individuals in all classes of society, the military, the clergy, the bar, and the officers of government; my situation as secretary affording many facilities, without the trammels of ceremony and formality, that would have been imposed on me by appearing in a different capacity.

Some men profess to be in search of truth, while they believe they have already found it; others set out with theoretic frames, to which every thing must conform, par aut impar, and are as sensitive in their favorite notions, as the horns of a snail; but I know that we must be often wrong before we can be right. It is justly observed by a celebrated philosopher, that the simplest ideas are those which suggest themselves last; first thoughts in matters of right and wrong are probably the best, but not so in human science and knowledge.

Almost from the first moment of my arrival at Buenos Ayres, 1 diligently sought after every printed paper, no matter of how little apparent value, knowing that in countries struggling for political life, every ejaculation of the press, (if I may be allowed thus to speak,) should be examined, in order to discover whether it bears the harsh stamp of despotism, or breathes the fragrant breath of liberty. I had the good fortune to make an extensive collection of pamphlets, files of newspapers, and political tracts; with the help of these, and the histories of Greece, of

Italy, of Switzerland, of Holland, and even of the United States, I have ventured, though not without hesitation, to risk some observations on their political transactions.

I have been politely favored with the perusal of the papers of commodore Sinclair, and have taken the liberty of occasionally interweaving some of his observations, in the narrative of the voyage.

I have employed myself at different times in translating interesting documents, and state papers, of the South American governments, and intended to have inserted them in the Appendix, but it will not be possible to find room for more than two or three. I could have desired the insertion of the provisional constitution, translated with great accuracy by Mr. Read, a gentleman of fine taste and acquirements. I have inserted a translation of the manifesto of independence of La Plata; the substance of that of Chili, may be seen in the documents appended to the report of Mr. Bland; but from its preserving the Spanish idiom, I should judge the translation to have been executed by a Spaniard; it is, therefore, not surprising that it should seem to be rather a tame production. The English reader, for instance, would mistake the following sentence for a syllogism: "We want we can then we ought to be free." But in the original it is nothing more than a bold apostrophe. "We resolve2*

VOL. I.

we are able to be free-then we shall be free." It is a common sentiment that nothing more is necessary for a people to be free, than to will it--but if, in addition, they exceed their oppressors in physical strength, they may be said "to hold a bond of fate.

"By oppression's woes and pains!
By your sons in servile chains!
We will drain our dearest veins,

But they shall be free!"-BURNS.

I cannot flatter myself with the hope that these volumes are free from errors in point of fact and inferrence-there must necessarily be many, and I hope they will be corrected by those who possess better information. My ambition will be gratified, if my work shall be found to aid in producing a spirit of inquiry. The fact that we pay too little attention to South America, ought to be repeated again and again, until we shall be roused from our state of apathy. On the part of the United States, as well as of Great Britain, it would be inexcusable to be inattentive to what is going forward, in that quarter of the world. They are capable of defending themselves, of governing themselves, and of being free, in spite of all that may be said by narrow minded self-sufficient men. They expect friendship and good will from us, and have a right to expect it. If we cannot speak favorably of them, at least we ought not studiously to dis

play, what we conceive to be their foibles and faults. What people more sensitive than we, to the slanders of such men as Weld or Ashe, and yet we sometimes venture sneers and ilnatured taunts against people who believe they are following our glorious example! These are regarded by them as "the unkindest cuts of all." They are keenly, and deeply, felt by the patriots of the South, and I fear they have produced disgust that will not easily be removed; but I will venture to say to them, in the name of my country, and the government of my country, THAT

SUCH SENTIMENTS ARE DISCLAIMED BY BOTH.

To the many inaccuracies, and inelegancies of composition, I plead guilty, and submit to the sentence of the public, alleging in mitigation, that authorship in this country is not a profession, that it has been engaged in by me at the expense of the occupation by which I must earn my bread. I have had no time to polish and correct; having been obliged, in general, to keep pace with the printer.

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