid ceremony to be
used at his funeral. The body of this man, who
commanded thousands of armed followers in the
field of honour, was carried to the•abode of ever.;
lasting 'repose to us all, by six 'grey-haired pau-
pers.

" Peace to thy shade, thou virtuous man I Re-
ceive the last adieu of thy lamenting countrymen;
receive the last farewell of him on ‘vliose arms thy
agonizinc, head has often reposed. If the mould
of our soil does not cover thy mortal remains—if
thy spirit hovers there,- where the last Ilontati
lives, may thy remembrance 'always remain in a
lict4 manner among us ; may thy picture, which
shall be placed in the satctoary of the Lord, as it
recalls thy features, likewise present to 'us the
goodness.of.thy heart, and the purity of thy spitit.
Let it be simple as thy life—lerit be without any
inscription—thy name is enough. When, in after
times, a countryman or ,a stranger, with tears iu
his eyc..s, slt ril :ook upon the stone erected to thy
hteti)orv, 1;f! will say to himself, This was the
man who cici not allow his. country, though it
fell,' to fall ingloriously, and who, by his virtues,
honoured the Polish name.' "

PLEDGRS AT PAW.NEnoKEjts.—The shop belong-
ing 'to Mr. Goodbourn, pawnbroker, of Pater-
nosterrow, near Spitalfields, was lately robbed
of various pledged articles to a great amount, and
of property of the owner's .to. the value of
Amongst- the thirigi stoleiCtrom the shop was s
watch pledged by a sailor, named John Connor,
on
.the 23d of November last, and the valne of
which he sought yesterday to recover at Worship..
street; but Dlr. Dickenson, the Sitting Magis-
trate,thought,titat the question was too import-
ant to be az hazard, Mt. Williams, who
attended for Mr. Goodbourn, cited some law cases
for the recovery of, stolen properly, wherein it
was held, that if an individual .was robbed of
another man's property, in trust, lie was not
liable to Make the deficiency. good. .Consider-
able property is now depending 'on tyre decision,
as it affects pawnbrokers. The question is, whe-
ther,. untfer all casualties, they are not compelled
to indemnify the pledgers for the loss or destruc-
tion of articles so entrusted to them.

COURSE OF EXCHANGE, FRIDAY, Dcc: 26.
Amsterdam
Ditto, at Sight ..
Amster data
Ditto, at Sight ll 7
Rotterdam ll 11 2 Us.
Antwerp .ll 11Ex.aloney
Hamburgh • 34 6 24
Altona
Paris, 3 Day's date
Ditto ' 24 60 2 Us,
13ourdeaux, ditto
Frankfort on the Main
Madrid
Cadiz
Seville
Bilboa
Gibraltar
Leghorn
Genoa... 47 -Venice
Malta... ~49 -Naples 4‘24
Palermo

Lisbon

Oporto s9i
Rio Janeiro
Cork...„ 81 per Cent.
Agio of the Bank on Holland.... 2 per Cent.
Portugal Gold, in Coin 1 .4 0 C per Os.
New Dollars 0 5 4

COAL MARKET, DEC. 26.
Ships at. Market. Ships sold. Price.
4! Ncw•c4stlu ....15¢... 4ls. 6d. to 495. 6d,
9 Sutiderla.nd ... 2..... ..... 425. Gd. to 465. OA.

BIRTH
On Christmas-day, the Lady of John William Dorville,
of a son.

DIED.

Suddenly, at his seat, Arm House, in the County Roscom-
mun, on the 30th of November list, Thomas O'Connor, Esq.
brother of Hie late Dominick O'Connor Don', of .Cloonalis,

-.......... ,
and of the present Alexander O'Connor Don, now the only
lineal male descendant of Roderick O'Connor Don,- Kiug of
Connaught, and. Monarch of Ireland.
On the 19th inst. at the house of Mr. Crutchley, Totten-

ham, John Trelawny, Esq. late of Russell-square, a'geict 59. -
On Tuesday, the 19th inst. at his sister's house,
liandswortbt aged 35, Mr. %Vilday, of the Royal Betel,
tuinghani.,

LONDON: Printed Fir J. B. CABSTAIRS, of'No. 29,2 Great
Ornnol-street, Queen-sipare; and publishell 1)V W. A;
SCRIPPS, of No. 7; SQuth Molton-street, at THE SuN
Oltiee, No. 112, 'Strand where Acivqtiemellts;TOrdersy
• Letters, &c, (post-paid)- must be addrusied.