Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1821-02-17

others, probably giving birth to those extra
ordinary deliberations and movements oil The
great powers oil Europe. First, it seems TO
be assumed, by those powers, in their fe-
derative compact, that the lesser potentates
are not at liberty. without their concur
renee, 10 change or new model their own
internal governments. Secondly. should
such change or modification be effected, e.
ven by the general or unanimous consent OF
both the people and sovereigns of those
smaller states, without bloodshed too, yet
they, the greater sovereigns, by virtue Of
their holy alliance. as the great political de-
pesitores of the rights of not only their own
already overg grown population OF Vassal', but
Of the world at large, as the peculiar cussodes
n,orum of European powers; have right,
and will reduce them either to their former
degraa ed state, or otherwise shape those go
yernments to their own will.
Such are he presensions, and such, il is
apprehended, will be the course pursued
by those overbearing despo!s of the most
enlightened section of the earth; and much
it is feared that resistance on the part of the
oppressed will be in vain. See unfortunate
and oppressed, degraded Spain, after cen
turtles OF slavery, alter bowling the neck to
he yoke OF tyrant after tyrant, after psacea-
bly, yielding throughout series Of ages, all
their rights as men, after the full force of
racks and gibbets, Of flames and tortures,
had been exhausted on these miserable sub
jects of tyrannic sway, until at length, hu-
man nature could no longer submit-we
say, see Spain. by sudden effort, demoish-
ing all this hdeous array and systematic ar
rangeme mt of human torture and degrade
ton. Bursting asundel and dashing into
the faces Of her oppressors the menates and
letters, with which she had been so long
bound, and under the weight Of which she
had so long groaned and, in the face OF the
world, assert her rights and take her stand
among the freest Of her neighbors.
Behold, too this mighty change,
wrought as it were by divine aid, call
ing forth simultaneously, with those of
the first movers, feelings and senti-
ments so .early unanimous among the
people, that ensured, not only complete
success, but a glorious and almost in.
Simultaneous contamination without
blOodshed.
This heavenly impulse was not to
stop here. Soon did Naples and herap-
pendants follow the example set by her,
now. greatly liberated neishbor, and
loudly proclaim her rights. in the face
of the surrounding but astonishsd and
dismayed despots; and boldly achieved,
in conformity to the will of the people,
by firm and almost unanimous move
ment, her liberation from that degrad-
ing state of oppression under which
this enlightened people had so long
been cursed. Yes, Naples, once with.
in tie focus of universal dominion, the
seat Of science, and the fine arts, the
cradle of sages, of statesmen, Of heroes
has for ages groaned under the iron
hand of despot,sm, whose dynasties Of
tyrants have been strangers tohcr land,
her manners, her customs, her Ian
guage tyrants and chiettains imposed
without her consent, by foreign land,
and varied, exchanged or superseded,
as caprice, within or resentment should
have ascendency, in the bosom of him
who once capped the climax of every
thing that was infamous in the moral,
of everything that was base and tyran-
mic in the political world. Yet Naples
has effected this mighty change with All
unahimity, on the part of the people, d
an acquiescence on the part Of her king
that speaks something more than hu-
man power in the result. Although
her struggle was furnished with blood,
yet is this, no doubt, ascribable to the
intrigues of foreigners, not to the senti-
ments Of her people. Portugal caHsht
the electric spark, and in her turn, as
by magic, asserted anu effected that
change, which from the most AFFECT po-
litical degradation, raised within a
few weeks millions of slaves and vas
sails into comparative freedom and ma
tional Responsibility. Here too, we
discover that universal sentiment, ST.
lencing at once, internal resistance, and
inspiring all at the same moment. with