The Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1834-184?, 1844-08-29

HI Tue year 1910 WI. Azdg was q MEMBER Il
Of the House of Representatives, and when
the Bill providing for the civil and diplomat
ic expenditures of that year came up for con-
sideration, Mr.. Clay moved to insert an item
of$lS,000 for the salary and outfit of a mini
lister TO Brazil, under the following circum-
stances. The several provinces of South
America had long been under the dominion
of Spain 10y the right of conquest. In the
footsteps of t~heiconqueror were scattered the
seeds of christianity-but nothing more
"Spain had erected upon the ruins of the
thrones Of MonteZuma and the Incas of Pc
ru the most .stupendous system of colonial
despotisrn that the world ever saw The
grand object of her system was to render the
South American provinces, constituting one
Of the largest portions of the world, exclu-
sively subservient 10 her in all things. To
effect this aim of her policy, says Mr.. Clay,
s'she locked up Spanish America from allthe
rest of the world, and prohibited, under the
s~everest penalties, any foreigner from enter
ing any part of it. To keep the natives them
selves ignorant of each other, and of the
strength and resources of the several parts
of her American possessions, she next pro-
hi5ited the inhabitants of one yice-royalty or
government from visiting those Of another;
so that the inhabitants ofMexico for exam
pie, were not allowed to enter the vice-roy
atty of New Grenada. The agriculture of
the South American provinces was so regu-
lated and restricted as to prevent all collision
with the agriculture ofthe peninsula. Where
nature by the character and composition of
the soil, had commanded the abominable sys-
tenn of Spain forbade, the growth of certain
articles.
Thus the olive and the vine, to which
Spanish America was so well adopted, were
prohibited wherever their culture could in
%terfere with the olive and the vine of the
peninsula. The of the country,
in the direction and objects of the exports
and imports, was also subjected to the mar
row and selfish views of Span, and fettered
by the odious spirit of monopoly existing in
! Cadiz.-She sought, by scattering discord
among the several castles of her American
: population, and by adebasing course of edu-
cation, 10 perpetuate her oppression. What
ever concerned public law, or the science Of
! government, or Unattended to give vigor and
: freedom and expansion to the intellect, were
= prohibited"
1t may well be supposed that a govern
ment whose policy was so despotic and sci
; fish as that of Spain towards her South A
merican provinces, should become odious Il
the governed. And therefore our brethren
: ave our catholic brethren of South America
at length rose up, and in the majesty and
strength of a people determined to be free
they shook off the yoke of ~subjugation II
Spain. They availed themselves ofthe OPP
portunity secured TO them by the long ant
: desperate wars which were carried on By
- Napoleon against the nations of Europe, il
= which Spain was involved, and had to strug
- ole for existence at h~ome--they availe'
themselves of this opportunity 10 declar
'u their independence, and having gallant
maintained it by vanquishiDg the armies sen
against them by Spain after the fall of Ma
- poleon, the friends of liberty in this hemi:
"a "a phere, with Mr.. Clay at their head, believe
y that the time had now come when the eldes
" and most powerful of the American reput
y lies might fifty and justly take the lead i
'i acknowledging that independence. Thes
r were the circumstances, fellow-citiZens, III
= der which Mr.. Clay submitted his motion fc
~ the salary and outfit Of a Minister to Brazi
as the oldest and most stable of the indepel
dent governments of South America. Th
principal ground taken in opposition TO th
o motion was that the people of South Amerit
IL were too ignorant and superstitious to be
~ for the enjoyment ofrepublican governmer
"a and that they were consequently not wortl
~ of the sympathies of our people. And III
~ imputed ignorance and superstition W
L - mainly attributed by the opponents of N
" Clay, to the influence Of the Catholic r
ligion. / wish we had the time, fellow-c
ng- liens, TO read the whole of the spec,
&C which was delivered by Mr.. Clay IN ii
the occasion in support of his motion, and
var reply to the arguments Of his opponen
rye but we have aoi, and | therefore content n
nat self with reading TO you the following {
lCe tract:
der sBut it is sometimes said that they It
ex- people of South America) are too ignora
nan and loo superstitious to admit of the ex
mig tence of free government. This charge
less ignorance is often urged by persons the
= selves actually ignorant of the real condiii
vile of that people. | deny the alleged fact
Inc ignorance; | deny the inference from ii
Use. fact. if it were true, that they want capac
for free government, and | refuse assent
tselt the further conclusion, if the fact were tt
his and the inference just, that we are to be
this different TO their fate. All the writer's of
be, most established authority, Dupons, Humb'
vel. and others, concur in assigning TO the p
pie of Spanish America, great quickne
with genius, and particular aptitude ior the acc
he sition of the exact seiences,an d others VIII
envy they have been allowed TO cultivate. In
pen tronomy. geology, mineralogy. chemistry, b