Spain And Her Late Coloni...
The Times, 1824-01-10T00:00:00

I iz-- 0, . M,,44.4 I After having in oar preceding articlc recapitulated such facts as we deemed necessary to establish a comparison between the Royal- ist army and that of the Insurgents of Peru, we demdrstrated that frorn those facts Burope might judge of the opinion of the inhabi- tants, which is not so opposed to the parent state as some foreign journalists affect to insinuate. And, in fact, is it credible that an army, reduced in numbers, ex- posed to privations, and deprived of succours of men and money, could have been effectively re-organized in a few nmonths and be- come six times rnore numerous ? Could this army have almost en- tirely defeated the enemy's forces, and pacified the numerous colo- lones of that vast empire, if its efiorts had not been seconded by the inhabitants ? But as the opinion in America is the favourite talis- man of the Courier, with which he pretends to charm the eyes of the rest of the universe, it is right to scrutinize this charm. All those who have any statistical knowledge of Peru, know that 6-8ths of its inhabitants are Indians, 1-8th slaves, or emancipatpd slaves, and thie remaining eighth Spaniards, divided into Euro-. peans and Creoles. 'hile Indians, being generally employed in hus- bandrv labour, the mines, and the mechanical arts, are ignorant of even the namc'of politics; and those of duties, rights, citizens, con- gresses, popular elections, constitution, and independence,nre equally unknown them. Neither do they understand the names of the Caciques, Intendans,t' and Vicerovs, whom they blindly obey. There are no subjects in the world wtio hear pronounced, and pro- nounce themselves, with more respect, the name of their legitimate Sovereign, whom they caLl their King, at the same time uncovering the hcad, bowing the body, atnd making other extraordinary demon- strations of respect. I am a Royalist (fr. soy realistn), say they incessantly, consider- ing the name of insurgent as an odious epithet. God ! te lKing-! this is their device- t device so consonant with their sentiments, that when some ill-designing individuals sought to brandish the torcb of liscord amnongit them, they sedaued them in the name of the King, by persuading them that it was to preserve the domination of tbat countty to the Sing oi Spain, front wiom the Spaniards design- ed to wrest it. This was what happened in 1814, when Angula, Vejar, anvd M1endoza (oti escaping from theprisons ofCusco,in which they were confined fbr crimes which they were. on the point of ex- plating) excited them to insurrection, aided by the soldiers who had bcenr ct arg tO guard them. It was ithis aietbo;Fbat sone obscure individuals- of -St.--Martin within the last few yeam made-use of. The slaves and the enan. cipated have never takenany patt in theinsurrectionary movements in those territories; and when the pretended liberators forced them, in 1820. to take up azuts in favour of independence thdey gave une- quivocl proof, oft'thleieaversion from defending this cause. The ill-disposed have sinceturned robbers * and those of good disposition returnedto their old niasters, preferring slavery to thefantastical and so much vaunted felThityF of their country. *Not a word'need be said respecting the European Spaniards; the banishbnentst the assassinations, and the pilla of which they have been the victnmsi pid which they preferrea rather than take the oath of independence, are,and'wil always be, irrefragable evidence of their inviolable attachment to the parent State; and it is indubitable that they cannot ofter incense to a divinity whose-altars sre stainied with Waropean blood, ,nd whose miniSters, under the vel of ciyic virtues, of vwhiqh they'make a parade-in their writings, are consaun. alate monsters in all Species of crime. The Aimerican Spaniards,_ no one can doubt, incline for the most part in favottrof independence; nevertheless, themostrational amongst them suppress this sentiment, being persuaded that Peru wants the promotion of 'ariculttre, industry, and comnmerce-ele. ments without wvhich n'o indepenidence can exist. It is in vain say they, that we are directed for-example to theindependence of the Anglo-American Repuiblic: that coantry previously possessed the eell ot the democracy which existg in her Constitut6on; the greater portion,ot her first colonists, born amidst the religioas and political revoluitions-of Elrzope, emtigrated to that country, and transmitted a re3ublicanspirit to their children. Buttin Peru we only see the in- de,ibiestamhpo a temperate Aonarch?y and Indians who are idola. trously-att6che to the King of Spain. If, say all reflectung Creols, we-sever the ties_which attach us to the Parent -State, ano. therE uropean Power will usurp domniion over us, and then we shall piefei the loiiation of Snain, because her religioti, languagec and manners areconinon with ur'owni and because, oncomsparing our condition with tnat of the' native 6reoles of Jamaica, Canada, and.thecoastsofDlIleAbar, and Coromand*:,we but appreciate mole highly.the wise laws wshich govern us, and we even prceer them to the colonial laws of all the European nations. - Who, then, are theinsurgents of Perui the Couri-r will inquire? 1The insuirgenta'of Fent wc will answet hinG,.are- t band of needy adventure;s, kiown ata$ima under the-name of Boldatnizos, a con- federacy of lawyers vsho, lhaving. been e.pelle&l ' tbe profession, for their persobitd qualities, view. themselve$, ini imagination, already seated,'jn a.ne*upper chamilier;-several VaunorJag-nd turates, who, avnrorthy of the sacerdotal irivestiture, and some-of whom thinking themaelvcsAsltbrbses' and ntbers-Augustins, lo;e revolution, per. suaded that it sill stidui the episcopal mitre. 'The insurgents of Peru: are Cochrane, Aliller, F?oster,Itanet,. and other foreign Don Quixoc'tes, who, as they can neither endure in tlitir own countiy the cotiteilipt whieh their conduct has mnetited,'nofrentertain the hope of being rcstored to thc - regard 'of -their' Govenlnment'and countrymen, nor of satiating their inordinatie lovc ofecommand and riches, have proceeded tothe New World,wheretheypradticetheirrevolutionary tactics. The laaurgelatt of rerae rcsaeveralrAm=efins unwortby .1 hvm1runde twe niat and Dlat=nl awa of the King of Spain. It is not our intention to confound with those we have here enu., mnerated, many good Jerzsvians who, in the provinces invaded'by the Insurgents, unceasirgl iiiiMileri Aldnkhty to'festore-to them- the paternal govenimeht of Feidinand VII., nor those, not less nu- rnerous, who, sacrificing an opulent existenceand patrimonial wealth t6 the happiness of their'cbuntry, have-come to this,rapital. and here- incessantly manifest the desire that tfie-p3reut state would send to thieir trans-Atlantic brethren, prompt and opportune succotir, that they may-prevail against the yoke whicli,oppressestliem. We have already shown the elements of which the mnss. of the Insurgents of Penr is composed, and how, by their heterogencous nature, they can- not harmonize, either in their opinions, their -interests,or their s-nti- ments , they now orfly lisplay to the universe a continual conflict of passsions, and hideous spectaclesof-bloody scenes, the acts of the most hoprid Aespotism, of an nligarchy and most revolting anarchy. Ve. knowv that in the years 1814 and 1821, the flame of independence and rebellion was kindlerS throughout Peru bitt that, far from weaenking our asser,ions, only serengtbenis themn. Revolution rcsembles an enormnousrock, which, detached from a high and steep moutntain, forces along with it every thing it on. counters in its passage; and it is for this reason that a distinction must be made between thosewho gave the impulsion and those who suffired themselves to beled away by it. The former are-the insur- gents and not the lndia,is, who have not been the promoters, but the unhappy rictirs, of political convulsions. This is the reason why these convaltions have only been ephemezal. A multitude of examples existin support of this truth; we could relate them l, but a single one will sumce for our purpose. On the 2d of January2 1t22, a lorde of insurgeuts proceeded to Potosi, to induce the garrison to rdvolt, without the people having taken any part in this insurrectionary movement, the results of which were nmassacres, piUage, assassinations, and the most tyrannicalper- seeutions. Potosi, anks to the courage and intrepidity of our Chiefs, Chuquisack, Oruro, and Tupisa, was retaken on the 12th, and occupied by the Royalist troops, aided by the Indians of that town and neighbourhood, who, on taking up arms to assist them, nominated for their Chief a Lieutenant who had escaped from the garrison on the 2d, and who had gone ainongst them to solicit anl asylum, and to offfer them Iis arm and sword.. If, however, the Courier demands further proofs, we would beg himn to repair to Peru. He will then he a witness of the enthusiasm with which, the regimenes of Chicas and San Carlos contend against the Insurgents, and he will know that in these corps there is no: a single European. Thence let him pursue his tour to Las Bruscas, a place wel known for its insalubrious and pestilential atmosphere. and he will behold there a number of unfortunate Americans, who were made prisoners in Upper Peru, and are condemned to the most severe toil, and who suffer a0l the horrors of slavery similar to that to which Christian captives are doomed in the baguios of Tunis and Algiers0 rather than acknowledge the system of independence. After having examined the truth of these facts it will nut be difficult to recognize in lihose favour the opinion of ieru is prenounced. SPAI-V ANA FfRR ).4TP Ornfl.(VIZ MtAnRT)n 1-f- 9Xi '