The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-04-15 00:00:00

THE STATESM,

pies: thatobject we have had in view is the preservation
of the yeses, of the world: the principles which have
guided us are those which were well described by an
Honourable and Learned Friend of mine, whom 1 litment
that I do not now see in his plaCe (Sir J. illackintosli)
reepect for the faith of treaties, respect f..r the indepee.,
deuce of nations, respect for that established line of po-
licy known by the name of the balance of power in Eta-
• rope; and last, though, not least, a regard for the honour
• and interests of England. Before I proceed to the nar-
rative of the transactiorm in question, I must briefly call
to recollection what the state of Europe, and of this
country in regard to it, was before the month of Septem-
ber last, when these negotiations originated. A meeting
of the Sovereigns of Europe. of some of the Sovereigns
of Europe, similar to several, other meetings which bad
previously taken place, wns announced as about to be
held, for onsnitation on some special affairs, and gene•
rally on the preservation of peace in Europe. Alsout
that time I received the seals.of office ; and I must here
explain a statement which I formerly made as to the po-
licy which I hail then to pursue. I mention it Crain no
desire to disconnect myself front my predecessor in office,
bat! thick it necessary.to explain the ex pressieas, which
• have been much narrowed by some,' and extended by
others. I said that I found in the records of My office
(and it was not in the records of that office merely, for it
was known to the Mom and to all the world) a State•
parer laying down the principle of non-interference in.
all ter extent and with all the qualifications that belonged
to it; ana when it was attribeteil.to me, that L had sp.,
pe..-a a new priasSple to W new esse."it:swis doe to my
predecessor to refer to that document in which he had
• stated the pliticiple of non-interference as clearly and de-.
finitely. and aeith the necessary qualifications, as well ex-
pressed as any Statesman bad ever laid it down. Hiving
premise 4 thie,l mint also state that the question which,.
after all, turned out to be the most important one at Ve-
rona, the question as to the affairs of Spain, alas not an-
ticipated as a•umbject of diseussiotr.. So completely was
this the case, that the first iu number Of the papers which
I have laid on the table, was a deSpatch from the Duke.,
of Wellington, written on his arrival in Paris, in which
he stated thathe was under the necessity of asking as to
' the case of Stiain. The matter of which the Congress
was expected to take cognizance, was the state of affairs
in the East of Europe, and the complicated transactions
Isetween Kiissie and Turkey. It was en his arrival at
• Paris that the Doke of Wellington found, in conversation
with the Fres:di Minister, that the case of Spain was to
occuj a lea"ing tart of the deliberations of the Con-
gress, and be applied for specific instructions as to
the language he should hold. The request of Mt j
Duke of Wellington, who left Ep.lard (as far as I
recollect) on the 4th ,of September, a few days after.
I li of taken the seals of Office, was dated September 21;
and the instructions which• I shall now read were dated
Sept. 27 (Paper No. 2). With Ibis instruction the Duke of
Wellington left Paris for Verona—an instruction notdoubt-
' fat or overloaded with qualifications, but positive and pe-
remptory (hear), and from which, in the miAtest degree.
his Gram on no occasion ever swerved.. In this statement I
have anticipated an objection, which was stated with great
force as well es ing•.tiaity by an Honourable Member op-
posite, viz. when England went to a Congress on
the affairs of Spnin, that England was bound to take care
that Spain•wase party to the deliberations of that Congress.
The liOnonrable Giitlemen wilt see that England went to
the Congress w th no expeetation'of the prominent part that
would be given to the affairs of Spain. So far, too, was
' -•
the British Government from anticipating that any hostile
propusltiOnS Would be brought forward against Spin by
France, that the French Government had, by their prates-
given every reason to -believe that their intentions
were of the wiestpscific kind- I do not allude to any speci-
fic or private assurances to this filovernmeati but to papers
publiei jurie...l particularly ,speak of the Speech of the
King of Fromm on the closing of tin liossion of the Cham-
bers on the fftlsJune, 1822. In thst,Speech, in speaking of
the Cordon Said/aim his Moak Christian Majesty stated
that the season of the year, sod the danger of the return of
the fever made it necessary for him to continue the line of
troops near the Pyrenees, and that' malreillzmec alone
could fled In those measeres a pretext to give a false ite•
eiAlOll. as to his Majesty's intentions (hear, hear, hear!).
uundoubtedly this. the last document which France had is-
stied respecting Spain previously to the meeting of the Coo-
gir,s, led the British Government to expect soy thing rather
• • than warlike Intentions on the part of Franca (hear. hear !);
and I state it here not to draw from it any hostile
infer-
enres, hut account for the instructions of the British
Government to its Plenipotentiary at the Congress, not
being framed on any idea of such a proposition. It is
but just to say. that when the propositions of France
were first brundlit foriviid at the Congress; they were
• not in a itostle shape, but defensive, conditional, and
• hypothetical. It was not pre posed by France at first to
bring forward one-half of E.turope in armed alliance
against Spain, lint the French Plenipotentiary asked
what would be the conduct of the (treat Powers in cer-
tain events, all of which supposed some act of a.Tence
on the part of Spain ? To this tn4niry, the three
.Con-
tinental Powers, in reply, gave assurances of their coun-
tenance, and, in certain cases, of their assistance to
• • France. 'To the inquiry, however, the British Plenipo-
t..ntiary was disposed to give no such answer. He would
not even give an hypothetical concurrence to an hypothe-•
. tical primilse on an hypothetical case ; and lie demand-
ed, before he 'entered on such an hyputhesis, to' know
what grounds of offence Spain bad actually (riven, and
.• whit specific dangers were threatened or anticipated.—
. (ilear, hear, hear!)-Phis propositioo of the French
il• vernment was discussed in various forms in
the conferences at Verona, and the, laoguage of
• the lifltish Minister from the. first to the last mo-
ment of those diecassoas, was positive in declining to
afford any encoaragement to the demands of France—
. and when- the Continental posters-determined to transmit
• ,„a • ..to Madrid papers, in which theydeelarett changes in the
Spanish Constitutibb to be the.aOndition on which Spain
...eomitittitien to be the ctuidl ; o)i which Spain could
: • reserve their friendshin,the.uliiitiSh Plenipotentiary fie--
' _Voted, time all, his Britannic •Mawaty would do wee to
'continue his Minister at 111 rirhid„ -to -allay the ferment
and ireitoron which• the cosnmnnications of the other
Powers toast occasion there; Md.." to dol all the good in
his power." (hear, hear.) The French Minister retired
to determine whether he should enter upon those hostili-
t ire fol.. 41iich he had laid an• hypothetical foundation ;
Vie Allies proceeded to prepare the despatches which were
sent tritheir Ambassadors at Madrid, which were not con-
tained in the papers laid on•fki tate, but which are sof-.
• ficiently known, as they have liePe published in every
• Gazette of Europe; and than gritilla'Plenipoteutiary went
Paris to renew the attempts iabieh had been ineffectual
at Verona, and if they were again Ineffectual, to demand
from his own Government taltrOtiOns for our Minitter.
at filadcid to disavow all participetion in the projects of
hostile interference, and to ciounaud them against any ex-
et;sses'ivhich might afford what Would be deemed a re-
trospective, justification for the hostile denunciations of
the Allies. Tde Dolce of Wellington returned to. Paris
at the beginning of December. At that time the. French
t hiverninent, far from being more hostile in its dispose,;
lion thin it had shewn 'itself •in the neer:dation, at Ve-'
• runa, whether Wenn reconsideration of the circuitistaneei
which if is not for me to state, sbewed itself more pacific,
and it had at one tithe dereintinedio send bid; to Veroria
the &span:hes which had been, prepared at Verona, to
pray she ~Soiereigns who 'wWer. yet there to ie-
consider them hears they'weris' forwarded to Madrid.
--This is the enbstence of the first report •of
the Deke :of.. Wellington from Paris. Up to this
time no caufunicatiOn had takin• place on the sulsject
of the negoations'at Verona, bitteeen this Country.and
Spain, and the cause of this I tvrtl shortly explain. In
the last Session -of Parliament the clamour, the just
clamour, began to be heard through this country of the

. . • .
Impediments thrown in the way' of our commercial sac
vigation in the West Indian Seas. It must he recollected
by the Members of the House, that ships bearing the
flags- sonic of the Colonies engaged in hostilities with
sOme of Spain itself, had committed depredations
to an enormous amount, under vircumstances loudly call-
ing for the interference of the Government. I certainly
remember it well; becacsr, as a Representative of 'a great
commercial town,. I had to bring forward complaints of
what was deemed. the supineness of those who had the
direction of the power of a great commercial nation,
whose rights and inter,•sts were considered to hive been
shamefully violated. At last ad armament was fitted out,
by which this country was to take into its own bands
that redress which had been in vain sought at Madrid
Orders bad been given to Commodore Owen, in the event
of the Pirates again finding refuge on the coast of
Cuba, after asking assistance from the Commandant
of Cubs, with his assistance if he granted it, and
without his assistance if he withheld tt, to effect a
landing on the coast of Cuba, and to root out the
Pirates from their holds. In giving their orders, and taking
this step, 1 hops it is unnecessary to say that the British
Government thought it right to communicate its intentions
to the Court °Madrid. About the same tune pretensions
were renewed lvf some of the Spanish commanders on the
Spanish Main—pretensions obsolete and forgotten for ma-
ny years, to Odare in a state of constructive blockade the
whole of the coninent of Spanish America, and to capture
' all vessels whim should presume to violate it. There were
' instances in wlich this blockade bad been rigorously in forc-
ed, and more orders since ISO, there had been subjects of
complaint oh the part of British commerce, and a series of
unanswered representations, and unredressed grievances to
the Court of Madrid. 'it was thought necessary, as eoe an-
gry discussion most take place, to taring all these matters to
a point. That justice was on our side, is proved by the
fact, that after the negociation, redress was specifically pro-
mised: that the injury was not small, is sufficiently shewn by
the sum set aside for the purpose of compensation by the
Spanish Goverment. The sum was half a million sterling,
though not, I believe, half the original claim. Tim
mission on which Sir William A'Court was first erne
ployed, was in urging these remonstrances, and in com-
municating the instructions which had been sent to our
commanders in the West Indies-Ist, as to the Island of
Cuba, and 211 y, to make reprisals on Spanish ships, if
compensation should be withheld for the losses of our
merchants. Redress was promis dby the Spanish Go-
vernante, and in time fur instructions to be seat to Sir
J. ()wen to stay reprisals, and it is bat just to saf that I
believe that, promise of redress, was made by the Spanish
Government with the fullest idea of faithfully performing I
it. I have stated this uninvitlionsly, for wiled redress
I
was one promised, not a trace of hostile feeling sur-
vived ; but the House will see that it was cot amidst
such negotiations that this Government could most ellec-
tu illy interfere in behalf of European Spain. It was not
at the moment
:when we were ourselves preferring claims
in behalf of American grievances, that we could assume
the best attitude in defending the independence of Spain
against European invaders, and it was oven to reserve
our commanications with Madrid, on the transactions at
Verona, till the time should come when we might avoid
the appinranoe of at once attacking and protecting her.
have seen in various quarters, and hears that wan
offence was found in our sending Sir W. A'Court to re-
present, at the Court of Madrid, tfie British Government.
It was said that be came from Naples to carry his Neapo-
litan politics to Spain. Now it happened, whimsically
enough (he bad set omit for Spain betore my appointment,
and I have scarcely the honour of the slightest personal
acquaintance with him). But l say, whimsically
enough it happened, that at the very time the mission of
Sir W. A'Court was represented as the greatest grievance
to the Spanish Government, the minittete of the use
Allied Powers sending on me in Downing-street, to repre-
sent against the him, as calculated tu encourage
the Spaniards. It was certainly, difficult to ;mete be-
tween objections so opposite; no matter what the answer
was, Sir William Atourt has gone to Madrid, and there
be has remained. I can well imagine, that as the cha-
t ratter in which Sir William A'Court was first employed,
was that of an obdurate debtor calling for payment--I
can well believe that as the Spanish Government was
suffering under his daily demands, it might, nut know-
ing the course which the Government he represented was
pursuing. as to the connexion of Spain with European
politics, entertain an unfavourable idea of Sir W. At.
in his official character. But as soon as the hope of in-
ducing the Allots to abandon altogether the idea of in-
terfering with Spain was extinguished, information was
sent to hladrid of the whole course of the negotiations
of Verona. It was then *hewn, that while Sir W.
A'Court had been shewing the obdurate character of a
creditor, his tiovernmeat had been ac ing towards Spain
the part of unsolicited friendship. Since that time the
feeling towards Sir W. A'Court has been considerably
changed, and that Gentleman himself has displayed as
earnest endeavours and as Spanish a feeling to do good
to Spain as any one could possibly chew. While Spain
was yet uncertain as to the course of the wegociations at
Verona, an application was snide from Spanish Ministers
to the British Government—tirst, to know the actual
course of those negotiations, and then to induce this
country to use its good offices in the maintenance of peace.
In this, which was a written application, care was taken
by the Spanish that nothing should be requested
that might he inconsistent triclinic most strictly Conceived
system of neatral:ty. —" Good offices, counsels, the reflec-
tions ofone friend in favour of another," which do not place
a nation in concert of attack or defence with another, and
which would rather entitle the party interfering to the
thanks of the opposite party, than expose it to any hos-
tile feeling. Such was time nature of the intervention
which theSpanisb Minister specifically requested. Af-
ter the receipt of' this communication his Majesty's Go-
vernment did not hesitate a moment to write to the Duke
of Wellington to offer the mediation of his Majesty to
accommodate the differences between France and Spain.
The French Government, aft :r sonic deliberation, de-'
:dined the proffered mediation, as the different ea,between
.the two countries were not of that specific and. practical
kind that t. mediation could remove them, but that they
had grown.out of the state of things in the two king-
tionise—lhat tberhad arisen from the influence which the
state of things in Spain had had on his Most Christian
Majesty's Government, and that the two countries had
got in to such a state of irritation, that war would be pre-
ferable as affording some chance of a solution. (hear.)—
~
II am really stating as near as I can the substance of the
argument of the French Government—it oyes added, ho
'ether, that his Most Christian Majesty could not accept •
the mediation of England ; hewould willingly accept of
a reciprocation of good offices, and begged his Britannia,
Majesty to,coatinne his good offices at Paris and Madrid'.
Here 1 admit was a case in which it May be said, that
unless something tangible was brought forward, we
should have begged to withdraw from further interfer-
ence ; but at the same time that the mediation was de-
.clamed, this step was accompanied with the most solemn
assurances of pacific intentions, and, as au alarm beyond
example prevailed as to the dauger of time war, not to
I Spain only, but to France, and through her to all Ea-1
rope, while there was even a chance of peace. and while
it was through the exertions of this country only that the
chance could he taken advantage of. I think it was our
duty to try what could be done. At this stegeooo,
there was this special advantage as compared with the
time of the negociations at Verona, viz. that the question
was reduced to a simple one between France and Spain.
Of the cases is which the Allies were botiadto interfere
in behalf of France none had arrived, and we at least
hid the cettainty before ns, if we failed to prevent the
war, that our interference could neither basien it or rat:.
der it more dangerous. We did consequently use our
good offices, and in doipg so we toak the utmost care no

-wesser
duly to dis inguish our conduct from that of the Ceta-
nentgl Powers and our principles from those which
France avowed' in the despatch to her Minister,—
but to guar 1 against the supposition of any thine
like unfriendly interference. The Duke of Welling-
ton had sustained Spanish liberty against t
attacks of France, and had ultimately made it triumphant ;
the independence which he had established by his sword. he
had endeavoured to p . inviolate by his diplomatic la-
bours at Verona. If ever there Vilna man who was entitled
to honour in Spain, it was the Duke of Wellington. No-
thing, therefore, could he less invidious than the! the man
who had earned a Spanish character by gratitude and by
adoption, should speak what many of his private friends
at Madrid knew to have been long his real sentiments. Tile
Duke of Wellington, therefore, sent his friend to Madrid—
the partner of the toils of tne Peninsular war.-the assi -
ant of his labours at Verona, with his opinion of the
course which it would be prudent for Spain to pur-
sue. This opinion was given in a paper delivered at
Madrid, put together not with all the finesse of diplo-
macy, but honestly and plainly spoken. This opinion was
given after Spain had asked for our interference and nu!
counsels : It was after France had stated that it was through
Eng:and alone that she could look for an accommodation ; it
was at a time when it was through such a proposal alone
that we could look for a pacification, that this lest expedient
was resorted to; then it was, that not asking any thing for
ourselves, not making this or that form of csnstitutionai re-
formstion the condition of our friendship, or even of our ex-
ertion!, but suggesting what we thought for tae advantage'
of Spain, and echoing the voice of Spaniards, that the ad-
vice of the Duke of Wellington was sent to the Spaniards
This advice was offered, and Lord Fitzroy Somerset was
sent to Madrid. Looking on this proceeding at the distance
of three months with a full knivrledge of whit had been its
success, with the chance of all the misconceptions and a.l
the hazard which attended it. I know not, if I had to decide
again, how it might be decided, but this I know, that if I
bad declined to take that step, and war had ensued, I should
'have had difficulty in shewing to England and to the world a
satisfactory reason, having the powers I possessed, why I
declined to avail myself of them. The application of Spain
for the good offices of this country was made early in De-
cember, the offer of mediation to France, and the dis-
cussions on It began in December, and ended in Janu-
ary—into the particulars I shall not go, because the
whole will be found in the papers on the tante.
Lord Fitzroy Somerset arrived at Madrid on the 20th
of January • and not long after his arrival there an event
occurred calculated to shake the determination of his Ma-
jesty's Government, and to remove almost every hope of a
pacific result—l mean the extysor inary Speech with wlech
the French Government thought fit •to open the Sessiou of
the Chambers.—(l(ear, hear.)—Of the principles avowed' in
that Speech with respect to• the Spanish Constitution. no one
can think with more pain, to use no stronger expression,
than 1 do.—(llesr, hear.) If the Spaniards had been called
upon to make such and such modifications of their instil*.
Lions because they threatened the safety of their neighbour,
while they formed a bar to their own improvement, it le
possible
.to conceive that such a demand might have beers
urged, and might have been listened to t but when it was
broadly stated that Spain could only hold her institutions
from the King, that she must reinstate him in absolute
power. that be might divest himself of as sma:l a portion of it
as he thought fit, this was putting the proposal in a shape
Which no Spanish Minister could be expected. to Admit, and i
which certainly no British Statesman could ever be found to
recommend.—(Hear.) Ceder such circumstances, it was
necessary to tell them plainly, that if such was the meaning
of the Speech, there must be an end of all negotiation
through as, and that it could proceed no further; that tide
principle was one which no British Statesman could recom-
mend; it was a principle which struck at the British Con-
stitution.—(Hear, hear.)—and which see could never sub-
mit to acknowledge. It was added, that while on the
one hand 'Great Britain did not pretend to put forward
her own political institutions es the model on which
the world was bound to reform their Governments,
It could not on the other (at Ale. same time not question-
log that the people of France enjoyed considerable
happiness under their Or/vestment) tolerate that Franca
should impose its form of Government on Spain, and
make it binding on that country. by virtue of 'the consan-
guinity of the Sovereigns. It was to be expected that this
would have shut the door of all further communication. But,
on the contrary, the negotiation was continued, and, I am
bound to say, that even after that period there was still'its.
a hope of its coming to an amicable conclusion. ladeed,
tt
was singular that that Speech when ceramunicated to me by
the French Charge d'Affaires, was accompanied by profes•
sions of a wish to preserve peace—Was accompanied by an
expression of a warm desire to come to an accommodation,
and it was in accordance with that desire that our efforts
were still employed In erecting that accommodation. It is
not neceisary that I should trace minutely
tole these proceed.
ings ; but, I shall at once state, that up
riod, the French Government, in spite of all our demon-
strations to the contrary, continued to think that it had
struck the right chord of feeling at Madrid, and there found
the specific for Spanish accommodation.. Sir, while tiese
thing were passing, a new application was made to us by the
Spanish Government—an application which will also be
found in these papers for the renewal of the active employ-
ment of our good offices. If we had not attended to these
requests, we should have been, not exercising our own
discretion, but setting up our own opinion its contradiction
to their declared hopes, that it was yet possible to.come to
an accommodation, and that it was worth the trial. But
from that time Great Britain took no further part is the ne-
gociations. No more instructions were sent to Lord
F. Somerset. Sir W: A'Court being nearer Paris then
London by three days, was necessarily acquainted
with the neeociations carrying ova oefore they were
known to the Government here, an
itiv d concnerning whih Scould
ir
William A'Court, having no pose istructions,c
only state what lie auppeaed would be the views enter-
tained at home. At length, on the total failure of our
hopes, I took an opportunity of frankly stating that cir-
cumstance to the House.—Nothiug remained for the
British Government but in state to both p %sties the course
it intended to pursue in so deplorable :c crisis—a coo se
that should be at once consistent with the welfare of all
parties, and with Its own, interest and honour; and
never for a moment, from the beginning of our inter-
course with Spain, respecting the negotiations at Verona,
never' fur a single mane. t had. the Spanish Government
been led to believe—,ttevec.bacl the conduct of Great Bri
tain been such as ,to,encotttage a hope that this course
would be any other Battu that of soh: t neutrality (hear,
hear!) We had aim+ aeted on the principle of doing
all in our power to avert war, but had always declared,
should it ensue, that It was our determination to take no
part in it. It is not necessary for use to say that the seine
communication was made to France. From the docu-
ments laid on the Table it would be evident, that when
it was ascertained what the conduct of France would be,
it was thought necessary to speak out plainly. As an
evidence of this, Sir, I shall read only one of the Papers
laid on the Table. It is the conclusion of the last des-
patch addressed by me to his Majesty's Ambassador at
Paris, and communicated by him to the French Govern-
inent. It contains a resume of our whole conduct, and 'I
wished that the French Government should see it, that
they might know I had stated nothing of which that
were ignorant. After referringto the whole of the docu-
ments and proceedings,:this despatch says:—
It remains only to' describe the conduct which it is Ms
Majesty's desire and intention to observe, itt a conflict be-
tween two nations, to each of whom his Majesty is hound
by the ties of amity and alliance. The repeated disavowal,
by his Most Christian Majesty's Government, of all views
of ambition and aggrandisement, forbids the suspicion of
any design on the part of France. to establish a permanent
military occupation of Spain; or to force his Catholic Ma-
jesty into any measures, derogatory to the independence of
his Crown, or to his existing relations with other powers.—
The repeat assurances which his
respect NNW>, has received, of
the determeidnation of France to the dominions of
his Most Faithful Nlejesty, relieve his Majesty from any
apprehension of being called upon to falfil the obligations
of that intimate defensive connection, whiCh has so long
subsisted between the crowns of Great .Britsiti and Port-
ugal. With respect to.the.provinces in America; which bave
thrown off their allegiance to the crown of Spain. time and
the course of events appear to have sabstaatially decided