religieux des Espagnols, d'autre sauvegarde que le bon plaisir des ministres, ou les anciennes formalités de justice, appellées Voies Juridiques; ces dernières ont pu quelquefois s'opposer à l'oppresion de l'innocence, sans empêcher cependant que le proverbe ne soit toujours vérifié: Là vont les lois, où veulent les rois. p. 23, 24.

When he at last comes to call upon his countrymen, from a united view of the nature of things, and of their own particular circumstances, to adopt the resolution of becoming their own masters, he cites, for their example, the celebrated revolt of the provinces of Holland, which all the world admires, against the tyranny and oppression of Spain; that of Portugal against the same country; the recent acquisition of independence by their neighbours in North America,—an event which had made upon them, as might be expected, the deepest impression; and concludes, in a strain of sublime piety, and genuine philanthropy, which cannot be too much admired-including every nation upon earth, and even the Spaniards themselves, in his generous view of the blessings to be derived from the prosperity and freedom of that vast portion of the world.

The brilliant prospects which seem to be opened up for our species in the New World, and the cloud which still thickens over the fortunes of the Old, present, at the present hour, a subject of contemplation to the thinking part of the British people; than which, excepting the great question of slavery or freedom, we know not if one more interesting can be imagined. We scize, with avidity, the present opportunity of communicating to them such information on this grand topic as we have been able to collect; and doubt not that our readers will partake with us in the deep interest with which it has inspired us.

After a tremendous struggle, to which the world has seen, perhaps, no parallel, the power of the despot of France now extends uncontrouled over almost every part of the continent of Europe. The hopes of the instability of that power, which so long continued to flatter the multitude, who draw their conclusions, not from reason, but feeling, have given way to the fears which a series of tremendous success has irresistibly engendered; and we are now placed in the hazardous and most critical situation, of neighbour to a power which combines against us all the resources of Europe, and cuts off from us that important branch of our own, which we drew from her commercial intercourse. To the period, too, which may elapse before the affairs of Europe assume a condition more favourable to human nature, or even to our security, foresight can assign no definite boundary,--even hope can hardly anticipate a very speedy termination. In this new and portentous condition of Europe, we are called upon to

look

look more widely around us, and to inquire, whether, in the rest of the world, barriers can be found to resist the torrent whose pressure we must continue to dread, and resources to supply those, the channel of which is closed against us.

In taking this important survey, every eye, we believe, will ul timately rest on South America. A country far surpassing the whole of Europe in extent, and still more, perhaps, in natural fertility, which has been hitherto unfortunately excluded from the beneficent intercourse of nations, is, after a few prudent steps on our part, ready to open to us the immense resources of her territory, of a population at present great, and likely to increase with most extraordinary celerity, and of a position unparalleled on the face of the globe for the astonishing combination of commercial advantages which it appears to unite. From the ma rurity for some beneficent change, which circumstances and events have for a series of years been working in those magnificent regions, and from the mighty effects they are capable of yielding for the consolation of afflicted humanity, it seems as if that Provi dence, which is continually bringing good out of evil, were about to open a career of happiness in the new world, at the very moment when, by the mysterious laws of its administration, it ap pears to have decreed a period of injustice and calamity in the

old.

For the mighty benefits to be expected from a just and wise arrangement of the affairs of Spanish America, we are not left to the results of speculation, clear and unambiguous as they are; we can appeal to experience and to fact. We have the grand experiment of North America before us, which the inhabitants of the South are so ambitious to imitate. The states of North Ame rica were our own colonies, and they had been always beneficently administered; yet has their independence been far more profitable to us than their subjection. What is the result with regard to commerce alone?-the very extraordinary fact, that for several past years we have exported more goods of British growth and manufacture to the United States of America, than to the whole of Europe taken together. If such are the benefits resulting from the prosperity of the United States, how many times, greater will be those which must necessarily flow from the prosperity of South America? How many times more extensive is the country which the Spanish Americans possess. That country, from enjoying a much greater diversity of climate compared with Europe, than North America, is much more richly provid ed with those commodities for which Europe presents the most eager demand. Of the soil of South America, a great part is much more favourable to cultivation, much more fruitful, and ·

cleared

cleared by nations who had made some progress in civilization. Of all the countries in the world, South America possesses the most important advantages in respect to internal navigation, being intersected in all directions by mighty rivers, which will bear, at little cost, the produce of her extensive provinces to the ocean. If the population of the United States, amounting perhaps to 6,000,000 souls, afford so extraordinary a demand for British commodities, what may not the population of South America, extending already to no less than 16,000,000, be expected to af ford? It is no doubt true, that the moral and intellectual habits of the people of South America are not so favourable to improvement as were those of North America. Their industry has been cramped, their minds have been held in ignorance by a bad government; hence are they indolent and superstitious. But remove the cause, and the effects will cease to follow. So sweet are the fruits of labour, wherever the labourer enjoys them unimpaired, that the motives to it are irresistible,—and his activity may be counted upon with the certainty of a law of nature. The deduction, therefore, is so very small which, on this score, it will be requisite to make, that a very subordinate proportion of the superior advantages in soil and climate, which the South American enjoys, will suffice to compensate the better habits with which the inhabitant of the United States commenced his career, In respect to wants, the two countries eminently resemble one another. From the immense extent of uncultivated soil, which it will require many ages to occupy, the whole bent of the popula tion will be turned to agriculture; and it will be their interest, and their desire, to draw almost the whole of the manufactured goods, which their riches will enable them to consume, from other countries. The country to which the greater part of this prodigious demand will come, is unquestionably Great Britain. So far before all other countries, in respect to manufacturing advantages, does she stand, that were the circumstances of Europe much more likely to encourage industry than unhappily they are, we could meet with no rival; and as we supply North America, so could we South, on terms which would infallibly draw to us the greater part of her custom. With this magnificent source of industry and wealth, the channels which Bonaparte can shut against us hardly deserve to be named,-since that even of the United States surpasses them all. With South America, then, under a free and beneficent government,-though we might weep for the calamities heaped upon our brethren of Europe by an insatiable despot, who, with the words liberty and good of mankind on his lips, would rivet his chains on the whole human race, and expend their blood and sweat for his own momentary pleasure or caprice,--we might VOL. XIII, No. 26. laugh

T

laugh the destroyer to scorn, and enjoy a prosperity which the utmost efforts of his power and his rage could never disturb.

In enumerating, however, the advantages of a commercial nature, which would assuredly spring from the emancipation of South America, we have not yet noticed the greatest, perhaps, of all, the mightiest event, probably, in favour of the peaceful intercourse of nations, which the physical circumstances of the globe present to the enterprize of man :-we mean, the forma tion of a navigable passage across the isthmus of Panama,-the junction of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It is remarkable, that this magnificent undertaking, pregnant with consequences so important to mankind, and about which so little is known in this country, is so far from being a romantic and chimerical project, that it is not only practicable, but easy. The river Chagré, which falls into the Atlantic at the town of the same name, about eighteen leagues to the westward of Porto Bello, is navigable as far as Cruzes, within five leagues of Panama. But though the formation of a canal from this place to Panama, facilitated by the valley through which the present road passes, appears to present no very formidable obstacles, there is still a better expedient. At the distance of about five leagues from the mouth of the Chagré, it receives the river Trinidad, which is navigable to Embarcadero; and from that place to Panama is a distance of about thirty miles, through a level country, with a fine river to supply water for the canal, and no difficulty whatever to counteract the noble undertaking. The ground has been surveyed; and not the practicabi lity only, but the facility of the work, completely ascertained. In the next place, the important requisite of safe harbours, at the two extremities of the canal, is here supplied to the extent of our utmost wishes. At the mouth of the Chagré is а fine bay, which received the British 74 gun ships, in 1740, when Captain Knowles bombarded the castle of St Lorenzo ;-and at the other extremity is the famous harbour of Panama. * Nor is this the only expe

dient

For the accuracy of these statements, may be consulted a curious and instructive work, drawn up and published, in 1762, by Thomas Jefferys, geographer to his Majesty; from the draughts and surveys found on board the Spanish prizes; from other accessible documents, and the statements of eyewitnesses. The title of the book, as it is now but little known, it may be worth while to transcribe. A Description of the Spanish Islands and Settlements on the Coast of the West Indies; compiled from authentic Memoirs; revised by Gentlemen who have resided many Years in the Spanish Settlements; and illustrated with Thirty-two Maps and Plans, chiefly from original Drawings taken from the Spaniards in the last War, and engraved by Thomas Jefferys,' &c.

*

dient for opening the important navigation between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Further north, is the grand lake of Nicaraguay, which, by itself, almost extends the navigation from sea to sea. Into the Atlantic Ocean it falls by a navigable river, and reaches to within three leagues of the Gulf of Papagayo in the Pacific. Mr Jefferys tells us, it was the instruction of the King of Spain to the Governor of St John's Castle, not to permit any British subject to pass either up or down this lake; for, if ever the English came to a knowledge of its importance and value, they would soon make themselves masters of this part of the country. ' +

We are tempted to dwell for a moment upon the profpects which the accomplishment of this fplendid, but not difficult enterprife, opens to our nation. It is not merely the immenfe commerce of the western fhores of America, extending almost from pole to pole, that is brought, as it were, to our door; it is not the intrinsically important, though comparatively moderate branch of our commerce, that of the South Sea whalers, that will alone undergo a complete revolution, by faving the tedious and dangerous voyage round Cape Horn:-the whole of thofe immenfe interefts which we hold depofited in the regions of Afia, become augmented in value, to a degree which, at prefent, it is not easy to conT 2 ceive,

*The reader may consult, on the facility and importance of effecting a navigation from sea to sea by this extraordinary lake, a curious memoir by M. Martin de la Bastide, ancien secretaire de M. le comte de Broglio, published in the second volume of “ Histoire Abregée de la mer du Sud, par M. de Laborde.

What Al

† See p. 43. of " A Description, " &c. above cited. cedo tells us is still more extraordinary, that it was even interdicted, on pain of death, to propose opening the navigation between the two seas. En tiempo de Felipe II.' says he, se proyectó cortarlo, y communicar los dos mares por medio de un canal, y á este efecto se enviaron para reconocerlo dos Ingenieros Flamencos; pero encontraron dificultades insuperables, y el consejo de Indias representó los perjuicios que de ello se seguirian a la monarquia, por cuya razon mandó aquel Monarca que nadie propusiese ó tratase de ello en adelante, pena de la vida.' Alcedo, Diccionario Geografico-Historico de las Indias Occidentales, &c. ad verbum Istmo. A similar interdiction and penalty was ordained, respecting the navigation of the Atrato, where there is only an interval of a few miles between the navigable parts of the two rivers. Es navigable por muchas leguas, pero esta prohibida su navegacion con pena de la vida, sin excepcion de persona alguna, para evitar los perjuicios que se seguirian a las provincias del Nuevo Reyno, por la facilidad con' que se podrian internar por el. Ibid. ad verbum Atrato.