Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-04-05
No. %.
No. 10. Mr.. Eusrstt to the Secretary Of State.

Dir: nave the nOnOr 10 uCICWt'"5
translation Of decree which has Just been
published, for establishing Council Of State.
A Council has already existed, believe, ever
since the Kings return, bearing the same
name, composed Of nearly the same persons,
charged with, substantially, the same duties as
this, but the King has not been in the habit OF
calling them together The only thing, there
fore, really new in the decree, is, the part when
declares that the Council shall meet every day,
and remain in session three hours. how lar
this regulation is likely 10 be observed, Is, 81
course, a matter of mere conjecture 1t Is
| rather singular that no ausion is made TO an
existing Council, and that the decree parports
to be for the establishment OF an entirely ne"
! one The measure is considered here as pref
" important, but do not see that IL is likely to
introduce any very great changes either IN the
principles or proceedings of the Government
The latent object of the institution is, probably
to get rid Of the Ministerial Council Establish
ed BY Mr. Zea; no allusion is, however, made
to the latter, in the decree which thus super
cedes two Of these high State Corporations,
| without naming either. Some of the most con-
siderable members Of Mr.. Zea's Council are
transferred to the new one, including the Pres
ident, Gen. Castanos, person much respect
ed by all parties, and Of known liberal sentl-
ments He told me, yesterday, that this was
the fifth Council to which he had been called,
as they were successfully instituted. He does
not appear to anticipate any very important
consequences from the innovation.
There are some things, however, in the de-
cree, and in the composition Of the Council,
which may be constructed into indications that
the measure has been taken with view to
more careful consideration Of the great ques-
ton of America. Among the members named
who, exclusively Of the Ministers, amount to
only fourteen or fifteen, are the Archbishop Of
Mexico, the Viceroys of Mexico, Venegas, and
Apodaca, under new names, the Duke de San
Carlos, an American, and Father Cyril, who
has been in America. The last is considered
the ablest man in the Council 1t is worthy of
remark, that none of these, except San Carlos,
were of the ole Council Of State. General
Caslanos is friendly to the recognition Of the
Independence of America. Provision seems
to have been made in this way for bringing in
to the meeting great deal Of positive informa-
ton upon American affairs. The decree also
mentions that this question is one to which
the attention 6f the Council is to be particular
" Called and speaks Of it in terms which will
bear favorable Interpretation, although they
do not necessarily require it. Among other
things deserving consideration, are enumerated
"the weighty affairs Of the colonies in America,
which are endeavoring to separate from the
mother country, by a necessary effect OF the
dangers to which the Crown has been exposed
To acknowledge the necessity of the separation
on any account, seems to be large step to-
wards the acknowledgment of the new States,
and 10 call the effort TO separate a necessary
effec, Of the late political crisis is, perhaps to
give the best possible justification Of it. The
passage may, however, be interrupted in a diff |
fsrent sense; and there is, at present, no other
evidence of any recent change on this subject
in the disposition Of the Government. The
French newspapers abound, as usual, with &C
counts of constant efforts made here by the for
eign Powers, especially the British Minister,
in favor Of the Colonies; but these accounts are
also, as usual, without the slightest foundation.
Mr.. Lamb and myself converse, habitually, on
this subject, with perfect freedom, and l am
certain that he has said and done almost moth
ing for the Americans since have been here:
the Others never interfere with this subject, ex-
cepting. perhaps, the French Ambassador, who
has recently arrived, and with whose proceed
ings am not so well acquainted.
I lately read 10 the Duke del Infantado, part
of letter had received from New York, which
smoke with great confidence of the probability |
OF an early and successful attack upon the ISL
and of Cuba, by the Mexicans and Colombo
ans. The intelligence evidently made an i'm
preston upon him. He asked me, among
other things, as he has done before, what Sc
curity there would be for the possession OF
Cuba, in the event Of recognizing the Colonies
l re piled, by stating the general reasons why |
they should not wish to separate 1t has since
occurred to me that the Duke, by his repeated |
questions to this effect, intended to intimate
desire that a guarantee for the fidelity Of Cuba,
should be offered by the United States, or by
the Spanish American Powers. This was
directly by MIR. Zea to Mr.. Nelson
and to me, as consideration for admitting our
Consul at the Havana.
Since | wrote to you last, have been princi-
pally engaged in preparing my note upon the
affairs OF the colonies. 1t is now, nearly ready,
and shall, probably, send you copy with my
next dispatches. The other affairs remain in
the same state The intelligence of the death
of the Emperor of Russia arrived here about
ten DAYS ago, and was soon followed by that Of
the ouie, succession of his brother Constantine.
1t does not appear that the change. will pro-
duce any immediate effect upon the state OF po-
litical affairs The money market is exceed
in.ly depressed in France and England, and the
distress among the merchants is greater than |