Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1823-12-11
From the Boston Repertory.
THE PEOPLE OF SPAIN.

THE PEOPLE OF SPAIN.
There has been great deal of decla-
nation on the subject OF Spanish liberty
! from the mouths OF people who were very
little acquainted with the condition OF
Spain or with the wishes OF the people OF
that country. We hined some mon hs
go that some Of our editors who wrote the
most and knew the least upon this subj
had entirely mistaken the tone Of popular
feeling in that country, a nd had indul ged
in what we thought misplaced sympathy
in behalf OF the constitution and the Cor
les. Ii needed long ago, but moderate
acquaintance with the history of affairs in
Spain for the last three years, to perceive
that the constitution was nOi suited 10 the
condition and character of that people,
that the great body OF people were not at.
tacbed to il, and that the Cores did not
possess the public confidence These
truths have raised additional confirmation
from almost every event since the open.
ing of tine late campaign, and are at last
! proved we believe 10 The satisfaction oil
almost every one. We find il now dis.
tinctly declared by writer in the Lon.
Morning Chronicle, a paper which has
been sufficiently steady in lis Zeal tor the
constitutional cause, that 1.-The peasants OF
Spain lost immensely by the constitution "
that sit was tire death blow to their lber-
ties" that 'there are no people Oh earlb
20 tree and more comfortable than the
Spanish couutrymen,' though no people
on earth are so ensiaved as the better sort
| of Spanish towDsnen. and that mo de-
msgogue ever had in feVerish times such
drunken popularity as Ferdinand has al
| this moment" These opinions, expressed
80 boldly, in a paper like the Morning
Chronicle, by person who declared that
he knew the Spanish peupleperfectly. and
who dared any constitutional Spsn!ard TO
contradict line OF his statement, ap-
pear TO have attracted good deal
OF attention. They brought Out seve-
raj writer's, friends TO the constitution,
all OF whom ADMITTED substantially that
the peasantry were opposed to the COAST.
tulion, and that under The old regime they
enjoyed a great degree OF Liberty, but
they contended that the condition of those
people was extremely degraded. The
following remarks Of the editor of the
Chronicle in a subsequent paper arc de
serving Of ate ntioD.
IA letter on the state oil Spain, sign.
ed VERAx, which we inserted yesterday
| induced us TO interogate Spanish gen.
tlemaR, well acquainted with the habits OF
the people OF most of the provinces ct thai
country, on the subject of It, He assured
us thai the statements OF Verax were sub
stantially true, and that under the old sys.
tenn Spain exhibited an instance OF the
most complete democracy that ever exist
/ ed He assured US also, that the peasan.
try were in reality very happy and con-
tented, under the old state Of things. AS
our informant is strenuous partisan OF
the Constitutional Government, and OF the
doctrine of utility, but at The same time
hostile TO this system of savage democra.
cy, which prevails among The rustic popu'
la,ion OF Spain. we questioned bin little
closely respecting the grounds OF the OPP
position OF The Cortes TO the habits OF The
country people On one point he salts
ned us namely. the difficulty of reconcH,
ing any thing like dsg'ee OF comfort
with stationary population. He observ-
ed, that in fine climate like SpaiI, the
people liked to labor as little as possible
that the peasantry, in most OF the prov'n
ces, contrived by one or two days labouI
10 the week to maintain themselves; that
on the other days they chose TO wander a.
bout wrapped up in their cloake; that they
hate the burden and restraint at a family
that an irregularily OF intercourse between
the sexes take place in The villages 10 an
extent of which we have 10 conception In
this Country that the number oil houses tot
receiving the fruits OF IllIcit intercourse is
prodigious in Spain; that the children are
rapidly killed off in them, through neglect,
want OF nurses, &c. to make way Tor new
corners, on which subject he said we might
obtain ample information in a report on
those Houses laid before the Cortes. HE
said it was az natural that marriage should
be in disiavor With The Spanish pessantry
many classes o. whom, as the shepherds
muIeteers, nc never lived in fixed home,
and never slept in beds, and all loved to
roam about, as il was that II should be IN
favor in nolheIn country, where the n
gor of the climate forced the people To
| live by the Preside great part OF the year,
and where he care and attentions OF wlte
were indispensable to comfortable exIs'
tence. Fhe Cories he said. did mol con
slider merely the feelings or inelioe'lons OF
one class of the community, but wished TO
render Spain great and glorious and to
make all ciasse. contribute 10 THIS end -
They wished, therefore, 10 pu: stop 10
! the vagsbond inclinarions bI the people
to encourage marriage, that the hsturaI