The Statesman.
London, England, 1820-03-21 00:00:00

141'41%.

At the catemetwement of the resent century, 'pain,
distingeished by all the symptoms of decay, was entitled
to the appellation of one of the Powers of Europe,
uhly on arronsit of the space whirls it occupied upon
the soap of tbe world. 11 'e saw it sstlAenly awake
from its lethargy. and risgal.re its an honourable
struggle, with astonishing firmness, against a tyrant, in
favour of whom t ietory had crowned its efforts, and re-
moved the difficulties which sntrostegoled him. In the
tumult nous excess of joy excited by the fall of the
PR INe k: of Peace, the Spanish people. liberated from a
biog.Lunt did nut examine the legality of an
et not whirls placed the son upon the throne dosing the
life-time of his father. The unexpected elevation of
FERPINAND VII. electrified the Spanish people. The
new reign oas expected to repair the errors of the pre-
setting. All hearts anticipated the future. Enthusiasm
was at the height.
There was c • tte.l a political outrage unexampled
in the annals of civilisation. The flimsy reSI of disguise,
to save appearanrrs, was even rejected. The haughty
Castilian was enraged. 'llse popular mass it as ready to
resent this attack upon pubtir morality and the Spanish
honour ; in tails did enlightened men, fearing the result
urn blind infatuation, and hoping to Lind in Ilse Consti-
totion of Bayonne a rafter to preserve Spain from the
shipwreck with whirls it us' menaced, give an example
of submission dictated by prusletsce. The authority of
experience was despised, and whilst pruslenee was allay lug
the asperity of treawm. a furious war burst out front one
end or the Peninsula to the other. No sacrifice was spared:
all means were justified by the m ;fives. We pass user
those scenes w hick beheld Spain, spire of the exertions of
its Patriots, enslaved ; Ile pass over those events which
expelled an invading %%%%%%%%%% After six years of vicissi-
tudes, France resmoncest her conquest. The warriors
who Insight in defence or Spain were victorious. Liheral
institutions replaced the miserable legislation of the
middle ages, and the ordinances of (*HAMA* V.
and the hateful tyrants who succeeded I • . At the
•nt in which regenerated Spain was about to rejoy
repose, purchased at the expellee of so many sufferings,
this epoch of political resurrection was signalized by a
prodigy—the son of Cis 4RLIEI IV. rr-appeared in
the midst of Isis people. Stranger to all the excesses
which hail occasioned the misfortunes of the rinses, free
front all personal responsibility, his task was easy. No
Spaniard needed Isis clemency—all had suffered in his
rinse The leprosy of the religions orders, with which
the nation was detoured, had disappeared ; the dens
which enclosed the tictiuss of the Ingnisition were
closed; the odious tribunal, whirls sat in judgment even
upon the thoughts of individuals, nu longer existed ;
the vast financial resources offered a guarantee to the
public deist ; economy and equality formed the base of
a new .}stem; despotism was banished; the division of
authority was established by the Constitution of the
Cortez. The power of the Prince might have torn lets
limited; but his rreent misfortunes, the affection of which
' he wits the object, could not fail to render to the royal
preregative all the constitutional force which it needed.
—lithe Throne upon which FattotmAND tra's teatsql fur