The Spain of liberal José María Blanco White in The Quarterly Review Magazine and in The British Encyclopedia

Abstract

The present work deals with two articles on Spain written by José María Blanco White: one published in 1823, in The Quarterly Review Magazine, as a critical review of the work of Michael J. Quin: A Visit to Spain; Detailing the Transactions which Occurred during a Residence in that Country, in the Latter Part of 1822, and the first four months of 1823; another insert in the Sixth Editions of the Encyclopaedia Britannica and dated 1824. The historical-political events that occurred in Spain from the end of the 18th to the first third of the 19th century, on which Blanco White extends, are presented and analyzed. The examination reveals, among other issues, that Blanco White understood that the Spaniards had had many difficulties to get rid of the yoke of absolutism and that an intelligent and adequate development of liberalism had not taken place in Spain, which was incapable of constructing a response adjusted to the Spanish reality that did not go beyond what the fledgling nation itself was capable of tolerating. In addition, evidence that White showed a deep disagreement with the principles of the liberal formula generally adjusted to the traditional norms and practices of patriotic liberalism, of clear French inspiration and influence, opting for the British model.