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"You will above all take care to declare that the people of the Peninsula, when resolved to tranquillity, will find in their neighbours true and sincere friends. In consequence you will give to the cabinet of Madrid the assurance, that assistance of all kinds which France can afford to Spain shall be always offered to it to insure its happiness, and to increase its prosperity: but you will declare at the same time that France will not relax in any point the measures of preservation which she has taken, so long as Spain shall continue to be torn by faction. The government of His Majesty will not even hesitate to recal you from Madrid, and to seek its guarantees in more efficacious measures, if its essential interests continue to be compromised, and if it lose the hope of an amelioration; which it takes pleasure in expecting, from the sentiments which have so long united the Spaniards and the French, in the love of their kings, and of a wise liberality."

This document was transmitted to Madrid in consequence of three notes which the ministers of the Allied Powers have respectively addressed to cach other on the affairs of Spain. They contend that the revolution in Spain is a military one only, and in substance that no constitutions can be tolerated that do not originate with the

monarch. They dwell on the dangers of the royal family of Spain: assert that one part of the nation has declared itself against the new order of things, and call upon the other to do so too. The Russian concludes in these words,

"The_reply that will be made to the present Declaration, must decide questions of the very highest importance. Your instructions from this day will point out the determination that you are to make, if the dispositions of the public authority at Madrid reject the means which are offered for securing to Spain a future tranquillity and an imperishable glory."

That of Austria differs little from the Russian, and dilates on the happiness that must result from placing the King in his full and legitimate power! The Prussian is nearly the same. All three clearly show that no grievance of a nation is to be remedied that the king does not choose to remedy himself;thus the Spaniards must submit again to the slavery they endured with so much patience from 1814 to 1820. Russia takes credit for announcing long ago the grand truths she reiterates

to the Spaniards :-the Scythians of the north teaching civilized nations of Europe how to govern themselves, is a novelty reserved for modern times to witness. Finally, the representatives at Madrid of the three dictatory nations, to whom Europe must bow, have demanded their passports. To the note of Count de Lagarde, San Miguel, the Spanish minister, gave the following reply, addressed to the Spanish ambassador at Paris :

"The Spanish Government has never been ignorant that the institutions spontaneously adopted by Spain, would excite the jealousy of several of the Cabinets of Europe, and that they would be the object of deliberation at the Congress of VeBut, firmer in its principles, and resolved at every sacrifice to defend its present political system and the national independence, it has tran

rona.

quilly awaited the result of this Congress. Spain cepted, and sworn to in 1812, and recognised by is governed by a Constitution promulgated, ac

all the Powers who assembled themselves in Congress at Verona. Ferfidious Counsellors prevented His Catholic Majesty, Ferdinand VII., from swearing, on his return to Spain, to this fundamental code, which the whole nation desired, and which was destroyed by force, without any remonstrance on

the part of the Powers who had recognised it; but an experience of six years and the general will engaged His Majesty in 1820 to conform to the views of Spaniards. It was not a military insurrection that established this new order of things at the commencement of the year 1820. The courageous men who so decidedly declared themselves in the

Isle de Leon, and successively in other Provinces,

were only the organs of general opinion, and of the desires of the whole nation. It was natural that a change of this nature should make some disaffected; it is an inevitable consequence of all reform which has for its object the diminution of abuses. In all nations there are individuals who can never accustom themselves to the yoke of reason and justice. The Army of Observation, which the French Government maintains at the foot of the Pyrenees, cannot calm the disorders which afflict Spain. Experience, on the contrary, has proved that the existence of this Sanitary Cordon (recently transformed into an Army of Observation) has only increased the hopes of the fanatics, who have propagated the cry of rebellion in our Provinces, by cherishing the idea of an immediate invasion of our territory. The principles, the views, or the fears, which have influenced the conduct of the Cabinets which assembled at Verona, cannot serve as a guide to the Spanish Government. It abstains, for the moment, from making any reply to that portion of the instructions of M. the Count de Lagarde, which relates to the said Congress. The days of calm and tranquillity which the Government of his Most Christian Majesty wishes to the Spanish nation, the latter does not less anxiously desire for herself and her Government. Both being persuaded that the remedy can only be the work of time and perseverance, they are, as they are bound to do, making every effort to accelerate

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their useful and salutary effects. The Spanish Government appreciates the offer made to it by his Most Christian Majesty, to contribute all in his power to its happiness; but it is persuaded that the means and the precautions which his Majesty adopts can produce only contrary results. aid which the French Government ought, at the present moment, to give to that of Spain, is purely negative; it must dissolve its army of the Pyre

The

necs, repulse the factious enemies of Spain who take refuge in France, and oppose itself in the

most energetic manner against all those who in dulge in defaming, in the most shameful manner, the Government of his Catholic Majesty, as also the Institutions of Spain and her Cortes. This is what the right of nations demands-a right re

spected by those states in which civilization reigns:

To say that France desires the welfare of Spain and ber tranquillity, whilst firebrands like these, which feed the evils that afflict her, are kept continually flaming, is to fall into an abyss of con

tradictions. Whatever may be the determination jesty may deem it expedient to come to under these circumstances, that of his Majesty will be to continue tranquilly in the path traced out by its duty, the justice of its cause, and the character of firmness and attachment to Constitutional principles, which eminently distinguish the nation, at the head of which it is placed; and without entering, for the moment, into an analysis of the hypothetical and ambiguous expressions contained in the instructions sent to the Count de Lagarde, it concludes that the repose and prosperity of the nation, as also every thing which may increase the elements of her welfare, ought to interest no Power more anxiously than herself; that her motto and the rule of her present and future conduct are, constant attachment to the Constitution of 1812, peace with all nations, and especially the never admitting the right of any Power whatever to interfere in her affairs."

which the Government of his Most Christian Ma

To the three notes of Austria, Russia, and Prussia, San Miguel, on the part of the Spanish government, only gave this answer as a reply :

1. The Spanish nation is governed by a Constitution which was solemnly recognised by the Emperor of Russia in 1812.

2. The Spaniards, friends of their country, proclaimed, at the beginning of the year 1812, this Constitution, which was abolished solely by violence in 1814.

3. The Constitutional King of Spain freely exercises the power vested in him by the funda

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The Congress of Verona issued a document on the 14th December from that place. It contains an announcement of the intended evacuation of Piedmont, which is to be completed by the end of September 1823. The army occupying Naples is to be reduced by 17,000 men, The "firebrand of rebellion" is represented as having been thrown into the Ottoman empire-thus the valiant and heroic efforts of the Greeks are designated (their deputies were not allowed a luded to much in the same tenor as hearing at Verona). Spain is then alin the notes given above. The document then states that the ministers of the three Powers have given orders that their legations shall quit the Peninsula; and they go on to observe that

"It would be superfluous farther to defend their upright and benevolent intentions against unworthy calumnies, which are daily refuted by notorious facts. All Europe must at length acknowledge, that the system pursued by the Monarchs is in the most perfect harmony with the well-understood interests of the people, as well as with the independence and strength of the Government. They recognise no enemies but those who conspire against the legal authority of the one, and the simplicity of the others, to plunge both into one common abyss of destruction. The wishes of the Monarchs are directed to peace alone; but peace, though fully established between the Powers, cannot diffuse its blessings over society so long as the fermentation is kept up, which in more than one country inflames people's minds, by the perfidious incitements and the criminal attempts of a faction which aims.only at revolution and destruction-so long as the heads and instruments of that faction (whether they openly take the field against Thrones and existing institutions, or whether they brood over their hostile plans in the dark-preparing plots or poisoning public opinion) shall not cease to torment the nations with discouraging and lying representations of the present, and fictitious apprehensions of the future. The wisest measures of the Government cannot prosper-the best-meant plans of improvement cannot succeed-in short, confidence cannot return, till those promoters of these most odious designs shall have sunk into impotency; and the Monarchs will not believe that they have accomplished their noble task, till they shall have deprived them of the arms with which they may threaten the repose of the world."

The Greeks have made another successful attack upon the Turkish fleet, by means of fire-ships. Captain S. Carnaris led the ships into the middle of the Turkish fleet, and the conflagration and confusion occasioned a loss of twelve vessels to the Turks; a frigate and corvette fell, uninjured, into the hands of the Greeks. A change in the policy of England towards this brave people is spoken of in letters from Hydra; and, also, that the blockades carried on by the Greeks have been acknowledged by the English vessels stationed there. At Constantinople the usual butcheries upon the displacement of a minister have happened. The Janissaries have usurped all the power of the state, and the head of Haleb Effendi had been affixed on the gate of the Seraglio. War between Russia and the Porte, in which Austria and Prussia will take a part, is expected, in case the differences of the first of these powers with the Porte shall not be amicably adjusted.

of the

army,

The Queen of Portugal refused to take an oath to the Constitution, as required by law. This had occasioned much discussion among the Ministers; it was supposed that her Majesty would finally quit the country, unless some means could be devised, consistently with the respect due to the law, to exempt her from it. In the Cortes lately, Senhor Correa de Laurda read a project of a Decree, in which he represented the very inefficient state and the necessity of remedying so great a defect at a time when a French army, quite prepared to take the field at the first signal, was assembled on the frontiers of Spain, giving encouragement, as the Spaniards declared, to the factious in Catalonia and Navarre; when a Congress was assembled at Verona, whose decisions were unknown, though well acquainted with the intentions of despotic governments towards liberal governments-Piedmont and Naples were melancholy proofs of this truth. The project was ordered to be read a second time.

In an Edict issued in 1812 by the Prussian Government, Jews were made admissible to offices in schools and academies, if possessed of the necessary qualifications. This Edict has been revoked. Prussia is stated to have acknowledged the Regency of Spain.

The message of the President of the United States on the opening of Congress, enters at considerable length into the relations of the Republic with foreign powers. It then notices the condition of the finances, which show a surplus of 3,000,000 dollars. Naval and military affairs are then alluded to. The state of the manufactures has bettered since the peace under the encouragement of the Tariff of 1816: and an opinion is expressed that it is desirable to impose still higher duties on some foreign articles. In this review of foreign relations the President observes, that while the United States preserve the strictest neutrality between Spain and "the Independent Governments of South America," they have a right to claim from both the contending parties their co-operation "in the suppression of the piratical practice which has grown out of this war, and of blockades of extensive coasts on both seas, which, considering the small force employed to sustain them, have not the slightest foundation to rest on." The war between the Greeks and Turks, and the efforts of the constitutionals in Spain and Portugal are alluded to in a proper spirit. The message concludes with recommending the United States to maintain a defensive attitude when war is raging in both hemispheres, as the best precaution of a free and independent state.

In the operations of the Independent forces on the western coast of South America, nothing of importance has occurred. The Municipal Body at Lima had presented a petition to General San Martin, requesting the dismissal of Monteagudo, who filled the office of Secretary of State in the new Government of Peru. The charges brought against him were several; but the most prominent appears to be, ill-treatment to foreigners engaged in commercial pursuits. General San Martin appears to have hesitated for some days, but at length complied with the prayers of the petition; and the removal of the Secretary of State was followed up by the dismissal of other persons in the government, who had rendered themselves obnoxious either in one way or the other. General San Martin was expected to leave Lima on the 12th August, for the northward, for the purpose of having an interview with General Bolivar.

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IN proportion as the cultivation of music extends itself more widely among us-and how rapid and general has been its diffusion from year to year!the commencement of the Opera season, at every recurrence, is looked upon as an event of greater importance, and is anxiously expected by every lover of the art. This theatre no longer owes its exclusive attraction to fashion and ton; hundreds flock to it from parts and stations the most unfashionable, because there they expect to hear music in the greatest state of perfection attainable in this country; and there they ought to find it. It ought to be the head-quarters, the emporium of harmony; and it has been occasionally so, but the unfortunate vicissitudes to which the establishment has been exposed from its cradle, and which are perhaps not yet at their finale, seeming, as if by a certain fatality, linked to its very existence-have caused many retrocessions in its career.

Such, we fear, will ever be the history of our Italian Opera, unless it be honoured with the powerful patronage and active support of Government! What, will some of our readers exclaim, are the stipends of Madame Camporese, Mademoiselle Noblet, and little Mercandotti, to be included in the budget to be submitted to Parliament? Would you have the Chancellor of the Exchequer ask a vote for new Churches and Opera-dancers, all in one breath? And if that were possible, what would the Lord Chancellor say, who would not give five shillings for Rhode's best variations sung in Catalani's best style? And if the Lord Chancellor were to be got over, what would the Honourable member for Aberdeen say? and the good people east of Templebar, and all the serious part of the population? Oh, the abomination! Yet, if Mademoiselle Noblet and the littleMercandotti could be sent about to canvass votes, who knows what might happen for the good of the art? But this being out of the question, for good reasons, the accomplishment of our wishes, in a constitutional way, is, we fear, equally problematical. It is the fostering support of Royalty upon which we would more particularly rest our

hopes. Without it our Opera most likely will remain a lingering concern. Without such support, no opera-establishment north of the forty-fifth degree of latitude has ever prospered. The operas in Paris, Berlin, Munich, Vienna, Stockholm, St. Petersburg, and even in some capitals of Italy, depend in a great degree upon the aid of their respective governments.

The

Next to this essential assistance, we place the choice of a Director of the establishment at large, or at least of its Musical branch. The effect of a judicious appointment of this description has been practically illustrated by the wonderful success of one solitary season under Mr. Ayrton's auspices. phalanx of talent which was then ushered on the boards of the King's Theatre, the selection of dramas, and their masterly performance, has never since been equalled. This phalanx has dwindled away gradually, and one single remnant of the bright era just serves to remind us of better times. Of what the present season may produce, we rather rest in hope, than infer from its commencement, which was by no means promising. The theatre opened on Saturday the 4th January, with Mozart's Clemenza di Tito. This early commencement of the season was, we understand, the cause of some disappointments in the arrival of new performers; and indisposition added to the difficulties. We shall, therefore, suspend our opinion, as to the exertions and the judgment evinced in the engagement of the company until we see more of its personnel.

Mozart was dead many years before any of his operas came upon a British stage. The last he wrote, La Clemenza di Tito, was the first we saw here. With all its imperfections, it possessed sufficient beauties to electrify the audience. The British public, more than any other nation, is a creature of habit; hence this opera, like Handel's Messiah, is still preferred to every thing else by a great number of persons, some of no contemptible taste in music. In our opinion, La Clemenza di Tito is the least fascinating of all the six classic dramatic compositions of Mozart. He wrote it at Prague, under the lingering pres sure of the mortal disease of which he

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died soon afterwards. Here and there we perceive a temporary and brilliant revivification of the expiring flame; but a dim and sombre hue is spread over the greater portion of the music. Many of the melodies, with great beauties, breathe strains of languor and melancholy. Hence their extraordinary simplicity. The accompaniments are frequently unusually plain, at times imperfect, as if they were but first sketches. For our parts, we cannot listen to this opera without thinking of the forlorn state in which it was written by our idol, Mozart, who then was fully aware of his approaching dissolution. We feel as deeply affected as if we heard the favourite tune of an intimate friend prematurely snatched from us.But independently of the music, the nature of the text and the long recitatives are calculated to throw languor over the performance.

This opera, therefore, more than any other of Mozart's, requires a combination of first-rate acting and singing to prevent its flagging. Such aid, we are sorry to say, it was far from enjoying during the three successive nights of its recent performance.-Madame Camporese, in the part of Sisto, acted and sang with her usual excellence; her expression, her intense feeling, charmed the audience. Curioni, as Tito, was respectable, he sang well and sweetly, but his acting was frigid, he was anything but the Titus of Metastasio. Miss Caradori-what enemy to her reputation could have persuaded this lady to try the part of Vitellia? We have more than once done justice to her vocal talents; the correctness, delicacy, and flexibility of her voice, have often formed the theme of our praise; but we owe it to truth to declare, that she rendered the part of Vitellia (infinitely too strong for her calibre) a complete cypher. There was not a spark of animation, all was cold, stiff, and lifeless. Even her songs failed in exciting any emotion or producing effect, although correctly sung, and with all the dilicacy of instrumental execution. The beautiful Aria, "Non piu di fiori," we scarcely recognized. Here she took innumerable liberties with the original, added divers unnecessary, and indeed injurious embellishments, and transposed a great deal into the upper octave,

even where her scale might have reached the lower authentic notes.-Of Signora Graziano, in the character of Annio, we can only say, that she did the best she could, however indifferent it was. We felt some surprise to see her again among the company. Her companion, however, Servilia, was consigned into hands which at all events

could not obscure her efforts. This character was allotted to a young lady, a first appearance, whom the bills called Signora Clerini, but whose real name is Le Clerc, a tall clumsy figure, with a diminutive head, and rather a pretty little French countenance. Her deportment, walk, and gestures, were so singularly awkward and uncouth, that frequently the audience could not repress a risible impulse. The voice and the singing were of so neutral a kind as not to compensate for the above defects, and her Italian was any thing but the lingua Toscana nella bocca Romana; in fact, it might have been Japanese, to judge by the mere sounds. Who, in the name of taste, could have recommended, who sanctioned the engagement of such a person? And then the Italian metamorphosis of the name! Mà basta.

Placci did Publio tolerably, at least he gave no offence; but we had ample cause here to regret the discharge of Angrisani, which altogether will be felt as a great loss; the more to be deplored, as it was, we understand, but a very trifling diminution in salary which deprived us of an excellent bass, a good musician, and a very fair comic performer.

La Gazza Ladra was the fourth representation at the King's Theatre, and introduced a new bass singer in the person of Signor Porto. Opinions are much divided as to his merits; and as we did not attend, we shall state our own at a future opportunity.

A new opera of Rossini," La Donna del Lago," is announced.

No new ballet has yet made its appearance. We have a new ballet-master, and several new dancers are engaged, one or two of whom have made their début. Of these we also must defer giving our opinion for the present, having already considerably trespassed on our limits.

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