The Prose Works of William Wordsworth: For the First Time Collected, With Additions from Unpublished Manuscripts. In Three Volumes.Wordsworth, William
General
The Prose Works of William Wordsworth: For the First Time Collected, With Additions from Unpublished Manuscripts. In Three Volumes.
Wordsworth, William
English literature -- 19th century
Widely different from the conduct of the British was that of the
Spaniards in a like case:--with high feeling did they, abating not a jot
or a tittle, enforce the principle of justice. 'How,' says the governor
of Cadiz to General Dupont in the same noble letter before alluded to,
'how,' says he, after enumerating the afflictions which his army, and
the tyrant who had sent it, had unjustly brought upon the Spanish
nation, (for of these, in _their_ dealings with the French, they never
for a moment lost sight,) 'how,' asks he, 'could you expect, that your
army should carry off from Spain the fruit of its rapacity, cruelty, and
impiety? how could you conceive this possible, or that we should be so
stupid or senseless?' And this conduct is as wise in reason as it is
true to nature. The Spanish people could have had no confidence in their
government, if it had not acted thus. These are the sympathies which,
prove that a government is paternal,--that it makes one family with the
people: besides, it is only by such adherence to justice, that, in
times of like commotion, popular excesses can either be mitigated or
prevented. If we would be efficient allies of Spain, nay, if we would
not run the risk of doing infinite harm, these sentiments must not only
be ours as a nation, but they must pervade the hearts of our ministers
and our generals--our agents and our ambassadors. If it be not so, they,
who are sent abroad, must either be conscious how unworthy they are, and
with what unworthy commissions they appear, or not: if they do feel
this, then they must hang their heads, and blush for their country and
themselves; if they do not, the Spaniards must blush for them and revolt
from them; or, what would be ten thousand times more deplorable, they
must purchase a reconcilement and a communion by a sacrifice of all that
is excellent in themselves. Spain must either break down her lofty
spirit, her animation and fiery courage, to run side by side in the same
trammels with Great Britain; or she must start off from her intended
yoke-fellow with contempt and aversion. This is the alternative, and
there is no avoiding it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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