The Sun.
London, England, 1821-12-12 00:00:00

HOLY -ALLIANCE-14:TTER
,t„ ,A, mi E ihe'4:lirlit%l4`f-'lo4er yen-
'll it thck•peii)p le may
•4 ' •
Pc1:704 Pte.-A.44g( attending thiirlicvlleges, or
. , •
nevr.-"modelling---thialfiim of their' government,
runs the immediately considered by
the: Ultra Royalists to a 'Jacobin or a ltadical.
I t7ust. that ,my sentiments respecting -revolu-
tionary principles- have been-too often expressed,
through` The. medium of your Paper, to expose
me to such-animputation. When.canvassing the
•
justice of...injustice' of the abstract principles upon
-which the; "Holy Alliance,ls instituted, my only
inquire ‘vlietlier they are founded
in jnstice,nrhether„they are-such as every free and
independent-nation can:approve
to , and 'Aihether
. . •
cOnduciVe the peace and wel-
turope. And this ,qUestion cannot, I ap-
prehend, be placed-in its proper- light, without,
reverting to the mutual e'Oinpact which I- consi-
der exists between the governor and the govern-
ed, and upon the right they both may possess of
changing or altering the• form of their govern.
ment. That such a right was possessed in the
.
• •
Origin' ,of civil society, and that it has been exec-
cised by nations in -eytl.iii age and in every coun-
try, is a fact that no one On posSibly deny. In
several instances it is reprobated ; in many more
it is admiieit ; and in all it has proved more or
less beneficial to the cominiin3tY.- The principles
of such inevitable changes are to be foupd in the
mutability of the human mind, in the progressive
improvement of society; and in the new anil un-
foreseen situations into which a nation is placed
in the course of its political existence. Compre.
hensive as the mind of a legislator may be, lie
cannot foresee every possible event, and still less
form an idea of the alteration that may take place
in the character and opinions of mankind. Sup-
posing, therefore, any Constitution, or form of
Government, to be excellent in its nature, it will
continue such only as long as the -people for
whom it was formed preserve the same national
character, and, indeed, the same external con.
nections. But, that a change -in either of these
respects must necessarily occasion one in the in-
stitutions of a people, is strikingly exemplified in
'the Spartans, who, at length, not only openly
violated the once venerated. laws of Lycurgus,
but even put the amiable A gis to' death, . for
Hendeavouring to restore them to their original

FOR Tirj

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purity.

Amongstthe many passions of men, there are two
that continually tend to alter every existing form
of government ; ambition, or the love of power,
acid liberty, or the love of independence. The
former belongs naturally to the rulers, and the
later no less naturally appertains to the people. 1
As long as these two principles are equally ba-
lanced, social order will remain undisturbed ;
'but if tlie,One happen to preponderate, a serious
contest will ensue, which must-inevitably termi-
nate either in absolute tyranny, or in an increase
of liberty `on the part of the people. In such a
Case, the struggle, being confined to one -country,
'Olotild,.be considered as a familrquarrel, and no
external interference can be justifiable, unless
the peace of_ the whole oununitg,is like% to be
distueberl, which is. seldom .or ~ever .the -case.
Foreign interference is not often effectual; it can
rarely produce much substantial' good : in the
case of the French revolution, . it occasioned the
wars which shook Europe to its very foundation ;
and was, perhaps, the immediate and most effec-
tive cause which led Louis XVI.- to the-scaffold.
T,he effect which the interference of foreign
powersprodu.ced upon the minds of the people in
France, should.serve as a beacon to warn Sove-
reigns of the. danger that-may trise from 'inter-.
ineddling;in the domestic concerns of a:nation.
'We suppose that they Wished ottly to uphold
. the constitutional throne of Louis XXI.; but this
attack upon. the independence Of.a great 1-)ople
arougea.,cheir indignation; and 1 the tide-of War
beingqiriyen. back upon the .a4res's'ors,' nearly.,
proved their total -destrUction. Sunk ancl'de-
' graded in, :the political balance-as a nation may
,appear, there. exists al wa y latent spark Of pa-
Ariotism which though hidden, froni-ptiblie.Vieiv.,
awaits only a favourable Opportunity to burstout
into a terrific conflagration. • This' Wat''ininentlV
proyed by the. resistance Buonapartiiiet in tl*
Spanish-nation, t resistance Wholly ufilbOked"f?r,
and which, perhaUs,'bf.PrOilligin
,siFflat manner
the' overwhelming' power of this conqueror might
12e. most effectually resisted," awakened in other..
•:itttiOns! the -tviSli of retoVering::,their lost
pendence..! The new born -ideasyof libert . y_ope-,
rated- powerfully upon' the- of- the, Spar,
niards.4kdicOthbined conda.ct •Fer-
dinandstrodtided'the present state of 'affairs,
Spai :It;ttiu Id. not, indeed ;be rationally „Supposed:l
that a People,.which toy preseryFflteir.national
,deOeri4prit6bad,,iiiPtOsi)3.4 ..cogiended wit4i the.
..greafest:potentate liiEuropec'shold tainelYut);:
mit to th4-.yokeof a',weak,and'd:etiaded Sovereign,,ivh-Oarth6y*i fpp-)4c.ed apazobe:tkron e:.. The 'kb,:
man mind canna possibly retrograde.. The Audio-,
rity of the Crownr:in
•Sp.ahti Must be -inevitably
Much diminished ; and the IlolyAlliance
mit the Spaniards.to.new;modeLthe form of their
Government:- Here-we have, there.fere, in in-
stance- of The 'inefficacy of this association to curb
the encroichments- of the people: upon' the.on-
-cient +eanStitutiOn of the ,Cintn try::
.But Spain is
-not 'th'e Country where the influence of ",the
Alliancetnust:prove poWerleSi; In'.thee-vp t
of any serious intention on tiid.part Or The
sub-
jects, to effe#:lv.ciouigelii thelexistin,gform

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