Even Henry Wellesley, at Seville and Cadiz, felt the same heavy-hand deadening the effect of every effort, and longed to do at Cadiz what Erskine had done at Washington. March 4, 1810,[237] Perceval wrote to Lord Wellesley begging him to instruct his brother Henry to obtain from the Spanish Junta exclusive or at least special privileges in the trade of the Spanish colonies, such as would admit British consuls to the chief places of South America, and “give us a decided benefit and preference in the trade.” Of course this preference was to be granted at the expense of the United States, the solitary rival of England in those waters, but “as nearly hostile to Spain as she can be without actually declaring war against her.” Soon afterward the “Espagnol,” a Spanish periodical published in England, applauded revolutionary movements in Caracas and Buenos Ayres, while it asserted the impossibility of preventing the spread of the spirit of independence in the Spanish-American colonies. “You can have no idea,” wrote Henry Wellesley from Cadiz, August 31, to his brother Arthur,[238] “of the ferment occasioned here by this article, which is attributed to the Government,--as it is supposed, and I believe justly, that the ‘Espagnol’ is patronized by the Government, and contains its sentiments with regard to the occurrences in Spain and the measures necessary in the present crisis of her affairs.... It is wonderful that they cannot be satisfied in England with a commercial arrangement which would be attended with immense advantages to ourselves, and would likewise be greatly beneficial to Spain. I apprehend this to be the true spirit of all commercial treaties; and why are we to take advantage of the weakness of Spain to endeavor to impose terms upon her which would be ruinous and disgraceful? I have it in my power to conclude to-morrow a commercial treaty which, without breaking in upon the Spanish colonial laws, would pour millions into the pockets of our merchants, and be equally advantageous to the resources; but this will not do, and we must either have the trade direct with the colonies, or nothing. However, I have received my answer, and the Government will not hear of opening the trade.”