the thirst of difcord, to have prevailed upon the English so much, as to make them lofe any sense of justice, gratitude, or refpect in regard to Spain, confidering that this laft could carry on but little or no trade with the English Americans, having already enough of that it carries on with its own poffeffions in America, and being amply provided with every necessary by the fame. Nevertheless the court of London, with an intention of keeping at hand a fpecious pretence for a rupture whenever its projects fhould be in maturity, affected a great uneasiness on account of the mercantile correfpondence cartied on between fome merchants of Bilboa and others with the English colonies, though hat correfpondence had begun feveral years before their rupture with the mother-country. The English ministry discovered the ime uneasiness for a like mercantile correpondence carried on by fome French mer hants of Louisiana with the Americans; and retended to call the Spanish government to n account for that contravention of its own aws in that part of the world, at the very ime when the fubjects of England, called he Royalists, were found in the fame conravention on the Spanish coafts of the Miflippi and Louisiana, making a traffick of muggled goods: many of them were taken P, and great complaints have been made or the fame. The English commanders of hofe parts pretended proudly, that the inabitants profecuted by them fhould not be lowed to take refuge at Louisiana, if they hould flee there; while the Royalists were welcome there, and were under no appreenfions either for their lives or properties; Or which generous dealing feveral of them eturned thanks to the Spanish government y word of mouth, and in writing. The Danish government did not confine itself to sofe tokens of humanity. Having heard of great fcarcity of flour prevailing at Penfaola, it fpontaneously fent a good quantity fit into that place. Threats, violences, ad the hoftile proceedings laid down in the regoing articles, are the only thanks the iniftry and the English nation gave for the me. 4. Eor fear we should be detained in the umeration of the events anterior to thefe ze times, we shall only fay, that the infults fered by the English navy to the Spanish vigation and trade, from the year 1776 11 the beginning of the prefent year 1779, ere already eighty-fix in number, including izes taken by unjust practices, piracy, and bberies of various effects out of the veffels; racks made with gun-firing, and other inedible violences. Since the faid month of arch, and notwithstanding the memorial efected by the ambaffador, Marquis de mmadovar, on the 14th of the fame month, in which he complained of the principal grievances, and revived the memorials that had preceded, three Spanish ships were taken by the English, on the 12th, 19th, and 26th of April, viz. the Nostra Sra de la Conception, the La Virgen de Gracia, and the Las Almas: which proceeding, together with the other infults, of which a detail was fent to the fame ambaffador, in order to be laid before the English ministry, were fufficient motives for the ambaffador to affert, in his final declaration prefented to the ministry on the 16th day of June, that the grievances of the late years did not fall much short of a hundred. [316] 5. In the two last years, and till the beginning of March of the prefent year, the English navy has infulted at twelve different times, in the European and American feas, the hips of his Catholic Majefty, among which were packets, and other small veffels, that had not a competent force to refift. It makes one blush to defcribe with what indecency and ignominy the King's flag was treated by the English officers in thofe and other fimilar cafes. We shall only relate the tranfaction of the 31st of October of the last year, when an officer having been dispatched by two English frigates to reconnoitre the Spanifh floop, named Noftra Signora de la Efclavitud, between the ifles of La Mona and La Saona, he obliged it to ftrike his Majefty's flag, and then, taking it, he wiped the fweat off his face with its coat of arms, to fhew a greater contempt for it. This fingular officer, with his companions, plundered the ship, and stript the feamen of fundry things effentially neceffary to their use. 6. The English nation entered the Spanish territories eleven times within a few years past. Among thofe attempts, one deferves a particular notice, viz. what was performed on the 30th of April 1777, by the longboats of three English frigates, then lying in the bay of Gibraltar, which fired at the King's cutter, and at the guard-house that was on the bridge Mayorga, and carried away the crew and the goods of a bark which had been taken by the faid cutter on fufpicion of fmuggling tobacco and money. After they had poffefled themselves of the whole, they retired, difplaying affected civilities, and taking off their hats out of derifion. 7. The complaints of the court of Spain have been as many as the infults offered; memorials having been repeatedly prefented from time to time in London and in Madrid; fo that they might be faid to have been innumerable. Nevertheless the King of England told his parliament [317.], that many of them never came to his knowledge; adding, moreover, that he was fully convinced he had never given occafion for the unjust proceedings of Spain. We now lay it over 4 E 2 again, again, complaints have been fo repeatedly made, that on the 5th of February 1778, Don Francifco Escarano having expofed and fhewn fome of them in writing to Lord Weymouth, did exprefs plainly how tired he was of prefenting fo many, by faying, "That it appeared as if all the captains of fhips of his Britannic Majefty had agreed about the mode of bad behaviour to thofe of the King and of the Spanish nation; fince it was known by a conftant experience, that the English fhips always began by firing their guns at ours with bullets; then their officers came on board to regifter them; put the feamen in irons, or confined them under the hatches of the hip; did not in the leaft fcruple to carry away what goods they had a fanty to; and when they parted from us, bid us farewell by another cannonading with small shot: That the Spanish fhips, and especially the packet-boats, which are provided with guns, might have repelled those insults by force; but that they never did it, on account of the remarkable strict orders they had from the Spanish government, which was anxious to live in the best harmony with the English nation: and that, finally, by comparing the exceflive moderation of Spain with the frequent affronts offered by the English navy, his Lordship will be able to judge, whether they ought not to have been paid attention to, and whether they did not call aloud for redrefs." Thofe were the expreffions made ufe of by Spain in February 1778. Let us now fee what that court faid on the 14th of March of the prefent year, by the channel of the Marquis d'Almadovar, in a memorial write ten for that purpofe to the Viscount Weymouth. The Spanish Ambassador, after referring to two cafes that had been answered by the English minifter, proceeds in this manner: "The King could not help to remark, that, from all the complaints made to the English minifty by his orders for these two years, thele two cafes only met with a clear inftructive answer. His Majefly took into confideration the motives of the anfwer of the 13th of January, and excutes the delay alledged, as to the tranfaction that happened in America; but he does not fee, why any change in the deftination of the fhips, the death of the commanders, or the recal of the admirals, to whom the orders were directed, should have prevented the verifica tion longed for: fuch were, however, the motives or pretences alledged. If the captains were dead, or if the ships had changed their station, had even thofe changes and alterations been univerfal, and had they happened precifely at the time when the verification fhould have taken place, the command of the places near which the tranfac tions happened, were, nevertheless, in the fame hands, and there it was they fhould have been inquired into. Suppofe the offi cers had been changed, the exercife of their function was not interrupted, and the tribunals of the diftricts, who ought to have known of matters of that fort, were fill fubfifting. Since that time, fome of the captains who commanded the fhips that either took or treated ill the Spanish veffels, came over to England, and they might have been interrogated upon many articles." The Marquis d'Almadovar continued to make obfervations upon particular cafes, and concluded his memorial in this manner: "la a word, had even every circumftance concurred to hinder or delay the inftruction which the British miniftry defired, previous to its giving redress to my court, the King, my mafter, thought at least, that orders feat by his Britannic Majefty to his officers (hould have slopped the continuance of thofe vers tions: fo far from it, advice is continually received at Madrid of recent injuries, the having been fent to me from thence the re lation of fome of them, with injunction communicate them to your Lordship. compliance, therefore, with thofe orders, have the honour to include the relation bers unto annexed, containing the most notorion facts, omitting others, for fear of multiply ing complaints, though they are equally founded in truth. Your Lordship will know from this the importance of thofe complain and the necessity of accelerating, as much poflible, the fatisfaction which the King my mafter, flitters himself he fhall obta from the justice and equity of his Britan Majefty." This memorial, given in in the month March, produced nothing but fine promis on the part of the English ministry, withea preventing the making prizes and comme ting other infults in the months of April May following, which was hinted at bert in the fourth article. We may reafona's question, whether the English minifty co took the trouble to read the notes of chem ration of the grievances; and if not, reafon is obvious, why his Britannic Ma fty had never been informed of them, a he was pleased to announce to his parke ment. Spain was more fortunate with the Eng government, because this last never desd facts, but always made good offers, thaș: fuch as never were productive of a compl redrels, or even prevented the ufual tre tions. All the European powers knew !*! well the practices of the Englith navy depredations; what country has netes; rienced them, either in the prefent, o late war between France and England' they did not know, nor could they ta mag magined, that the captain of the English frigate or floop of war the Zephyr, commanded by Thomas Hafth, after taking by unjust means the Spanish fhip La Trinidad, going from Bilboa to Cadiz, towards the end of 1777, loaded with leather, nails, iron, and other goods, fhould carry her into Tangiers, and there try to exchange her for an American brigantine, (which had been taken by a corfair of Morocco), leaving the captain, pilot, and all the mariners for flaves. Happily, however, the Moors did not accept of that propofal; and the fhip was conducted to the bay of Gibraltar; and there being no kind of pretence to declare her a lawful prize, they abandoned her, after having plundered a great deal of her cargo: the hip, however, fuffered fo much in the action when taken, that having met with a gale of wind near Gibraltar, fhe could not hold it out, but was fhipwrecked on the coafts. No faith would be given to a fact of that nature, if the truth of it were not fo well established; and no body could ever imagine, that a nation fo learned and improved as the English are, fhould bring up and employ fea-officers poffeffing fuch principles. 9. The injustice of the fentences pronounced by the English judges of the admiralty, and their extravagant conduct, may be afcertained by the two following cafes. - The Englith cutter the Lively, commanded by Jofeph Smith, took the Spanish fhip the St Nicholas and St Celmo, (the property of Don Manuel del Cervo Rubio, an inhabitant of the neighbourhood of La Carugna), bound from that port to the Spanish ifles. The English captain carried her to the island of Anguilla; where it was declared the was not a legal prize and having been released, the English governor gave her a paffport to continue her voyage unmolefted. That precaution, however, did not avail to her for at her going out of port, another English floop of war took her, and carried her into St Christopher's, to the port of Baffeterre; in which place the was fentenced to be a legal prize. - The Spanish packet-boat, the St Pedro, commander Capt. Francifco Xavier Garcia, had the fame lot fince, having been taken on the 8th of May 1778, by the English Capt. James Dunnevan, and carried into the fame ifle of Anguilla: the was there declared an illegal prize; but, at her deparure, another English cruifer, Capt. Jofeph Armet, which happened be in the fame port, etook her, and carried her into St Chriftoher's, where the was fentenced a legal prize, s the former had been. 10 No other power has experienced, like pain, the aggreflons and ufurpations of the English government, made in the time of e moft profound peace, and without any revious declaration of war. There is hard ly one of thofe English territories which formerly belonged to Spain, that has not been taken by furprife in time of peace; and all the feas may be witneffes, that when the Spanish ships were beaten or taken, there was no reason to believe they should be attacked. It has been a practice with no other cabinet but the English, to conclude a treaty with Spain, and immediately after to commit the greatest hoftilities, that treaty notwithstanding. After fuch a conduct, we leave it to the confideration of the impartial world to decide, if the King was wrong to augment his naval forces, and to fruftrate, by anticipation, the defigns of his enemies. 11. No motives whatever fhould have hin dered England to give redrefs to Spain, to have prevented new infults, and return it the gratitude it deferves; fince, in spite of the projects and public threats of feveral members of the Englith parliament, in the feffion of the months of December 1777, and January and February 1778. (who proposed to fettle the difputes with the Americans in order to make war against the House of Bourbon), the Catholic King never would make any treaty with the colonies, for fear of giving to the court of London the least pretence for complaints. We do not by this mean to fay, that the French ministry had not the strongest reafons to fear new cnemies, and confequently to prevent the hoftile defigns of the British cabinet. 12. The French court behaved with fo much candour and fincerity in the treaty made with the Americans, (of which, however, the Catholic King knew nothing then), that the fame court declared, by its ambassaador in London, that Spain had no hand at all in it. Notwithstanding this, by orders difpatched to Don Francifco Efcarano, the Spanish Charge des Affaires in London, on the 24th of March, he had instructions, among other things, to declare to the English miniftry, that though his Catholic Majefly had taken no fhare in what had happened between France and America, and was still refolved to preferve the peace, this was to be underflood, as long as his Majesty could make it confiftent with the dignity of his clown, with the prefervation of his rights, and the protection he owes to his fubjects; and that, therefore, the conduct of Spain fhould be guided by that of England." This was the declaration made by Efcarano to the Viscount Weymouth, in a private audience he had on the 4th of April following; and he acquainted his court with it on the 8th of the fame month. 66 13. It has been the manifeft leading projea of England, to bring about a reunion of the colonies with the crown, in order to arm them against the Houfe of Bourbon, or to lead that fame Houfe into an error, by means means of treacherous negotiations and treaties, in order to take revenge on the colonies, after having made them enemies to France. The beginning, progrefs, and conclufion of the negotiations, related in this manifefto, establish evidently the certainty of that project, and the facts contained in the fubfequent articles will prove it beyond a doubt. 14. The King of Spain could not observe a greater circumfpection than he did, to a void engaging himself in an unfruitful negotiation, or getting entangled in its confequences: he used the fame expreffions with the court of London that he had done with that of France, fending orders, on the 19th of April, to the Charge des Affaires, Don Francifco Efcarano, directing him to require from the British miniftry, "a manifeft declaration from them, expreffing their real longing a ter a negotiation with France, by the mediation of his Majefty; and fetting forth the chief articles whereupon to ground it." Those and other like precautions became neceffary with a miniftry that always affects to fpeak myfleriously, ambiguously, and with artful reftriction, and who delivered their thoughts to the Spanish ambassadors and public ministers in a mode very different from that made use of in the public dispatches of business directed by that fame ministry to the English ambafiador in Madrid. The Spanish cabinet, which does not adopt that political method of delivery, had the openheartedness to warn the faid miniftry, to fet it afide during the courfe of the negotiation, without infifling on the candour and fincerity the fame requires. 15. Orders were fent to Efcarano, on the 23d and 25th of May, and on the ift of June, laft year, directing him to keep a profound filence upon the nogotiation that had been agitated; and to declare again to the court of London, that his Catholic Majefty was always in the fame pacific difpofition, and would continue fo, as long as the conduct of the English nation should not compel him to alter his fentiments. England cannot complain, that Spain has not repeatedly declared this fame refolution of the King. 16. It is evident from the contents of the above articles, that hoftilities like the preceding, and even greater ones, were committed by England against the Spanish territories, and the Spanish flag, under the mask of friendship, and in the midst of the moft cordial proteftations and assurances of peace. 17. It would not appear frange, if clandefine orders, fimilar to thofe given to take poffeffion of the French fettlements in the Eaft Indies [152.], had been fent, in the beginning of this year, to fall upon the Philippine i flands; and if the emiffaries fent foon after through Alexandria and Suez, had been intrufted with the conduct of that enterprise: at least, thefe are the opinions of the most judicious men, and alfo of those who are the beft acquainted with the transactions of the court of London. Time will bring those myfteries and enigmas to light: and the world will be better able to comprehend, how the generofity of the King of Spain ha been correfpondent with that of the Engi cabinet, at a time when his Catholic Majcy fpared no pains to obtain an honourable peace, and free that nation from great calamities and misfortunes. 18. The Catholic King continued his me diation to his Moft Chriftian Majesty, with an intent of making a peace, not only be caufe his religious and pious heart, and the love he profeffes to his subjects, and to the human race in general, infpired him with thofe fentiments; but moreover because the court of London continued to infinuate is defire of coming to an accommodation with France. And indeed hardly was the Count of Almadovar arrived in London, but he ac quainted his own court, on the 14th of September 1778, that in a long conference be lately had with the Viscount Weymouth, that minister had concluded his difcourfe in thefe terms, viz. "That the King his m fter knew the amiable difpofitions of bis Ca tholic Majefty; that he was indebted to bia for his demonftrations of friendship; and moft fincerely defired to terminate the pr fent war by his mediation, by a method confiftent with the honour of the crown Great Britain, and by which, at the me time, an equal regard fhould be paid to France." In confideration of the ufual te dernefs and honour due to the crown, Lod Weymouth recommended to the Març d'Almadovar, not to ufe in his difpatche (as he, Weymouth, would have the fa care in his own) these words, "to ask the mediation," but "to request and to w that his Catholic Majefty fhould interpofe ha mediation." The Lord Grantham fpckt fubftantially the fame language in Maenda and his Catholic Majefty, having taken it ca to his confideration, ordered a note or e morial to be delivered to that ambassador în the 28th of the faid month of Septembe and a copy of the fame was dispatches the Marquis of Almadovar, with direct to communicate it to the English gover ment. We thought it indifpenfably nece fary to write out the answer contained this memorial; because it will throw light upon, and ferve for the right understand of the faid negotiation; and which was follows. "The King, confidering what has ber written by his ambassador the Marquis d Atmadovat pofitions, and overtures, made refpectively perfuading both of them, with various rea fonings, to feek means and temperaments productive of a fincere and honourable reconciliation. At the fame time a letter was fent to the Marquis of Almadovar, fetting forth what follows, viz. "Your Excellency is authorised to settle the matters relative to our own intereft, on which important bufinefs the utmost efforts of your zeal must be employed; fince the King, who wishes fincerely to preferve the peace, will receive the greateft pleafore, if he fees thofe differences fatisfactorily fettled to the fame purpofe let your Excellency remind the English miniftry of the generofity of Spain, for its impartial proceedings in circumstances so critical as the prefent ones. But let your Excellency reprefent, how badly we have been anfwered, and how ill we are conftantly treated by the English navy, as may be af certained from the infults that our navigators receive almost daily in different parts of the ocean, and in the very ports and places on the coafts of this peninfula. That court will understand, that the greateft proteftations of friendship have no force to perfuade, while repeated infults are never reproved or chaftifed; especially after we have been for years expofing to them our grievances in the moft cordial open manner, and with the most cautious expreflions. Almadovar, and out of love for mankind; and, moreover, to continue upon good and amicable terms with both the Kings of France and Great Britain; and also left he might be reproached with refufing to promote, as far as lies in his power, the tranquillity of Europe; he has refolved to notify to each court, that if they fincerely wish to enter in to a plan of reconciliation, by the mediation of his Majefty, without prejudice to the honour of either crown, but with an anticipated anxiety for the dignity of both, the most regular and decent mode of proceeding is, that each court should deliver into the King's hand, without delay, and at the fame time, he conditions and the articles they intend o obtain or to grant by the treaty, that his Majefty may communicate to the one court he propofitions of the other, to the end hat they may be modified, difcuffed, or reufed: That, after a due examination of he whole, his Majefty fhall propofe his own lan of pacification to terminate the differnce: That the negotiation must ftipulate he method of concerting with the Amerians; without which the wifhed-for peace annot be attained: and, finally, That at ne and the fame time the conditions relaive to the private intereft of England and pain, fhall likewife be difcuffed and fetled : That the King would be forry if this method was not adopted, or if the negotition was not conducted with fincerity; fince, n spite of the wishes and pacific difpofitions of his Majesty, he forefees that the circumtances of the prefent war muft oblige him o become a party, the neceflity of having is flag refpected, and of repelling the inults which are daily offered to his fubjects, aving occafioned expensive armaments, and mmenfe loffes." The conclufion of the foreoing answer caufed much uneafinefs to the court of London; which, nevertheless, fent frigate that entered the port of Corunna on the 10th of November, with difpatches or Lord Grantham, with the answer of the ame court. That answer was delivered on he 14th of the said month of November; and the contents of it were, That the court of London accepted with pleasure the meliation of his Catholic Majefly to fettle the Jifferences that exifted between England and France, provided the latter would withdraw the fuccours and aid it gave to the colonies. As to the articles relative to the reciprocal nterest of Great Britain and Spain, the reply was, That his Britannic Majelly was eady at all times, and wifhed eaineftly to enter into that difcuffion; and to fettle them o as to establish reciprocal advantages to both empires. The Catholic King, in comliance with the tender he had made to both ourts, communicated to each of them, on he zoth of November, the pretenfious, pro Your Excellency is not ignorant of what has been regulated by the preliminaries of the treaty of Paris in the year 1763, in the 16th article [24.572.], relative to the Englifh fettlements in the bay of Honduras and other adjacent territories. It was there stipulated in pofitive terms, that whatever fortifications had been built, thould be demolifhed; and that the English fhould only be allowed to have fome houfes and magazines, without being molefted in the cutting or in the carriage of the logwood out of the territories which have always been acknowledged to belong to Spain. Not only that demolition was never performed, but the fortifications have even been augmented; and there is now artillery and garrifous in them: fo that thofe plantations have been converted both into a military government with patents, by the authority of that court, and into a permanent colony, by the ufurpation of foreign territories, and a formal contravention to the treaties. Other enterprises of the fame nature have been made in different parts of thofe extenfive coafts, as his Excellency will find related in the papers of his fecretaryfhip; and his Excellency it likewife defired to take notice of the artful machinations made ufe of by the English to arm the Indians against the Spaniards. There being no poflibility of eftablishing a folid and fincere friendthip, ex cept |