1739. Robert Southey to Charles Watkin Williams Wynn, [c. 2 February 1810] ⁠* 

My dear Wynn

I would congratulate you upon your majority over Ministers, [1]  if I were not more afraid of some of their opponents. I would rather see any set of men in power than those who so basely calumniate the Spaniards, – rather have a Cabinet composed of the Devil & his Angels, if they would carry on the war, than of Adm men who are xx ready to bow the knee to Buonaparte. [2]  I do not agree with you that if Spain were apparently conquered & he offered [MS torn] the independance of S. America xxxx such terms must be accepted not merely because the conquest of the Mother Country never can be more than nominal, (if it costs to Spain a <another> war of seven centuries [3]  to get rid of the invaders, – they will never cease till they have expelled them) – but also because the independance of S. America is not his to give. We <should> have it in our power xx – & his motive in conceding it would only be to obtain a free communication with those colonies himself, – for the sake of reuniting them to Spain. – Sooner or later Ld G. & the Foxites will seperate upon the question of peace, – I wish the schism had taken place. The fear lest he should concede too much to them upon the point hurts him with a large portion of the public.

God bless you

RS.