Page 416 - Vida y Obra de Vizcardo Guzman - Vol-1
P. 416
Volumen 1
Documentos varios
literatura they ever had — and the savage Indians the most rational Christian
Civil & Moral institutions that ever were applied, since the conquest, for their
benefit & happiness — And these motives I believe, were the real cause of their
expulsion from that Country.
If you mean to make additions to your Military Memoirs, I recom-
mend you to examine an interesting Pamphlet published by Egerton in 1802
entitled Caractere Militaire des Armes Europêennses dans la Guerre actualle
avec un Paraüde des Français et des Romains. —- and a valuable work called
Introduction a Vetude de P Art do la Guerre par Rocheaymon — Weimar
1802. 5 V. 8º & Atlas.
If you don’t find these to last Books I might lend them to you.
I most heartily join you in wishing for the delivery of Europe, and for
the re-establishment of its former Independency; but it avails very little to the
fate of mankind what your wishes or mine may be, — it is the wisdom and
conduct of those that are at the Head and Government of Nations, that must
produce those salutary effects — I am sorry to say that i do not see any change
in their Plans, views or actions — the same selfish designs, illiberality, and
duplicity, it appears to me, pervades most of them; for which reason instead of
any beneficial results, I am afraid we shall have mischief and calamities exten-
ded beyond the European Hemisphere and over the New World. — The exer-
tions in some of the Spanish Provinces appear to me the work of fanaticism
and disappoinstment, rather than patriotic views & designs of Independency
of Freedom, therefore my hopes in this point are less sanguine than yours.
I have seen the greatest part of your Mss. upon Genl. Beresford’s con-
duct & Justification at Buenos Aires &ca. I have seen also numerous docu-
ments relative to the same subject communicated to me by a Gentleman of
the Country that was chiefly concernel in all those high transactions; from
which I conclude much as you do, giving some credit to B for his moderation
while he commanded and much blame to the other for his sordid selfish and
illiberal views which were the source of the incalculable mischief that followed
afterwards, and that will be transcendant yet I am afraid, against the real inte-
rest of England as well as South America. Whitlocke’s instructions appear to
me to be the result of the erroneous information transmitted to this Country
by the Chief of the Expedition and other Mercantile adventurers, that con-
sulted more their private interests (as they commonly do) than the benefit of
their Country or any other People upon Earth! I sincerely believe that anw
415