Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-10-17


OF the law, make Il traffic OF Justice and.
10 increase their fees, encourage a spirit
OF lnisiousness Among the coioni,is,
Which IS ruinous 10 their fortunes, aud
destructive of,iieir Industry.
" Another defect at The colonial gov
ernmen' Of Spain is, lis enormous eN-
pense, arising from the vast nu.ml,rr OF
officers, civil and military, which IL en-
ploys.
Bat, of all the circumstances in The
state OF Spanish America, adverse 10 lis
happiness aud prosperity, the most min
rious Is the division Gifts inhabitants into
casts, marked by nature with differences
OF color, and distinguished, in law or
opinion by differences of rank and priv
lege;
The first class in station, property
and intelligence, Is unfortunately divided
within itself. The Gachapiaes, Chapefonrs.
or European Spaniards, are objects Of
hatred and envy to the Creoies, or
American Spaniards, on account of the
superior favor shown 10 the former by
the government These Two classes
have, IN law, equal rank aud equal lille
to preferment: But, i'll fact, almost all
The places OF trust or eaiolument in the
colonies are given To Europeans and
tins preference, Instead of diminishing as
'"S -.'S'iSS kilOW!cti1t dllSl cu-
ucation, increases daily. Not only are
the higher Offices of government confer
red exclusively on Europeans, but such
inferior appointments as tie subordinate
silua,ious OF the customs and collection
OF iobacco, arc bestowed in the same
manner Political alousy oftlie colon
Isis Is not fhe sole, or even the principal
ca'isc OF this pariialiiy. A neccssitous and
! profiigaie court has been in the practice
OF raising money by the sale of colonial
oihces at Madrid and, independent of
inns undlsgmisod vcnality, there is "a party
sr'rit among Europeans in the New
World, which uniies them for mutual
! support, and gives TO native OF Old
spain, however undescrving or incapable,
oeci"eu advantage over every Compel
! tor VINO pas the misfortune TO be born a
| Creoie. Ii is not wonderful that. Will,
such disregard oftheir pretensiops and
such combination against them in their
naiive iand, the American CreoeS should
be iii-oisposed 10 their European coun-
| lryinen, and disatfecied 10 the govern
| ineht that dcpresses and contemns
| ,hem."~
| We seize only the strong points of The mic.
!uTe ana, we ask, are BOT these sufficient to
lusiiiy me coion'sts in the course they have la
nen II me appeaioe made 90 The most enlight
=
~ III Tue aitli NATIVE, Even Nattel admits that
| nation may curb an ipsupporta.sIe tyrput
can MN even TO an account, aud withdraw II
, Ell rom DIS obsdlence: - this indsputabie
tyranny exercised by Philip ., in the Neither
isnas, eEcited those provinces to rise; and
SPAIN, atte'seyeral vain and destructve efforts.
ackhSWiedSed them sovereign aid independent
'uie'. II 'he Netherlands had right 70 re-
! SiS', 50 ma; Sonth Acrica. Ifthe former
snccesSini,w why may not the latter he so? The
, T haa 10 struggle against the power Of
Phillp 2d, ihen the greatest in the v orId a
/ prince OF vigorous abilities, seconded hv the
! taiciits ofthe Duke OF Parma. Bat. Sonih A.
| mcr;ca Is To cope with Spain. now fallen I,tt a
stase OF decrepltnde, and ruled by one of the
Weakestprinces who ever swayed sceptre.-
| The Dutch Republic succeeded af = va.t
| eHpence OF blood and treasure with an otst,
macy 10 which history affords 10 parallel. for
| the term OF fonrscore years. In a shorter
tlne, South- America may follow her example
| Inc same blindness, the same oppres sion which
lost the Netherlands 10 Spain, will deprive her
| OF South America.
But if the appeal be made TO u.s. with what
! face can we resistit Il ne wha have asserted
IN The tace OF the world the right or an OBJ
! pressed nation TO throw on its YOKE .re, who
nave announced in The most solemn paper that
we nave eyer published, that" 10 secure the
rights lof life, liberty, and the pursuit OF hap.
! pihess.) governments Instituted among
men, deriving their jnst powers from the con-
! sent Of the governed that whenever any
these ends, il Is the right of the people 10 alter
or TO abolish it," Is there man in this conn
! try, who acknowledges these PRINCIPLES and
! applies them to the situation of Spanish Anne.
! rica, who does not justify her revolution vino
! does not wish her the fullest success
| Aiour principles, therefore, are arrayud on
her side, and all our feelings must be enlisted
| in her favor.
of the good wishes of our Citizens, there is
| surely no doubt-tlie only question is as TO the
duty of tine government
We have hitherto profeSsed TO hold perfect
| neutrality between the two contendin~ par
tieS-We say +" You are struggling for the soyc-
Teignty Ii IS not for us TO decide between
you. We. cannot of course acknowledge the
independence of any Vt the proyinces-co
quently SIC cannot receive their ministers nor
send them any" But this was a neutrality
more in profession than in fact We wonld
not receive the minister Of Caracas or Buenos
AyTss-whilc, at that very moment, the other
party ITO wit, Oh; Spain was represented by a
minister among IT'S. Don Onis not oniy repre-
sented the interests of his master i'll Old SnaiD.
put III Tie South American provinces On the
iasi subject he had the ear of our government, az
well as on the former. He conld remonsIrate
against the condact of oar citizens against ex-
Peuitions that were projected, against vessels
tilat were fitted out in our own ports He could
specify measures, which his master wished ms
10 adopt. In the mean time the other marty IN
lie contest had no Osicial organ throNph q, Iicb
u conld breathe its remoDstrances or lis wishes
vi course, Who was To inform us when vessels
were sqslpped by the Spanish minister or his
oInciai agents against the struggling colonists,
III wasa ne9jr ality therefore more in name than
~ fact. We did acknowledge the sovereieniy
OF opdin, and not the independence of The in.
suryeuts. ~ "
we must revise this course ofpelicy, atleast
~ regard to some of the provinces. Vhat de
thcy now ask OF uss Not to give them aid not
70 eSPohse Their 'ause by actual co.opern lion
10, 70 sehu them troops, fleets and money but
merely to recognize their independence. TO
FORM treaties, toexcbaDge ministers with tl,em.