Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1857-05-09

ING, which appeared in this journal a few days
ago, will have forgotten the remarkable citation
which he made from a. despatch of the Count of
Amanda to his royal master Charles. III, King of
Spain written from London in the year 1888, where
it seems he had that date just signed the treaty
of peace between Great Britain and Spain, after the
termination of our Revolutionary war, and in which
the latter Power had participated as our generous
ally. Finding in recent number of she Boston.
Courier translation of the entire letter from wRch
the extract was made by Mr. CUSHING, we to-day
place it before our readers. The original, it ap-
pears, was only recently published in journal
printed in Mexico, entitled Amenidaoes de Juris-
prudencia, = or " Amenities Of Jurisprudence"
As letter SO interesting in itself may be deemed
to derive an additional value from the character of
the writer, we were induced to make SEINE inquiry
into the personal history and political standing of
the Count Of ARANDA From the information which
we have been able to gather we find that he was
born in Aragon about the year 17l9, and was bred
to the profession of arms, from (which, however, in
consequence of the aptitude he displayed for civil
affairs, he was soon withdrawn by Charles ILL., who
appointed him President of the Council of CASTLE,
in which capacity he served for some time with
signal ability; but having been, as it was Thought
mainly instrumental in procuring the expulsion of
the Jesuits from Spain, he became an object of
jealousy and repToach in the eyes of influential
clesiastics at the Court of Charles who suspected
him. perhaps not unjustly, of sharing in the irre-
gious sentiments Of Voltaire and his school In
consequence of this loss of popularity at home, he
was sent by Charles in the year l775,. as ambassa-
dor to France, and resided near the Court of Yer
saies for term of nine years, towards the close of
which period itwas that he seems to have been sent
on special mission to the Court Of ST. James, for
the purpose of negotiating terms of peace between
England and Spain at the close of our war of hide
pendence
In the year 1872 the Count of ARANDA was call
Spanish Ministry, but for secret reasons of State
was soon after displaced by MANUEL GoDoy, bet
ter known by his title of the Prince of Peace He
survived this removal from public place but few
months having died at his estates in Aragon In the
year 1874. In the judgment of his contemporaries
in all the arts of diplomacy and Statecraft which
he prosecuted however, with but little regard to the
abstract maxims of international Justice and mag
nanimity. Hence it was that the Neapolitan am
bassador who had served with him at the Court of
Versailles was accustomed to say that the Count of
Amanda was " a deep well with narrow mouth y
Unless we mistake the reader will find these traits
confirmed and illustrated by the subjoined despatch
of the willy diplomatist.
We should not, however, omit to inform our
readers that the genuneness of this letter has been
gravey called in question by historical critics both
in Europe and in this country-a fact which I'M
doubtedy must greatly detract from the Importance
attributed to il by Mr. CUSHING, as illustrating the
sagacity of the Count of ARaHDA We loa--,f--ffr
Ss,A naiiaJ advertiser Of Boston that the genuine
ness OF this despatch was made the subject of Ella
borate criticism in article which appeared in the
Reossta Espanola de Ambos Mpndos, Spanish Re
view of the Two Worlds, published at Madrid and
Paris, for May, 1855, and in which the writer IN
dertakes to prove by citations from both the earlier
and later writings of Amanda, that he could not
have been the author of this secret memoir
which should rather be regarded as an ingenious
fabrication, written after the events which it pre-
diets had taken place. but designed in It's tone and
spirit, to be characteristic of the Count. if not has
toracatly true In its putative authorship
Secret Memoir presented to King Charles III 6y
the Condo de Ardaaa
SIRE My love for the august person of your Majesty
the gratitude which owe you for so many fayors with
which you have been pleased honor me- and the love
which bear for my country, oblige communicate
to your Majesty idea to which attribute the greatest
Importance, in the actual circumstances
have just concluded and signed treaty with Eng
land This negotiation-which, according to attering
testimonials, both verbal and in writing which have
received from your Majesty and which have reason to
think has been filled by in conformity with your royal
intentons-has left in my mind painful sentiment
The independence of the English colonies has been &C.
knowedged and that is to motive of sorrow and of
fear France has few possessions in America but she
ought to have considered that SPAIN her intimate ally
has many which remain exposed to terrible con-
vusions
From the beginning France has operated against her
true interests in stimulating and favorng this indepen
dence. Many times have declared to the ministers
of that nation better thing could France desire
than to see the English and then toll, do
stroy another in war of partsans Winch. could
not fail to augment her power and favor her interests
The antipahy which regns between France and England
blinded the French Cabinet 1t forgot that the interests
of France consisted in remaining tranquil spectator of
-. - - IL.