The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-07-15 00:00:00

ST. PETERWRO,Juys 14.

The occupation of the Capital of Spain hy-tbe French
troops, and the restoration of order there term to lix the
point oa which we may prove to demonstration the cor-
rectness of. the resolutwns taken by the sovereigns at
Verona. IVhat, an extensive pt simple fie d fyr the un-
prejudiced observer, who seeks only pure troth ! Great
objects have already been attained ; others will be so
shortly. Serious apprehensions are 'removed, and are
succeeded by the well-grounded hope, that the tranquil-
lity so much desired will be attained.
The judicious and unprejudiced observer could not
well avoid, in the course of last year, seeing two causes
of alarm, which must be removed, unless Europe was to
teplunged in all the horrorsof revolutionary warond all
the fruits to he lost, which thepresent wishes and exer-
tions for the happiness of nations had produced and che-
rished daring the last eight ytsrs. These two objects
were the state of the Western Peninsula and that of
France. The latter was, doubtless, the most important
to Europe, and therefore merited the most mature consi-
deration.
What was France in 1832? A volcano over which we
walked with trembling? What was to be feared from
France ? That the same accumulation of iufernal in-
gtedients would cause the volcano to burst, and that the
all consuming lava would issue in • torrent like that of
1790. The inevitable consequence would have been,
new wars, the duration and the issue of which it was im-
possible to fores,!e. Nay, the Peninsula might Ihive
joined revolutionary France, and thus the East of Europe
have been engaged in a contest with the West, which would
probably have made lierariany the theatre of desolation
and bloodshed. If unprejudiced individuals could not
I avoid feeling such apprelien-ions in 1822, how owl;
more must !hey have engaged the CahinetA, whirl, de-
sired nothi...g so much as the preservation of tranquillity,
to which all their endeavours were directed.

Daily experience showed that the elements of rev dm
ton were spread in France, not only anionz the citizens,'
but nen in the Army, which should be the true support
of the Throne, awl the security of the French n.tiuu.
The wild Sovereign of Prance was compelled to adopt
rigorous measures, and saw with regret that his unceas-
ing efforts to make his cbiltiren happy had not the suc-
cess which they certainly would have had on other na•
lions. hostile winds hronght from the west principles
and. maxims, which only served to kindle the lire nn thus
side of the Pyrenees. They eren'posaesst&the minds of
persons who were called in the great Conned of France
to co-operate in its real happiness.. Its tine they threatened
Ito destroy the fruits which the King of France was in-
cresantlylahoseing to tuAtute.
Sad, a state of -things, which, in its possible come.
queues, affected all Europe, could not be disregarded by

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Field, and SYDNEY died es the SeafroldF

the Sovereign•, and liast of all could they escape the
penetrating eye of our Emperor who is so devoted to
peace. The erect question, how ibis state of tfiings was
toles retnedied, must of course be discussed at Verona.
and it deserved the whcile attention of the assenibled
Sovereigns

Proceeding on the fnisclamental principlo of the Holy
Alliance, to uphold with a strong hand the restored order
of things, and the happiness of nations, the whole Diplo-
matic Assembly at Verona, clearly saw that it was high
time to stop the sources. which threatened frotp the west
of Europe to deluge the world pith new sufferings. Ooly
the means of attaining this important object were to be
considered.

We of course erenot going to recapitulate the pro-
ceedin gs of the Congress, bat we may now admire the.
profound views sod the elevation of mind that were need-
any to reach the gaol where we now are. In a few words,
the problem was, to' make use of a nation not yet tran-
quillised, to bring bock inother nation, and with theta!,
Europe to a SPIN-consolidated repose.
The foundation of the proceedings adopted was a just
view of the history and character of the French nation,
which in the noble munpations of war had developed
aseivity, end always forgot the discords whiffet..
spread by the evil minded persons, thr.atened to destroy
the national prosperity. The history of the last six.
months proves the correctness of this estimate of the
French character, and the wisdom of the measures adopted.
France, since the march of its army, has, as was foreseen,
returned to a state of tranquillity in which a high-spirited
people is Amerced at seeing its victoriuns vanillin's wave
in the territory of a foreign and heroic nation. The na-
tion which thought itself humbled, finds itself again raised
to the rank of an independent nation, able to perform
great deeds by its own exertions. It sees the statue of
its future King enrolled in the list of Generals, who will
defend his own kingdom from attack. It sees a brave na-
tion retire before its enemies, and the majority of that na-
tion conic to meet them with wreaths of victory. No more
was necessary to attain the second great object mentioned.l
in the beginning of these remarks.
Let us now turn our eyes to the Peninsula.
As long as the great truth is acknowledged that con.
sistency is especially necessary in every Government,
statesmen and future bistros ians will call the resolution of
the Sovereigns to put an end to the disorders in Spain a
wise one. Would not the Governments of Europe have
been guilty of the grossest inconsistency and contradic-
tion to all the Conventions and Reeoletions since ISM if
they had suffered the contrary to subsist in some parts of
Europe?
if the fire of Revolution is to be twitched, it cannot be
suffered to glimmer under light ashes, which the slight-
eat breath may carry away. •
There have been persons who have found something
great in the Revolution in the Peninsula, becanse it had
not degenerated into the horrors which distinguished
that of France. lint, must we wait for the very worst
before sae find any thing to disapprove ? Were not the
civil wars in Spain and Portugal sufficient to strike us
detest the Revolutions which produced and supported
them? A people cannot be called happy wins every in-
dividual citizen, by his owe fire side, can look withont
apprehension to the coming- day. Did each a state of
things exist in the Peninsula before the French army en-
tered it? Was not the blood of the citizens shed by each
other's hands ? Was not the mijority subject to the op-
pression of a party which despised all principles ? Has
not the French army been received as a delivering angel?
The adineites of the re-action beyond the Pyrenees,
generally have the word inquisition in their mouths, the
re-eitabligliment of which after the Restoration, they
pretendlo have been the true ease of the revolution.—
But this is a great error. •It Nan acknowledged fact,
that after the expulsion of the French, the re-establish-
ment of that tribunul Which they hid abolished, was
considered by the whole Swinish nation as one of the
main pillars of the Spanish monarchy. Would not a
thousand' voices have been spins: ft on the King's re-
turn, haJ not the principles Imbibedby the Spaniards,
from their infancy, made them look on it as necessary?
Would not the Clergy, who were also considered as a
branch of the I nquisition,and who, doubtless, contributed
to its re-establishment, have been the subject of lacessant persecution if the nation had thought otherwise. No
person, unless actuaHy weak in mind, will consider this
as a defence of the Inquisition 'and its frequent cruel-
ties. The light of reason is too strong in our times
to call thins good which it cannot approve. The w
ef-
forts of the Christian Sovereigns are too evident to make
us waste a word to show, that they cannot be inclin-
ed to protect the Spanish Inquisition in particular,
as it formerly exercised its t miens. We mean
only to show how the Spaniards in general thought be-
fore the Ist of January, 1820, and prove that the insur-
rection in the island of Leon is by no means to be attri-
buted to the existence of the Inquisition. But it may be
replied, in this case, Spain may be long deprived of the
light of knowledge.which other States enjoy, and this
leads us to the important principle (disputed by many
mistaken persons) that great political changes ought in
reason to proceed from the legitimate Government. He
who hill determine any thing •great and comprehensive,
must have a view of the whole, Which cannot be acquired
but by extensive knowledge of the various interests Of
the State, and by long practice. Afe there not thousands'
of difficulties, when all the inhabitants of a single town
are to make resolutions relative to the whale society, and,
to essential changes in the Constitution. Must not these'
difficulties be far greater in a large Empire? And how
can an individual, a military character for instance, even
with the best intentions, execute such complica'ed
dertakings without falling into a thousand errors oferery
step.
It this could not be proved by the history of our own
times, some philosophical hypotheses against it might be
listened to ; but the events in Naples, Piedmont. and
Spain, should pnt theorists to silence. Great political
changes were suddenly introduced; they originated in a
heated imagination, owed their apparent progress to the
inflamed seal of some officers of considerable rank, while
hired and deluded journalists threw a lustre over those
anti rprizes. We should have thought the three nations
VA 011111 have sacriti.:ed property and life for the new order,
of things. But when the hour of trial came, the whole
edifice soak into nothing. Why aid it fall ? Because
the majority of the three nations vas convinced that the
old order of things was better than the new.

Lord Liverpool has bia•med Ferdinand for not being
fultilled the promises respectinohe organization of the
S•a'e. which ties made in 19/4. But ne apprehend that
his Lordship did not weigh the difficulty of introducing•
into A country like Spain new and extensive changes,
af:er it had jnst ba•n tat kineekty racritice for it old in•
stitotions. l•he mettti.►o •of Livil Liverpool leads es to
the app►rently important point of the difference in the
opinion of this Nimister and his colleagues, and that of
I the then Miniiters at Verona respecting the affairs of the
Peninsula.
. The main point is, does such a difference of opinion ra
specting the cause of the•srarreally exist? We think not.
`Even the papers laid before Parliament show that En-
gland utast be as hostile to revolutionary ovovements in

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SEVEN PENCII.

, 4. ,
Europe as other States: and* they prove that the Britian
Ministers asnaider the-political changes in the Peniesisl 6
ili opposed to the existing European -system. Would
they else bava so earnestly advised modifications in the
Consitntion of Madrid.
But fhe Congress of Verona never asked any thing
more than modifications and an assimilation of the
Spanish Constitution with those of other States. But
all representations made to the Spanish Government
were fruitless. The King, who, at the beginning of the
revolution, had decidedly expressed himself against its
became from the day that be was deprived of the council
chosen by himself, a passive instraiirent of the party its
power, a prisoner without any influence in the folovern-
meat.
His preatiaskMinisters and the Cortes rejected &tit
-- t
pride and e eery with contempt proposal for conci-
liation. T ' twCreigns who hail already shown in the
cases of Na end Piedmont, their Grin adherence to the
system they LI adopted for tits welfare of their nations.
Got h ate in the case of Spain, especially a' civil
war bad air y broken out in that kingdom. ' Frat.ro
Was here th most ioterested, as Austria had been in 1
affairs of N , and the duty of interference was vs evi-
4entabattbe Allied Sovereigns not only approved the
interference of France in the affairs of Seam, but even its-
sited the King of France to employ it.
The only difference with the English Cabinet was ato.it
the male of interference. It merely objected to the in-
trance of French troops ititosSpain : this was all. Hal
it had a positive interest to prevent this armed it.terfer-
encr, it would, in the conscientiousness of its own power
and influence, have used other language. Eng I tnil did
not fear any thing from the war, hut from its postale
cons (maces; it apprehended that the new policy whit!'
disinterestedly seeks the repose of Europe, [night (kr-
nerate into the old policy, where interest predomitt•Acit
—it feared nothing else. This was the sole ground crs
which England refused its assent to the war—for, in 'An
principles which led to the war, it agreed with 'the other
Power.. Whether the moderation and wis :ow Of this
Allied Sovereigns gave any reasons for s t h apt r.il-eti-
lions, time will will show, unless it is shown air, ad., 'is
we affirm to be the case. From the war between Valorise
and Spain no other wars will arise.
We have been told that the English nation, full of en hu-
siesta for the Spanish Liberals, if ready to take tip sr ev
for them. In this, as In other points, we have not bre.; t:....t
the truth. With what ardour hai the Parliament enrol- t
the Neutrality resolved on by Ministers I flow ,!ecidee:i
was the motion to repeal the Foreign h:ulistment Bill et..
jeeted—a motion that was evidently favourable tl tbe.Sps-
nlards. We must leave it to the public to judge of the eor-
'reetness of our observations ; but we thiuk the calm oh-
server, who remembers what his country-and himself ht • a
suffered. and appreciates i.ei peace they now eijoy, N., ill a--
knowledge that the resolutions taken at Vienna intended •he
real happiness of him and his fellow-citizens. Russia wi.t
always look back with pride on this Feriod of her hist‘rv,
and on her great Monarch, who disinterestedly enfploy, ::..,
vast power In securing the peace and tran juiLity ot t.:As
whole world.