The Lisbon Gazette of the...
The Times, 1824-12-30T00:00:00

The Lisban Gasette of the 18th instant, quotes from Spanish papen the reports of Government pprosecutions at Corunna, for the ofrence " of throwing several Royalists |"into th.e sea." That there may be at Corunna, as well as I elsewhere, very gravo and regular trials, very learned Judges, willing witnesses, formal sentences, satisfactory executions, and no item in the whole array of retributive justice wanting, save only the criminal and the crime, we are better read in Spanish history than to question. Since, hGwever, the practice of pitehing live men into the sea, and that under the watch of a military garrison, could scarcely have occurred without something like an order or authority from the officers commanding, it, might have been advisa- ble, one would think, to begin by ascertaining whether such orders were ever issued in the garrison of Corunna, and by whom. General V1Go and General QUIROGA, both of whom commandedit, and are now in this country, deny, in the most solemn manner, their knowledge of any such enormity having ever taken place at all. We believe the Generals, though -we know many tbink their denials noa suffleieietly precise; yet do we likewise believe, that the prosecutors, judges, and exe. cutioners, each and every of those concerned in this work of vengeance, may obtain from the devout and loyal priest- hoodl a ready absolution for their treatment of the unhappy pnrsoners, towards whom alone no ray of mercy from King or priest can be expected. The Madrid Gazette produces a list of tables, the intent of which is to exhibit a manifest decline itl the agriculture, manufactures, and general prosperity of Mexico, since the origin, and in consequence, of its revolution. In the first place, we have to observe, that from the gross and mon- strous falsehoods of every kind fabricated by the Spanish Goveramemt in re]azion to America, nothing published on such authority deserves a moments credit. Secendly, ad- mitting the truith of the statement, that the agricultural produce had fallen off'so many piasters, what does it prove but that the country in 1821 (the period referred to) was the seat of civil war ? If in 1821 the domestic manufac- tures of Mexico were reduced one third, it may argue no- thingmore than thatfoep'manufactures,much cheaper and better, wereadmitted. the iines, it is acknowledged, fell away to almost nothing,because liberty was struggling with brute force for existence, and capital, with other property, was unsafe. But what is the condition of all those great interests at the present moment? To 1821 and ITURRIaE, 182.5 is 0ow succeeding. Whore are new the coIIvuI- sions of civil war ?-vwhere a doubtful struggle ?-where any alarm for property in land, minerals, or manu- facturcs ? Even foreigners are throwing in millions of capital, to work the mines, to improve the soil, to multiply the comninications of that inexhatustible country, and to extend her commerce. Liberty-liberty-and law, the twin sister of liberty, are for the first time known to the many-coloured races of New Spain: a wholesome Govern- ment begins to indemnify the slaves of a grinding and hateful tyrant for the ceDturies of wrong which they have suffered; and they need be little disturbed irn their enjoy- ments by the fictions or the contuinelies of the helpless Madrid Gzedte.