The Statesman.
London, England, 1818-09-08 00:00:00

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daft -1444 CHAP ELL E.. tti G.
The eyes pf Europe are beginning to ve directed
,Innards Aii-laXlispelle, the proposed place of as-
sembly for the. Congress of Sovereigns, which is to
commence its sittings the latter end of this montli.--•
Of whom this celebrated assembly 14 in consist, es..
rept the two Emperors of Russia and Austria, end
the King of Prussia, with Lord Castlereagh, we do
uot know ; but agar ao we can learn, no other So-
vereigns will be present. Of *hat they hive in view,
except the discussion of the propriety of evacuating
.France, we profess ourselves equally ignorant; but
rumour states that one of the points, which is to en-
gagitheir most serious attention, is a proposition by
the King of Spain that they should interpose betwixt
him and the South Americans, so as to bring the
.latter back to their allegiance, under certain condi-
tions proposed by the former. Be all this as it may,
there will be in a very short time a Congress of
Sovereigns, of the Lords of the Creation, and the
general feeling is, that these Sovereigns have appoint.
sel this meeting to settle certain matters and things
in which the whole population of Europe is concerns
id, according to their own discretion. Probably a
few more transfers of human beings, with the lands .
1.10 which they feed, will grace their proceedings.
Probably, they will lay down a general code of
government for themselves and their brethren in all
(store cases of emergency. We should have liked it
better, we confess, had we heard that, on so im-
portant an occasion, the People had been invited to
take some share in the deliberations. They are not,
however, as far as we can learn, to be permitted to
be present even by their representatives. So that
whatever interests are et stake, whatever it may
please arbiters of human fate to determine, respect-
ing them, their opinion will not be asked, nor their
copse's. required, except in the way of submission
and rilence. Under these circumstances, we con-
fess, notwithstanding the terms of the Holy Atli-
once, that we look on the Congress with moat suspicia
*us eyes, anticipating only provisions for the enlarge*
ment and security of power, end restraints of popu-
lar will and popular right. We are old fashioned
.erinogh to consider the People as yet of some mite.
(prone. Our creed with respect to power is, that
Sovereigns are only the servants of the People, and
when we see them congregating together of their own
accord, and assuming to themselves the disposal of
w hole districts by bargains, in the formation of which
the inhabitants are not participators, we cannot but
feel that the proper order of things is reversed, and
fear that there is a combination to establish despotism.
The mere evacuation of France is not enough In ac-
count for this extraordinary movement. The Minis.
tern of the respective Courts might easily have ad•
justed this point. It must have in view some ulterior
considerations, and these can only be the mode in
which the world is to be divided Romeo a number of
men, caging ihemselves Sovereigns, and these posses.
'oes secured to them. Their assembly is of their own
suggesting, and an doubt for their own purposes.--
If it contemplated any thing for the People, the Pen.
ple would have beers consulted. Rut they hate not
been consulted : nor would one of them, if deputed
by millions, be admitted even to listen to their de.
liberations. It is, therefore, with the extremest
anxiety, that we wait for intelligence of what is
going on at Ais-la•Chapelle, especially as one of the
Members of that Assembly will be an Englishman —a
Representative of the People in his own country.—
flow such a man can amalgamate with Sovereigns dis.
posing of human affairs in their own right, we have
already hail a little specimen. How he will continue
his career, excites our curiosity in the highest degree
to learn. But, perhaps, it is only on Englishmen he
will deign to confer the title of men, with rights to
protect sud defend. Most Representatives of the Pen•
ple would feel themselves awkwardly situated in
such company. They would he apt to ask on cer•
fain occasions, " what will the People say to this 1
Are they willing to accept of such and such regula.
lions:" Arid if theanswer were made," what have the
Penpleto do but submit?" they would take up their hats
and leave the room. We mon no such ill.manners frogs
my Lord Castlereagh. his respect for Crowned Heads
is too great to permit him In put in competition with
it, any little feeling he may yet possess, as an inks.
Nista of this lend of liberty. This, however, we do
augur, that neither he nor those with whom he is
about to co-operate, can throw any very serious or
permanent impediment in the way of human ameliora-
tion, either on the European or American continent.
Knowledge has made too great a progress on both to
be stopped in its advance; and people of enlightened
minds will not endure the rod of despotism long.—
As to any effect their decisions may have on the des-
tinies of south America, we are perfectly at ease.—
lisle intelligence from that quarter, and particularly
the conduct pursued by the Spanish agents towards
the Patriots, leaves no doubt, not merely as to the
certainty that no mediation will be accepted by them,
but that their independence will be established. In-
deed, as one interesting letter expresses it, it is as
good es established already. The very application.
of Spain for the interference of the Holy Alliance is
a confession of inability on her own part to perform
the task of subjugation. Had not this been the case,
she would never have truckled to strangers for assist-
ance, nor su6mitted to ask as a favour, from the in•
terference of bystanders, what she claims as a right.
'lle Independents know this es well as she does;
and if they had not the recollection full in their
minds of humanity outraged, of faithless profession's,
of murdered arid tortured friends arid relatives, of
chains, and racks, arid gibbets, it is not very likely
they will trust to promises made under the guarantee
of Sovereigns, whose assembling together for their
own purposes proves that no application on the part
of the People would excite their attention, were
these premises bieken. No : these interesting People
have had toe much experience not to know that their
'own arms most be their only protection. They have
had the still more gratifying experience that the op•
peal they have made has beers successful, so far as to
give the best founded hopes 'of eventual conquest.--
Besides, taking the most' favourable view of the goes.
don of" mediation in their case, the,only ground on
which they can listen to it is, an acknowledgment
of their Independence. Without that preliminary,
no negociation can he set on foot. Etery thing
short of it would be a dereliction of most solemn de-
clarations made in the face of the world, arid sealed
by the best blood of the provinces. Submission, en