London, Tuesday, Septembe...
The Times, 1824-09-14T00:00:00

TWo conventlions between twc. Bourbon Princes-one reignintg in France, the other trying to do as much in Spain-have been publislhed by the Frenchl official journal. Of these two cousins, King Louts stipulates that 45,000 of hiissuibjectsshallremainatthedisp)usalof KingFERDINAND, for the dlistinct purpose of cutting the throats or as many Spaniards as shall dare to express tliemselves discontented with the condition to which the tyrannical measures of FEzR- DIS'AND have redluced themselves and their country. On the moral spirit which (lictatedl such an agreement, we shall not now remark. Kings usedl to reign, or profess to reign, for thc benefi t of their subjeets: the doctrine of this mlore enlightenedl era is, that nations miist cndure the worst ex- tremity of evil for the persolal adlvantagc of their Kings. But the terms of the treaties, and the consequiences to wlichl they lead, are more businiess-like topics for exami- nation. The first convention presents us with the subject matter of both, stating the motives which have in- dtuced FERDINAND to require, and Louis to grant, a French army of the above magnitude to he em- ployed in the Spanislh service, naming also the consitlera- tion which FERDINAND iS tO pay for their assistance, viz. 2,000,000 francs per mnonth, to commence from the 1st of December, 1823, anti limiting their continuance in Spain to the 1st of July, 1$2t; until whichl period they are to occupy all the most important garrisons of the kingdom. The second convention (dated June .30) includes among the number of fortresses occupied, those of Saragossa and (Cor(lova, and extends the tirne of occupation to January 1, 1825. " To-morrow, and to- morrowv, andl to-morrow !" When is the slay to arrive, we wonder, on which the same motives whlicl now actuate these two BouRBONS must not, by every rule of consist- ency, produce thie same results ? ViVhen (to quote the language of the treaty) will the "tranquillity and well-being of Spain" be more advanced under the present misgu- vernment than they were on the 30th of last June? Wheti will, or when can, the army of FIERDINAND be re- composed, on a basis of order andl (liscipline; or the Government of FERDINAND so consolidated, that 1kd may k-eep downi the seditious and factiots, who are endeavouring to disturb him ? WVe ask again, when are there conseqluences to arise-or what matoria!s exist in Spaini towards realizing suchl a moral revolution ? If a French21 army, in full possession of Spain, has not Cen- abled her to advance one step towards tranquillity during almost two years, but has put in action sundlry priiciples of disorder before untlhouglht of, is it reasonable to sup- pose, that in less thani four montls, from the tinme at which we writi until the 1st of next January, a changes,so absolnte can be effi ctl? Europe, then, has to reckon on another treaty for continuing the dominion of the Government of France over the Peninsula. Andl, once more, are there not, in the occupation itself, the seeds of its own perpetuity ? From all that has yet transpired of the state of Spain, most other national passiois are merging ih that of uneasiness under tile yoke of foreigners: Spaniards of all parties begin to forget their dolnestic feu(ds in a general abhiorrence of the French. lere, then, the very disease itself is appliedi as a remedly for its own violence. 'rhe French army remains until tran(uillity shall be re- stored ; andl still this mode of " purgation (loes but increase the choler" which it seeks to terminate ! By a specific and most grave provision of tile treaty, FERiDINAND is to pay (FaRDrNA ND to pay !) two millions francs per month, or about one million sterling per antmim, for the extra expenses of the Freiclh army. He rnight as well pay off the national debt of England. Then see how this pecuniary obligation is to operate. Is there any pro- ductive revenue in Spain ? None whatever. Can emlj Government go on without any incoine ? Decidedly none. Then the finance of Spaini becomes another principle daily accumnulating disorder. The clairmants for arrears of pay, military and civil, are mnore desperate and less subordinate every hour. Royalists, if they be thorough-going Royalists, may rob, and persecute, and hang theirfellow.sub- jects, out of pure affection for the altar and the throne. But even Rloyalists will not starve witlhout a murniur. Hence, as the arrears increase, the noise increase-s--the confusion grows on all sides; and hence, the French Government_ nrtt,. we venture to say, the least importunate of creditors- adds, by the second provision of its own treaty, to the mass. of troubles which that treaty professes to cure. L-t, in- deed, the poor Spattiards fare how they may, France will be paid, or strive hard for paymetit in one shape or another. M. de VILLELE rebuked some De- puties for but imagining that the French Govern- ment would have advanced a sotts, without some security for repayment. Howv, then, is France to be repaid ? Money there is not a maraveti in the treasury of ?Nadrid, F-rance;| it is true, may go into the market, offer her guafantee for a loan to FERDINA ND, and thus pay herself out of her own pocket: but this would be tao Rioiistrous a trick tpon the I nation. None but Englishmon are magnanimours enough to borrow millions wherewviih to (lischarge their owvn de- mands upon their own debtors. In what- other mode, therefore, can France be indemnified ? Shle ma take a mortgage upoti America, but England and tthe Unittr Staves would be apt to contest the foreclosure of suca`a_ mortgage. France may then demand the Ebro 'forther frontier; and there, again, un.fortunately, England might embody her own force with that of the Spanish nation, to avert such 'a doAt}i7bldw to tfie monarchy. Since, thereforej FER6DIWANI Danitot indemnify 'his cousin by money, and since England, lturope, or Atnri,ic wolsl, be inclined to frustrate a repayment iil theforrni'of otwer1 vwhatis left behind? Why tlls: Hwerd. jaid re- verential towards the pries,hood oAr.ALE8 X.,'thev eemtSg French Sovereign, may profess to be) he, like ote.; must first take, oAre of himself he muIst res&ntto :thP tly l Spanisb fund available f?t any useflua instead of postponing, tE'e sate of the- Chafth:prOp save the nation froi ruin. . Thijs ay thea . rY ie-r tru teAtPO.twpM po-w $e,ornqvexi Vto the ends of.8lue, tice, ain.d t }}ga,% fin,n, r.O'NDON, TUJESDAY, SEPTRAIDER 14, 1824.