REVIEW OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS.

COUNTER RÉVOLUTION IN SPAIN.

IN our last and in our present number, we have laid before

Readers, an impartial account of the proceedings in SPAIN, the opinions of different political writers respecting these in tant occurrences which have recently agitated, and continue to agitate that kingdom. Notwithstanding the va opinions which have been already given by these writers, se of which have been retracted almost as soon as they published, we confess our inability to form a clear judg of the late events, that is, so far as they relate to the influ of France, although it is evident, from the appeal of the high leading parties to the EMPEROR OF FRANCE, that the tiny of the kingdom, of the King of Spain, and of the P Royal, now depends entirely on the decision of his Im Majesty.

Although there are persons who are, or who at least very were, positive that the Emperor of France was the sole auth the Revolution, by which CHARLES IV. was, suddenly h from his throne, subsequent events seem to lead to an op conclusion. One fact appears evident, and a very important it is:-The respectable part of the nation, together with the rent ranks of the people, were much dissatisfied with the imbecile, wretched mixture of statecraft and priestcraft, had for so long a time formed the government of Spain. court favourite, the Prince of the Peace, it is universally ac ledged, had, by his insolence and rapacity, rendered himse tested throughout the kingdom; and it has been the misfo of Spain, would to God it were her peculiar misfortune, the old King was obstinately attached to a corrupt sycophant had long abused his confidence, and who was, perhaps, the unfit man for his high station his Majesty could have p upon throughout his dominions. What fatal mistakes do p who perhaps in the main, may possess good inter

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sometimes commit, when they make choice of those persons for their favourites, whose only claim to favour is their complete servility to the will of their Royal master, and their perfect readiness at all times to sacrifice not only their own opinions, but the best interests of the people, as his prejudices, inclinations, passions, or obstinacy may dictate!

But although it does not appear that the Emperor of France had any hand in effecting the Revolution which deposed the old King, and placed the Prince of Asturias on the throne, yet it is evident that his aspiring mind had for some time past contemplated certain changes in the government of Spain. This is acknowledged in the letter from the Emperor to the Prince." I wish"ed" (he observes) by my journey to Madrid, to draw over my "illustrious friend [the old king] to some necessary ameliora, ❝tions of his states, and also to give a certain satisfaction to the "public feelings. The removal of the Prince of the Peace appeared to me to be necessary for the prosperity of his Majesty, "and that of his subjects." That a change, and an amelioration of the government of Spain was necessary; that satisfaction was due to the feelings of a long insulted and impoverished people are undoubted facts; but that the French Emperor had any right to interfere to bring about these important events, and more especially that he had any pretence for overrunning the country with troops, are positions which cannot be maintained, except by our "new morality" men in this country, the approvers of the Danish expedition, who have set aside and ridiculed the principles of justice and equity, and have set up the plea of necessity, a plea which every tyrant is eager to catch at; and which undoubtedly will be used by Bonaparte with the same facility as it has been used by the ministers of Great Britain and their defenders. The conquest of Spain, or the rendering that country entirely subservient to the views of the French Emperor, is doubtless as necessary for the accomplishment of his plans, as the robbery and murders committed at Copenhagen were for the accomplishment of the plans of our ministers.

With respect to the grounds of the Revolution, and the motives by which the principal parties were actuated, there is yet but little information, and, notwithstanding we are told that the principal statesmen in Spain were instrumental in effecting it, it appears to have been an hasty, ill-judged measure. It is the opinion of many, that one design of the Revolution was to render the kingdom independent of France; but how could this have been rationally expected at a time when large French armies were in the country? The leaders of the Revolution, with the new King, when they informed the French Emperor of their proceedings, seemed anxious to convince him that the effects of the change would be to

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draw the ties more close between the two empires. The most probable conjecture is, and in the present state of affairs we can only conjecture, that the principal of the nobility, and the people in ge neral, were anxious for a change in the government; that being well convinced of the odium and contempt which had long attached to the old court and its corrupt favourite, although they did not consult the Emperor of France, they still hoped for his countenance and approbation. If any credit is due to the professions of BONAPARTE, he had no hand in the events at Aranjuez; he wishes to clear himself from the imputation of" sending so many troops sole ly for the purpose of pushing from his throne, his ally and his "friend." His subsequent conduct in effecting a counter-revolution, which has dispossessed the new King of Spain of the crown, and has restored it to its former possessor tends to confirm the opinion we have expressed on this subject,

But whatever judgment may be formed on this part of the subject, it is impossible for any friend to the liberties or the happiness of Spain, not to feel the utmost concern at that wretched insurrection which has been so recently excited, and which one would have thought it scarcely possible for any one not to have foreseen must end in the complete subjugation of the country to the will of the French Emperor. There is something noble in the well-timed exertions of a people towards redressing their own grievances, and in their spirited determination to repel foreign invaders. If Spain had resolved to resist the introduction of French troops; had the leading statesmen armed the nation for that purpose, and for effecting an amelioration of the government, and a redress of grievances, 'every friend to the independence and the liberties of the human race would have wished them success: but after quietly permitting the armies of France to enter their territories and their capital, to attempt to rise in a tumultuous manner, to arm the undisciplined peasantry against the well disciplined armies of France, surely such a frantic project must have been contrived by the enemies of the country. As to the tragical accounts from Gibralter, little stress is to be laid on them, and the calculations in the ministerial prints, in which we are informed 30,000 Spaniards have been slaughtered in Madrid alone, are utterly undeserving of credit: but the accounts from the scene of action as detailed in the French prints are terrible, and it is well if these are not followed by similar details. Whọ were the immediate authors of an insurrection which compelled the French to defend themselves, and maddened them to satiate their fury on their adversaries, remains to be seen: to them must in a great measure be attributed the calamitous consequences.

The misfortunes of Spain afford another warning to the inhabi tants of other countries, how they suffer their governors to rule them

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by arbitrary measures, and oppress them with excessive taxation. The old Spanish monarch in a letter to his son observes, that "every thing ought to be done for the people, but nothing by them;" a remark suited to the principles and feelings of a despotic sovereign; but all history proclaims aloud, that in proportion as the people are indifferent to their own concerns, their rulers have taken advantage of that indifference to rob them of their liberties and property, and to establish over them a tyrannic sway. The people of Great Britain are more peculiarly concerned on this occasion. They have the forms of a free constitution: they have the power of assembling to consider of their grievances, and they have various constitutional methods in their own power of redressing them; if the ple, however, indifferent to their rights, and venal themselves, should suffer their rulers by corruption, by unnecessary, unjust, and foolish wars, by excessive and vexatious taxation, to depress their spirit, and to render them as indifferent to public measures, as the people of other countries, they may rest assured a similar fate awaits them. It does not require the spirit of prophecy to foretell that a REFORMATION or a REVOLUTION must sooner or later be the inevitable lot of this country. Of the nature and necessity of which reformation, our readers will perceive some admirable observations in the speech of Sir FRANCIS BURDETT, at the recent anniversary of the Westminster election, inserted in our Register. (p. 317.)

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The ministerial prints are already hankering after an expedition to assist the Spaniards to repel their invaders; they may however rest assured, that the inhabitants of that unfortunate kingdom can scarcely be more united in their feelings of indignation against France, than they are in their feelings of indignation against this country. Their old Sovereign has taken care to remind them in the letter alluded to, of the act of piracy committed by this country, and by which she forced Spain into the arms of France. "When England" (observes the King of Spain) "declared war against France, I had the good fortune to remain neutral, and thereby to afford to my "people the advantages of peace. England, however, soon after "captured four of my frigates, and made war upon me before war was declared. Thus was I compelled to repel force by force, and "the evils of war were extended to my subjects!" The people of Spain have not yet forgotten the conduct of the British nation in the East Indies, in Ireland, off Copenhagen, and in South America, and will not be over anxious in forming an alliance with a country which has spread misery and devastation over so many parts of the globe.

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That power which has for so many centuries triuphed over every right, human and divine; that principal branch of ANTI-CHRIST which has disgraced not only the name of christianity, but which would have disgraced even paganism, is now sunk, never, we hope to rise any more. The French General MIOLLIS has, after taking possession of Rome, expressed the satisfaction of the Emperor NAPOLEON, at the conduct of the papal troops, and has assured them" that they shall never in fnture receive orders either from "Priests or Women-that they shall never more return under "priestly dominion." The vile police of the city of Rome, which like the police of many cities in the Italian states, connived at the worst of crimes, Sodomy, assassination, &c. and rendered them sinks of vice and abominations, whilst at the same time superstition, the form of religion, without the power, appeared in its greatest. splendor, is we are assured "completely reformed." With respect to the old priest, the Pope of Rome, we hope he will be permitted to end his days in peace, aud quietness: as to the church of which he and his predecessors have so long been the head, we cannot but adopt that triumphant exclamation, in which we shall be joined by every friend of genuine christianity, by every sound protestant,--Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets, for God hath avenged you on her!

RUSSIA, SWEDEN, AND DENMARK.

The intercepted correspondence which was found on the Russian courier, containing invitations to the inhabitants of Finland to throw off their allegiance to their legitimate sovereign, affords another proof of the morality of courts, and reminds us of certain precedents which if it were necessary might be pleaded by his Russian Majesty. We more particularly allude to the machinations of Mr. PITT, during his frequent, open, and avowed design of overturning the government of France, to those of Mr. DRAKE, in an early stage of the present war, and to the avowal made by Lord HAWKESBURY of the principle, " that, although, during a state of amity, "the usual relations between established governments ought to "be preserved inviolate, the case was different during a state of "warfare." The meanness and injustice of his Russian Majesty has been followed by an act of a similar nature on the part of his Swedish Majesty,-the arrest of the Russian ambassador. Our readers will perceive in our REGISTER, the mutual complaints on this article. When will a portion of that common honesty, which is still generally professed, and in some degree practised in private life, be infused into the councils of states and princes!

Enemies as we are to war in general, and firmly persuaded that