The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-06-22
CITE Gnquirer.
{ RICHMOND. JUNE %. 1910.
SOUTH AMERICA.

the geography, productions, resources. gov
eminent, military & religious institutions of
Caracas; we may now proceed to the grea,
question of its emancipation. Can she sue.
coed IN her Revolutions. Can Caracas De-
conc Independent /?
III her eXertions were met by d formula.
bic opposition from abroad--and large
force should debaik upon the coasts, the
chances would evidently be against her.
In the LIST. place, we have seen that, her
own military, force is weak and incapable
of much effort. She has about IS, 81 troops /;
Of which 174O were troops of the line, diff
fused in all the t, WINS of all the provinces.
in the end place, these troop must be a
faw and undiciplined set, In comparison with
those CT France. In respect of tactics and
science, the colonies of Spain must be at least
a century behind France. Her new discove
ries. the fruits Of her gunins and her wars,
are scarcely practised lin Europe & much
less in Caracas.
The coa',s too are peculiarly open to in
vasion. Her ports are, from 60 to 100 leagues
distant from each other-and between them
are numberless rivers and beaches suitable
for debarkatiou.
There are no forts but on the shores, and
these are so far ' from each other. that
whole months are requisite for communica
tion, even in the most favorable seasons 2
Besides. reiaforcements could not very
easily be dispatched to the points where hey
would be wanting--as those points are
so distant from each other, and the troops
are so few in number. Thus, the town Of
Maracaibo is bounded by the lake Of the
same name, by Vene zuela, and by deserts 60
leagues widc-and these are between Ma.
racaibo and Truxillo, the nearest city from
which the former could receive reinforce
ments.
In the nature of her population. there are
serious obstacles to vigorous exertion -
Two tenths of it are whites. 1Oths slaves,
the descendants of freedmen, are 4 1Oths =
10 give success to their struggles, it is es :
.sential that there be complete concurrence
between the Whites and the Freedmen. To
produce this union of effort, the distihcti-
ons, which now prevail between them, must
be removed-the Freedmen must be admit
ted to an participation of all the military
offices above that of Cdftain-This ex
tinction OF prejudice may experience some
little opposition on the part of the Whites.
But when this is effected, the slaves NAV
perhaps throw new difficulties In their way.
Yet-let these difficulties be removed
Still there are other distinctions amongst the
people The natives of Spain will not ex :
pcrience the same enthusiasm on this sub
IL hose
from the old country, who have formed some
thing like an ,arstocratic class, will ha
card every OPPOSITION which is prudential.
They will not permit their titles and priv
Ieges to be eXtingu:shed, without some effort
Tor their OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES, from the
monks and the members of the religious or
ders, We should not expect very sincere at
Tachment to the new political arrangement.
1t is besides necessary, that all local and
other jealousies should be extingushed that
there be some form of government to consol-
Idate their resources that the revolution
should embrace large tract of country ;
that the banners of independence may wave
over the inhabitants of the interior as we'll
as those of the Coast. ~ ..y..
These things will impede the success of
caracas, IT there be-any formidable oppo-
:.'tlon from without-But,from whence will
Snis opposition come? What foreign ma
tlon will dispatch a. military force to the
a;'asts OF Caracas! Is it France. She
processes to adjure all interposition, whate-
vSr, with her independence--on certain con.
f'tuons. What says the Expose of 10th De-
cember lasts
IL Spain loses her colonies, she will have de-
varied it herself. The emperor will never oppose
Fhe independence ofthe continental nations of l.
Inerica that independence is in the necessary or
We 4
pest well understood of all The powers Whether
ahe inhabitants Of Mexico or Peru chuse to be
hnited with the mother country, or whether they
chuse to rise to noble Independence France ne
yer will oppose them, provided they never form
ANY tie with England. France for her prospe-j-
~ and trade, has TO occasion either to modest
her neighbors, or to force upon them, tyrannicai
laws"
At all events, France will scarcely make any
effort to subdue these colonies. unth the war
an Spain shall be over, and the mother coun
try is fairly III her hands. When that event
aranspires, it is possible that the most strenu
Gus eXertions will be made to annex them to
her dominions---" Ships. Colonies & Com.
merce" are the Emperor's objects-but so
long as he continues at war with England
her fleets may intercept his designs. In this
respective colonies are in much better stu
alton than the mother country. The Pyren-
Aces are ieveled--and the troops of France
MARCH directly into the heart of the Country
4 he ocean, however, is between France and
carraccas-and OIL that ocean, rides the feet
of G. Britain.
AS for G.. Britain ; il is in every point of
view, her interest, that these Colonies shall
not fall into the hands Of France or SPAIN
She is looking out for fresh " resources to
supply those, the channel Of which is closed
against her." Her eyes then light upon 8.
America. In that vast and luxuI liant region,
she will see the materials of many of her ma
hutactures, and market which may even
tually consume many OF her manufactures
1t is her interest, therefore, to give a new
spring to the resources of this country. as
well as to snatch it from the hands of France.
1t is difficult to say, whether the ambition
E.nplan1maW a 70 T.