Since the month of April 1820, the British Government have availed themselves of
every opportunity of recommending to His Majesty’s Allies to
abstain from all interference in the internal affairs of
Spain.
Without adverting to those principles which His Majesty’s Government must always
consider the rule of their conduct in relation to the internal Affairs of other
Countries, they considered that to whatever degree either the origin of the Spanish revolution,Zur
Revolution in Spanien, die mit einem Militäraufstand am 1. Jänner 1820 ihren Anfang nahm, vgl. Späth,
Revolution in Europa, S. 117–128. In Portugal war am 24. August 1820 eine
Revolution ausgebrochen; vgl. Birmingham, A Concise History, S. 111–113.
the system then established, or the conduct of those who have since had the
management of the internal Affairs of Spain might be disapproved
of, any amelioration, which might be desired in the Spanish system, for the sake of
Spain Herself, ought to be sought for in measures to be adopted
in Spain, rather than abroad, and particularly in the confidence
which the people should be taught to feel in the Character and measures of the King.
They considered that an interference with a view to assist the Monarch on the throne,
to overturn that which had been settled, and which he had guaranteed, or to promote
the establishement of any other form of Government or Constitution,
particularly by force, would only place that Monarch in a false position, and prevent
him from looking to the internal means of amelioration which might be within His
reach.
Such an interference always appeared to the British Government an unnecessary
assumption of responsibility which, considering all the circumstances, must expose
the King of Spain to danger, and the power or powers which
should interfere, to obloquy, certain risks, and possible disasters to enormous
expences, and final disappointement in producing any result.
Upon these principles His Majesty has advised His Allies, and
has acted Himself, from the month of April 1820, to the present day.
The Protocoles and other Acts of the Congress at Aix-la-Chapelle, which established the union at
present existing between the five powers so happily for the world, require
the most unlimited confidence and communication on the part of Each; and accordingly
His Majesty has never failed to communicate to His Allies,
and particularly to France, every instruction which he has sent to
His Minister at Madrid
,
and all the communications made by His Majesty’s commands to
the Minister of Spain residing in London
; all in the same spirit of good will
towards the King of Spain and the Spanish Nation.
It is impossible to look at the existing relations between France
and Spain without adverting to what has passed from the
commencement of the year 1820 to the present moment, and without being sensible of
the unfortunately false position in which the King of Spain is
placed, and that the spirit of party in both countries, having aggravated the
national antipathy which antecedent circumstances had occasioned, is in a great
measure the cause of the unfortunate Irritation in Spain against
France, to which his Excellency the Minister
of France has adverted.
The great object of His Majesty’s Foreign policy is to preserve
peace among Nations, and He feels the most anxious interest for the happiness of His most Christian Majesty
Ehrentitel des Königs von Frankreich. and the honour of His
Government, and it would be His sincere desire to allay that irritation, but His
government cannot but feel that, to make any declaration on any of the three points
referred to by His Excellency, without a previous accurate
knowledge of all the circumstances which have occured between the two
Countries, would be not only premature and unjust, but would probably be unavailing,
and would in fact deprive His Majesty of the power of
discussing and deciding upon the measures of his own Government in this Affair
hereafter, when he should be better informed.
His Majesty must either place Himself in this painful and
inconsistent position for an independent Sovereign, or he must do what would be
equally painful to His feelings, require from His August Friend and Ally the King of France, that He should submit his conduct to the advice
and control of His Majesty.
His Majesty’s Government cannot think either alternative to be necessary, but are of
opinion, that a review of the obvious circumstances of the situation of
France, as well as of Spain, will shew that,
whatever may be the tone assumed towards France by the ruling
Powers in Spain, they are not in a state to carry into execution
any plan of real hostility or injury.
Considering that a civil war exists in the whole extent of the Frontier which
separates the two Kingdoms, that hostile Armies are in movement and in operation
on every part of it, and that there is not a town or village on the
French frontiers which is not liable to insult and injury, there is no person who
must not approve of the precaution which
H. M. C. M.
His Most Christian Majesty
has taken in forming a Corps of observation for the protection of
His frontier, and for the preservation of the tranquillity of His
people.
H. B. M
His British Majesty
sincerely wishes that this measure may be effectual in attaining
the objects for which it is calculated, and that the wisdom of the French Government
will have induced them to explain it at Madrid,
in such terms as will satisfy the Government of His
Catholic Majesty of its necessity.
Such an explanation will, it is hoped, tend to allay in some degree the irritation
against France; and, on the other hand, it may be hoped that some
allowance will be made in France for the state of effervescence of
Men’s Minds in Spain, in the very Crisis of a revolution and civil war.
A moments reflection upon the relative power of the two States will shew, that the
real Evil to which
H. M. C. M.
His Most Christian Majesty
is exposed, is that resulting from the operations of the civil war
on the neighbouring Frontier of Spain, against which the measure
which His Government have adopted is best calculated to preserve Him. Even
revolutionary madness could not calculate upon the success of a serious
attack by Spain upon France, under any
circumstances which it is possible to suppose to exist at present in the latter
kingdom. But the attention of the Spanish Government is now occupied by a civil war,
the operations of which certainly justify the formation of a Corps of observation in
France; and it is not very probable that they would, at this
moment, desire to break with France. Neither is it to be believed
that, in their present situation, they would not desire still to enjoy the advantage
of that countenance to their system, which the presence of the French Ambassador at
the seat of Government must afford them.
His Majesty therefore considers any rupture by
Spain, or any measure on her part which may render necessary
the immediate discontinuance of diplomatic Relations by France,
very improbable, and as His Majesty is quite unacquainted with
what has passed between France and Spain since
the month of April 1820, and His Government cannot know upon what grounds His Most Christian Majesty’s Government may think proper to
discontinue the diplomatic relations of France with
Spain, or upon what grounds war may break out between the two
countries, it is impossible for them now to pronounce what advice they
should consider it their duty to give to His Majesty, in case
either or both of those events should occur.
His Majesty most anxiously wishes that such extremities may be
avoided, and He feels convinced that the Government of His Most
Chr.
Christian
Majesty will find means of avoiding them.