There are some rumours af...
The Times, 1824-02-02T00:00:00

There are some rumours afloat (andindeod our Paris Cor- respondent has already alluded to the subject) with res- pect to the very importanit question of our relations with the Soutlh American States) upon which we think it neces- sary to make a few remqarks; beeause, whether the ru. mours ultimately prove true or false, tbe subject must be better understood by being brought into the light, and freely discussed. Spain, it is said, still affecting to consider the coloniies as hers dejure, is to declare the open to them trade of all sa- tions; and such (leclaration of a free trade is to be consi. dered as a boon to us, in return for which we are to connive at any attempt of hers to subjugate fhem. WVe confess ve should wislh, if possible, to avoid a war on account of these colonies, and for this obvioas reason- that we at present have every thliing that we could hope to gain from them by war. Let Spain, if she pleases, declare the trade free: that is no favour conferred upon us, or upon any other nation. It is like declaring the day, light ;.or the grass, green. Thi facts are so, with or vithout any decla- ration by Spain; aLid so is the fact equally clear and unde- niable, that the trade to the colonies is open. We trust, therefore, that our Armbassador at the Court of Mladrid will make FERDINAND unlerstand that we hlave not the least wish or deesire that his Majesty should, for our sakes, make any such declaration as that whicl he proposes. And wlhen his Spanish Majesty is made perfectly to understand our indlifference upon this subject, neither he nor bis allies can theti in reason, we slouldt suppose, expect any return or compensation from us for that whiclh is no favour from himii or tlhem. But with respect to our formal recognition of the sove- reignty of those states, we recollect that when it ivas onice proposed to BUONAPARTE that we should acknowledge him as soYereign of France, for wlhicl some returiin might be expected fiom his Corsican Majesty, he treated thle offer with contempt. He itas sovereign of France, and that satisfied him, with or without the recognition of England. In like manner, the States of South America and that of Mexico may be quite satisfiedwith their own independence, if thley have it, and with our j.ractically treating them as inlcpendent, though we do not publish in a state circular, or even pro- claim in a royal speech, that such states are free. But Spain may attempt to recover these her lost pre- vinces; and wlat in that case will be our contduit? America may be almost considered as having declared that sI!e will resist the introduction of European troops into any part Rf the trans-Atlantic continent. The hints of an official person ii England do not appear to go so far, though they may probably lead to the same result. WVe should say, let Spain by herse1f attempt to make war upon tlle newly- established Governments of South America aniii Mexico. We are pledged to resist their subjugation by any third Power directly. But we maintain, that if France, while she retains possession of Old Spain with her own troops, should despatch those of the Peninsula across the Atlantic to make war upoII the States there, such a war would not be that of Spain, but a war of France upon the South Ame- rican Statrs carried on by Spaniish troops. It would be the war of a third Power. It would be the very conduct of BUONAPARTE himself, who, when he had overrun a coun- try, immediately sent away the native troops of that coun- tty to work his iriquities in remote regions, and replacedl them with Frenchmen, in order to keep the inhabitants in order. This was what he did even in Spain itself, of whicb country, it will be recollected, he had no sooner obtained treacherous possession, than lie sent away the only well- organized native arcay under ROM3ANA, to make war upon Sweden and in the north of Europe. As, therefore, that war in the north of Europe, though carried oii for a while by Spaniards, was the var of BuoNAPARTE and the French; so wvould a war now waged by Spanish troops against any part of America, while the Peninsula is occupied by the French troops, be also the war of the BouaBoNs and France, and ought not upon Mir. CANNING'S principle to be suffered by us. It is clear, therefore, that before any attempt can be made, even by Spain professedly, to recover her lost provinces, in which we can acquiesce, or which we can allow, Spain must be-wvhat she is not at presen t- si juris. Tle French forces must be-entirely withdrawn from the Peninsula.