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

II is I'm: for the American Politician to turn
his eyes TO the South not from mere idle curiosi-
", hnt For practirgl purposes: nct merely to
see what our ncighbnrs are doing, but what we
ought 10 do ourselves.
HE scene, which meets us in that quarter ia
IN many points Of view most interesting TO us
we see numerous colonies, after suffering
thousand ills, attempting TO shuttle OF Che
coli, of oppression, aud Drawing danger and
death in hundred forms. We see moi a misc
rable island, but the fairest portion of tbs
earth, blessed with every benefit of soil sun
ana climate, stakcd upon the issue. We see
not hundreds aud thousands, bat millions Of
feliow.creatures, Interested deeply in that is
sue. lie struggle has gone OH for wears but
III various parts il is yet undecided Blood has
streamed IL torrents on the field and the scaf.
tad, and II is get TO stream. The ewes Of ire
on World are gazing upon the contest; and
It's Courts anxoUSl, deliberatiny upou the men,
Suros they should pursue.
but, IL they are gazing upon the Issue, If tie
people OF the old world feel deep interest in
II, what mist not ace feel Whose heart should
beat, II ours does notf Whose interests are af-
fccted, if ours are not? Whose principle. can
be appealed 10, if ours are silent? Who can
wish Them success. If redo mott Shall the S,yede
or tue Italian look npon the isaue with emo.
ton, II we are INDIFFERENT? Shall he, whose lot
II cast upon another hemisphere emil 4 his feel.
ings III their cause, if we, WHO live al their very
ooor, lola mp our arms, and ask What is il 10
us no; II rs impossible. We rruys call ia
niud that these struggling peoDlc ore ou,
neighDors A.; that we wore once coicnists like
themselves; and that once we braved the same
Danger In the same canse.--'Ghe same No
for where we had one grievance to ,ou,nlaip
OF. the South Americans have a buuired-
where we were goaded with whips, thew have
been scourged with scorpions. If the same
Immortal pen which drew up the Declaration
of0Rr Independence was employed Il, de,,;ct.
Ing the wrongs of South America, what a nc.
ture would il producei
Since l7TS, 1t is true, the rein has been loosen.
Cd. The example of the United States was
contagious, and Old spain was forced 10 rel,v
her commercial letters. But the system OF 90
preston still remained iAtolerably severe. Tie
Ills were so many, that the coIonsts few In
arms. IT is unnecessary To state thos. ills in
detaii br; they pervaded the whole system of
Ioreigh commerce, as well as The internal adj
miiilstratOn.
=" Certain towns only are permitted 70
trade with the mother country: The otI,.
erS are arbitrarily and unnecessarily die.
prTed OF that privilege, and therefore o.
bllged 10 supply their wants, and dispose
OF Their surplus produce at second hand
In the immense extent of coast from
Guavaqull TO Acapulco, there is NOT q
SINGLE liarbor, that can trade directly with
'Luropc; there are no manufactures and
hardly any commerce; the produce rots
upon the ground and, in the midst of
all the bountlcs ofnaiurc, the iEhabi-
tanis are destitute of the most ordiuarx
comforts aud accommodations of civil
zcd society. Peru aud Chill have but, Two
harboTs each that are permitted 10 trade
with the mother country though all ac-
counts agree, that. at distance from
these favored spots, the people are sunk
Ill Incidence while, near them, thew are
active and industrious, from the certainty
OF finding II market for their productions.
The same useless and capricious restric-
mons exist IN every province Of Spanish
America. Many fertile districts are CON
demned to peHury aAdlndoleuce, because
the government wlihlolds from them
permission TO exchange The fruits of their
industry TO advantage.
"Theduties OF the trade ofthe Span-
ISL colonies have been greatly reduced
since 1873 ; but in many parts of Ameri
GA they might be abolished entirely, with
out loss 10 the treasury, az Tie expense
OF collecting them exceeds their amount.
such taxes serve only To Cypress the pro-
pie, without benetiiing the state, aud an
swer no other purpose, but The pcrnicious
one OF increasing tile number Of idle de-
pendd"ts OF the government. No soon
or does settlement briray symptoms of
industry or prosperity, than il is over
whelmed with multitude Of tax-galher-
ers aud superintendent, who fatten OH
It's wealth, repress its eNertions, aud give
its inhabitants ample reason 10 repent of
their i'll rewarded activity.
Zone of the great defects Of the inter
nal administration of the Spanish colon.
les, is, the want Of efficient responsibility
III those invested with power; and this
again proceeds from The remoleness of
the colonies, the restraints on The liberty
OF The press, and the want of colonial as
semblieS. independent Of the crown. Pub
lie officers, secure of impuniiv, abuse
their pOweT--exert it capriciously, or, for
selfish purposes, convert II Into an instru-
menl u vengeance, or engine ofexIoriion