• dwell upon the interest and value of what proceeds
from his pen.
We have only one additional remark to make. We do not in the smallest degree pledge ourselves to the correctness of' the statements of facts, or to the opinions which the letters of our correspondent may con- tain. We may see reason to differ from him materially; although in some sense belonging to the Movement party ourselves. We believe that society cannot remain in a fixed position ; it must be in a state of advancement or retrogression—like the waters of the sea, which are constantly on the ebb or flow. Our wish and aim is, by aiding the on- ward movement of society, to be instrumental in improving mankind. In pursuing this object, we are perfectly regardless of the party nick- names which the ingenuity or malice of those whose motto is " quiets non movere " may think it for their interest to apply to us. Our rule in treating of foreign and domestic politics has always been, to form and utter opinions according to the eridence they present to our minds. To this rule we shall continue strictly to adhere ; and therefore beg our readers to remember, that, although we may often coincide in. we are never responsible for, the opinions contained in the Letters of 0. P. Q.
WHAT IS TO BECOME OF SPAIN? AND ARE WE AUTHORIZED TO REJOICE AT THE RECENT CHANGE OF THE MINISTRY?
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SPECTATOR.
Paris, 22d January 1834.
Silt— There is a time for every thing— not only to weep and to laugh—to mourn and to dance—but there is _Aso a season for repression and for exciterneut—for
onward awl for retrograde movements—for the restraining the imagination and the affections, even within narrow and ungenerous limits—as well as for their free and full indulgence in noble efforts and high principled exertions. As it is with men individually, so it is with casts, or sects, or parties in society ;—aye,
and so it is likewise with society itself—and with nations and whole masses or worlds of men. Ile who would intemperately hurry on a good movement—a wise, a rational, and an enlightened toovement—so as to endauger or retard the cause, by alarming the timid, and thus weakening the hands of those who require nerves of brass and hearts of iron, is not a public benefactor, however noble may be his hear t, or free and virtuous his intentions ;—he is a drawback on the improvement of his species—he is a public injurer. But he, on the other band, who from the natural apprehensions of cowardice, or of detraction, or obloquy—or rho, from having uncertain and unfinished opinions on great preiciples and great points of moral anti political conduct—or who, from want o:' personal energy and personal courage, is either unable to perceive the moment tvlien great movements should be attempted and accomplished—and not only to perceive the p;:riod, but actually to carry them into full and complete effect,— that man is a great public robber—for he has arrogated to himself the power of doing good, without possessing the capacity of execution ; and be is a terrible seottige and usurper—for the people have confided in Itini—abatoloned them- selves to him—and the people are betrayed ! ! 1 know many public men in France, in Great 1ir4ain, in Germany, and in other countries, who belong to both tltee cat-guries—and they are lamentable examples of the finity and sni- per fection of our poor humanity. N.Z E A BE 1:3I LI DE z belongs to the latter category. Ile is a man of capacity...- of early, regular, and straightforward habits-1s averse to tricksters, to gamesters, and that demoralizing system of Stock Exchange gambling, so un- fortunately familiar to almost all the members of the diplomatic body. :AI. Zea Bermudez is a patriot—desires the happiness and the prosperity, the regene_ ration and the progmssive improvement of his country. ;—and, although he is Mr paying too much attention to the material or animal condition of his fellow- ciezens, to the partial exclusion of their moral and political rights and interests, yet M. Zea is no ordinary man; and when he went to Spain, he went with the honest intention of doing a great deal of practical good, and securing to the Peninsula a higher post in the scale of civilization, aud a higher destiny among the nations of the em.th. I know M. Zea Bermudez—I know his person—his opinions; awl his intentions arid hopes were familiar to me when he left London and Paris for Madrid. Ile went to Spain determined to tell Ferdinand the Several drat he must be honest and prudent—and live more like a man, and less like an aninial---and that the Corms Bonds must be recognized—and that public credit must be put on a good footing—and that the roads, canals, fish- eries, mines, manufactures, and so for th, of the whole land must be no longer allowed to telllaill in their past state of neglect and ruin; and I know that when he went to Spain, he so went resolved to tell the King that it was absurd not to stand well with France—and stupid not to love and look up to England —and monstrous to hope be preserve a lioly Alliance in 1832 and 1533, when all Emope was marching onwards—and that time influence of the priests niust be lessened—and that public education must be very greatly ex- tended—and that there must be economy in the management of the Trepaury- add that Absolutism in Portugal was as impossible as Absolutism in Spain—and that the press must be encouraged, though restrained—and that the Cortes par Estamentos must be convoked—and that the custom-laws and the commercial laws must be revised—and that all the lovers of absolute and despotic principles must be discouraged—and that a vast, full, comprehensive, and nearly unlimited amnesty must be granted to all those who were sojourning as exiles on foreign shores. And not only did M. 'Lea Bermudez go to Spain with the intention of doing and saying all this—which was an immense and an Herculean task, con- sidering the besotted character and low associations of the King—but I go still fthalter, and add, that M. Zea did say all this to Ferdinand the Seventh—did convince that ill-starred prince of his dangers and dilliculties—did effect a great deal iu a few mouths—and prepared the mind of the Monarch for that testament which bequeathed the throne of Castille to the daughter of a Neapoli- tan princess, and surrounded her with a regency of moderrne Royalists or ea- lightened Constitutionalists. Thus far we must thank M. Zea. We are bound to do so. Those who do
not thank 1 are either ignoraut or criminal—and perhaps both—t'or no one should write or speak on such subjects, but those who are aware of all the in- visible as well as visible movements of society. Here, however, our praises must with the demise of the Monarch, we may inter the King and our gratitude to his Minister in the same tomb.
The 31A NWESTO issued by M. Zea, in the name of the Queen, after the death of her King and husband—was an evidence of the want of moral and physical
courage—of au ignorant or false appreciation of the state of public opinion and
the national mind--and has led to the continuauce of a deplorable civil war—to the burning of towns and villages, the destruction of property, the loss of human life, to au c.,:teut not generally known—to distrust and want of confidence in the
Queen Regent and all her partisans—to rebellion in Catalouia—and to we know not what termination of a horrible and relentless civil war. If M. Zea Bermu- dez, iustead of publishing that manifesto, had retired from the scene of strife--.
had counselled the Queeu to call LAS AMA AILLAs to the capital—bad exhorted her to address herself to the Moderate Constitutional party, i. c. to the ancient Pasteleros, and to grant a constitution, but with monarchical institutions and two chambers—would have then been a public benefactor, and to his memory history and posterity would have erected columns of marble and of brass. But he has remained in °Rice till public opinion overthrew hint—till the life of his mistress, his Queen, and the lives of her children, were openly attempted in the palace—till the very dogs barked at, and the little boys hissed him—and until
the name of 'lea is a by-word, and means scorn and reproach. Spain demanded
to advance ! M. Zea was unprepared to meet the exigencies of the moment—. unprepared for the development amid following up of the work of regeneration he Lad begun ; and all the good he has actually conferred—and all the good he most undouhtedly meditated, are forgotten is the one long, loud, and deep wailing howl of execration pronounced so distinctly from the Straits of Gibraltar to the Gulf of Gascony. But, politically, mI. Zea is now dead. It may be that naturally as well as
politically lie is so—for the vengeance of a half-educated and half.civilized people is most awful and desperate. We will hope, however, that this is not the case— and that M. Zee will yet live to confir at some future period some•practimil bm•nefits on his country, to which I am firmly convinced hem deVotedly attached.
From M. Zea and Ins confederates, we must turn to the new Ministry, under the auspices of M. MARTINEZ LE LA ROSA. At the moment at which I write, U is unknown whether lieRoos, who was the personal friend of " the illus- trious" '/.ea (as Burgos used to call him), still retains the budget of tlie nor. If he really remain Minister fur the moment, the post cannot be retained by him many days. lie is obnoxious to public opinion, and his territorial divi- sions of Spain will not save him. lh•sides this, Burgos belongs to the " FRENCH -PA RTY "—or, in other words, to those who served thera'apoleon dynasty .—and it is a good feature in the state of Spanish affairs at the present moment, :hat all that is truly popular in Spain, is national—aud that the Napolconists of former
though own of undoubted talent as alb' i i ii istrators, are no longer tolerated by the enlightened and advanced spirit of the age. There i one man, indeed, who belongs to the present as to the last Cabinet, who appears to me well quali-
fied for time office he occupies, and for the duties he has to perform. I speak of time GE.NERAL ZAReo DEL VALLE, THE MINISTER Or WAR. Ile is a man who understands not only Ilk profession, which is that of a smmidier—but like- wise the wants of Spain, and the necessities of the moment, and can make an accurate estimate mmt time destinies of time Peninsula. That Zarco del Valle is still Minister of War, sic are bound to rejoice ; and eve' y mine who feels any interest in this vast Spanish question, should most ardently desire that lie may continue the zealous and enlightened supporter and 31immister of the young Queen. M. Binges cannot — might nit— must net remain Minister of the Interior. Ile has lteen inoculated by the timid principles and the dangerous opinions of his friend and patron, Al. Zea Bermudez. Ile has not Inert able or willing, or Loth, to st•e and comprehend and feel the ha cc of those con- stitutional wants whiell are now everywhere expressed in the 'mist enlightened provinces and districts of Spain. Ile still thinks an absolute intamarchy not only possible, but even desirable. Ile dreams of having wise and milightened Queens —and virtuous and able Kings, nil it'd' in ;tom miimui iw is willing to leave the whole power in the hands of princes, provided those prinees be sur- rounded by able C Moms and prudent and honourable Mini‘ters. This is his system. He forgers that the 'history of Kings—and above all the history of spane.I, afoeuvi,s_is not calculated to inspire unbounded confidence, or un- feigned love ;—ammil Hornell Co it IsTi N a is a woman of sons- talent, some genius, sonic courage, mind smile order mei activity—)et the Spaniards now require security for the future, as well as improvement awl 1119nm-se for the present. Thus M. Burgos, like his fliend M. lea, must and will be mlisinksed by public opinion. The smmccessor of M. Zea is Al. Ma ItTIXEZ DE LA !Ins.% ! ! lie is ;tempt- abl:m to the I hictrinaire;—accepttble to the Temps—malleable to time Kim (humid —a(ceptable to the " haste Milieu end the Patriots ! ! ! How is this ? Ile must be a rum o r is of 110 ordinary brillimmey thus to obtain time suffrages—
of quasi Legitimists, Jimste Repliblieans and Patriots! ! is this?
I will tell )011. 31at mime. is accepted hy time Doctrinail..s as the tool—awl by the Republicans as the ;um cis. Ile is accepted hy the Juste fillet: as a " treve"—as a OW:111, of gaining tinme—of ,getting on, iii i atlmer scrambling oil, " to the end of the month "—for all the politival system of those mon is concen- trated in the " Funds," and at " the ilourse." And M. Martinez is accepted by the Patriots who are not Republicans, but who still believe that in France a limited Monarchy with Republican institutions is the best rot in of Government —not because lie, Al. Alartinez, is looked upon as alone eapable of guiding the helm of the state vessel in Spain at such moments as thes.--Init because he will be ;assisted by Las Animillas, inn! by the aluderate Constitut• al party, which has never been extinct, and is now stronger than ever. M. Martinez de Li Rosa is a man of great literary talents—a poet—a dramatic writer—a student in the Constituti llll ai School of Gwen llll ent —a man who has visited foreiga countries—resided much in England am! in France—and is capable of un- derstanding fully the nature, time excellencies, and the defects of Constitutional 31(1one:hies—and of providing to ineet.theni all. But M. filmutinez is net a man of energy—of action--Lof intrepidity—and of soul. The Movement will hurry him on. Ile will not oppose It, but it may drown him. He cannot say, ari'd feel, and maintain his resoltitimmil—" Ilitherto thou shalt go, and no further "— nor can he command the support of Homer who are born to rule, and who can counnand to be hoard and olmeted. If I do not notice those who have been named his coadjutors, it is not lit-cause I despise them, but because as to two of them some doubts still remain, in consequence of the intelligence being received by a telegraphic comm llll i l One says that the Minister of Justice is GA- REr.r_aiol aeother that it is (;Azel.i. Another says that M. A RNAIME is Minister of Finance; whilst the Constitution nil vows it is M. Artiait, who belonged to the French party, mind is a Liberal advocate. The Minister of Marine, whose name is spelt by some Figuero, and by others Fitpierota.- it a special man for a special limpose; ;mil as his naval knnwledge is respectable, and his (pinions anti ...Jesuitical and anti • Apostolical—favourable to a Constitution,
and opposed to reacthm—we must not object to his ;Rion. But is this iww Spanish Ministry a means or an end ? Why, a means, to be sure. Will this new Spanish Ministry be permanent ? No—decidedly not. Will time next Ministry be e beloved and more popular ? Most undoubtedly. Will Spain rest satisfied without a Constitution? No. Will the Quweii or the nation make that charter? I fear the former—but I hope the latter. And fi- nally, are we authorizerl to rejoice at the recent change in the Spanish Govern- ment? Yes, rejoice by all :ilea ns—but rejoice with trembling.