The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1823-06-17
FRANCE AND SPAIN


England has determined remain neural IN this
contest She has however communicated to France hes
expectation
T. That France Il not 10 establish military occu-
patton Of Spain force the King 10 amp measures
derogatory 10 his crown his existing relations
with other powers
H. That she expects the dominions Of Portugal will
be respected
iii. That frank explanation these points was
necessary in order that England might maintain
| strict neutrality
Notwithstanding these conditions which England inn
poses on France the price Of her neutrality u must
be still uncertain what England may be COM
PEELED TO pursue. violation OF Portugal would al'
most necessarily involve England as q party IN tbs
war.
VIII the Spanish nation be able 10 hold out, must
1t sink aud be compelled to surrender the Constitution
OF Its own choice, under the overwhelming power Of
France This is question interesting alike to the
friends of pure religion and rational liberty.
That the French army will proceed to Madrid and
occupy that capital. there DO little doubt. Tiers
they will probably organize a temporary Governments
Tor the Spanish Nation round which they will rally
the friends Of ancient and absolute despotsm both civil
and religious. Should the King OF Spain fall into the
possession Of the French he will be placed N The head
OF this Government and his authority inauence
directed against the constitutional authorities.
We are by no means sanguine as 10 the success If
the Spanish patriots. The invasion of country by
hostile army has been generally found unite all class
ses In the support OF their own government But we.
The constitutional government has many and pow
erfu enemies in the bosom Of Spain, who adhere 20
their ancient 3rejudices and consider the constitutional
system as nothing less than disloyalty the throne
and mplety 70 Heaven. The foundations Of liberty
were not land in the United States by habit educas
ton, the diffusion Of the scriptures, and the practice
I OF selfgovemment. Nothing is true than that
habit will attach the affections of nature 10 any
system of government civil religious, and that moth
ing but kno0ledge dispel the influence which il
/ FeCOfpct n al a (tpu lunn
when he occupied Lisbon. TO cleanse the streets OF
that City from mud and filth which had been sccumu.
latlng Tor years, was nearly attended with genera
lnsurecton ofthe popuace Of that City. The monks
raised outcy that the mud the saTed mud OF their
Streets was in danger from unhaowed hands, and all
the people said Like the peope of Lisbon, the
Spanards of the lower order buried in profound g~
norance and abJect superstition looking TO Roman
Catholic Priests for the forgiveness of their sins and
sure passports to Heaven The Clergy, of whom Spain
full. deprived by the revolution of great
portion Of their power and influence and many Of the
lower orders OF the priesthood utterly prescribed The
dlsbandsd priests have been the instruments Of sedou
and dscOrd among the credulous and ignorant p0pu.
lace, over whom they exercise unbounded controul.
The materials therefore Of faction insubOrdinaon and
violence, widely extended; and the effect is a.
ready visible in the numerous guerilla parties bands
of the faith, which, organized under the influence Of
fanatics, have already distracted ths kingdom and ii,
led it with violence We fear that these disesrdant
and hostile bands cannot be united defence Of their
country by the invasion of France; the contrary,
that the French will be viewed by the macontents as
friends sent to deliver them froN the present govern
ment, and the true faith and the absouts
King; and that broken by dIvisieas, Spain may fall
prey 10 one Of the most unprncped aggressions ever
attempted upon independent nation
We still hope that such may be the result: that
the heroic perseverance and bravery which distin-
g1ished them in their resistance to BOnapars will be
found still to animate the nation and that the same
bravery and perseverance will now, as it was formerly
be approved by Heaven and crowned with success.
Chr Spectator.