The subjects of most pecu...
The Times, 1824-02-06T00:00:00

The subjects of most peculiar interest in the late debate, or discussion on moving the addiess, wvere certaitly those which had reference to Spain, the occupation of that coun- try by the French, and the condition of the trans-Atlantic, Provinees. lVhen lMr. CA?Nexexo was asked by Mr. floil- ouosE, abont the period at wlich the French Army might probably evacuate the Peninsula, the Right Hon. Gentle- man replied, that " as a friend to humanity, he should not wish for an imnrediate evacuation." We think there may be more of mawvkislh sentimentality than or'sound po- licy in this ar.sver. The suppression of internal discord in a country, is alwvays the pretext of its ambitioas neigh- bours for invading and overrunning that country: and here wve have the same flimsy pretext assigned, for retain- ing indeterminiate possession of a country invaded and overrun. But we shoul(d beg to know, whether the I loing continuanee of the French in Spain must riot necessarily increase the evil which it professes tt cure- whether it must not imbitter the hatred of the contending factions; unless, indeed, the invaders are to remain there till the whole of the Constitutonal party becomes extinct, either through age or misery. First, the invasion was to cure all evils; yet it has so aggravated them, that the French arimy, which, according to M r. CANNI NO'S OpiniOn, 2night lhave kept avway, and ou.ght to have kept away, in F the first instance, cannot now safely be withdlrawni. Will not, in the sasne mlanner, the eff%ct of every year's stav b- but to render the necessity of staying still longer tnore absolute r How a brief invasion should produce mischief, and a protracted one fail of producing yet more mischief, we cannot conceive, nor canl any mian explain, except upon the principle above suggested--that the invasion shall be ithler long enough, or severe enough, to see the end of one of the parties. In fact, the pretext that the contending factihms will brealk out into mutu.rl injurics, and destroy each other, if the foreign troops be withdrawn, can never be wanting, at vhatever fiuture period it umay be requirel that those foreigners should retire. It appears clear, therefore, that as vre cannot measure the continuance of the invading army in the Peninsula by ,ime, we shoutl. at least apply some rule for the regulation of their conduct whilst there. It m.ust surely be expected, therefore, that he the abode of the F,ench long, or be it short, in the Peninsula, they shall not invade the Spanish trans-Atlanitic states from thence, either by their own tranps, or by those of Spain, niow at their disposal. An1 at- tack upon the fyee stat.s of America by Spain, nominally, whilst the French have possession of Spain, is an attack by France, wlhichli we trust will eitLer be prevented by our re- rooistrances, or defeated by our arms. It is sai(l to be in contemplationm to send out a large Ecclesiastical Establishment to the WV'est In(lies, wvitlh two Bishops at its head, wlhose sees vill be iamedl from the irlandls of Barbadoes and Jamaica. 'Phe plan, it is added, wvill be submitted to Parliament in the course of the en- suing Ntcek, anLi it, of which there can be no dtoubt, it should meet with the coneurrence of the Legislature, steps will hc imnmediately taken to carry it into effect. IVle are unable ourselves to say any tlhing as to the matter of i fact above stated. WVe sutppose that the conrduct of tfle Nfissionaries may have excited the jealousy of the Govern- ment at home, as wvell as the fears antd resentment of the planters; but the remedy is a costly one ; and whio are to pay tIre doctors? The British colonists are not to consti- tute the pastoral cure of this ecclesiastical apparatus: and hi,hops and rectors, to instruiet poor N'egroes in the know- ledlge an,l duties of religion, and to tesch them to be con- tent with their condition of slaves, seemfs to us art inappro- priate arraPllellre1t.