French, efficient measures for their welfare. The enemies of that welfare, which he was about to secure them by means of his ally, were in motion. They ought to be guarded against. They might be distinguished by their invectives against the French. Such ought to be viewed as the enemies of Spain, and the agents of England; who looks forward to the possession of the Spanish colonies, by fomenting divisions in the mother country, and inciting it against their natural ally the emperor. He concludes with calling on the Spaniards to trust to his experience; to obey that authority which he holds from God and his fathers; and to follow his example, in thinking that there is no prosperity or safety for their country, but in the friendship of their ally. Thus, to all appearance, had Bonaparte completely and readily succeeded in accomplishing his views upon Spain. He had pro ceeded slowly and easily but at last every thing seemed to be brought to a conclusion, such as his ambition desired. The crown of Spain was conveyed to his family by almost every individual who could claim any direct or clear right to it. The members of the old dynasty were safe in the interior of France; removed from all chance of disturbing his future plans, or of serving as the rallying point of resistance and independence. But he had obtained not merely the base deed of conveyance; he had previously made use of the monarch for the purpose of draw. ing a great proportion of the best troops out of Spain to a distant country, and of introducing a nu merous French army into the fron tier fortresses, the capital, and the very heart of the kingdom. The Spaniards, thus deserted by their royal family, stript of part of their army, guarded and oppressed by a numerous, well-disciplined, and watchful enemy, saw the most distinguished public bodies, to whom they had always looked up with veneration and confidence for advice and example, not only forsake the cause of their country, but ac tually invite the nation to receive the French as friends, and condemn those who had risen in defence of their liberty and lives. Their prospect was still more dispiriting; an insurrection of the capital, seemingly digested and prepared beforehand; numerous and well supported; urged on and animated by the oppression they had suffered or witnessed; was crushed after a short resistance by the French army. There seemed then little hope, that the scattered population of the country; forsaken by most of those nobles who should have headed and directed them; cut off and divided by intervening bodies of the French; ignorant of each others disposition, and of the enemy's force; would offer even a feeble and temporary resistance to the introduction and establishment of the new dynasty. Bonaparte appears to have regarded his work as complete; and those to whom the virtues of the Spanish nation were known, lamented its fate, as being thus destined to have them trodden under foot by this unprincipled and selfish conqueror. CHAPTER CHAPTER IX. Affairs of Spain continued—At achment of the Spaniards to Ferdinand— Offers of Assistance-Sudden and general Insurrection--Formation of Provincial Juntas-Substance of their Addresses to the People-iddres of Palafax to the Arraronese-Establishment of a Supreme Jun'a at SevilleIs Character-Precautions issu.d by it-Declaration of War against France, and of Peace quib Britan-Arrival of Spanish Deputies in England -Feelings and Sentiments of this Country respecting the Spanish Revolu tin-Assistance off red by Ministry-Orders in Council-L beration of the Spanish Prisoners-Disposition and Measures of the Inhabitants if Cadiz-Assistance offered them by Admiral Furvis-Attack on the French Fleet-Its Surrender-Ma: cb of Dupont to secure it-His critical Stuation-March of the Spanish Army under Castenos against Dupont-Prudent Behaviour of Castano-Battle of Baylen-Surrender of Dupon's Army-Importance of it to the Cause of Spain-Remarks on the Non-fulfilment of the Capitulation-Attacks on Saragis a-Bravery of its inbabitants and of General Palafox-Proceedings of the Northern ArmyBattle of Rio Seco-Attempt of Bessieres to corrupt General BlakeHeroism of the Bisbap of St. Andero-Proce dings in Murcia and Valencia-Attack on the City of Valenca--Its brave Resistance-Remarks on the Bebaviour of the Inbabitants of Saragossa and Valencia-Situation of Madrid-Pros e lings at Baynne Joseph Bonaparte nominated King of Spain-Proposed Constitution-Joseph 'onaparte's Arrival at MadridHis precipitate and disgraceful Fight-Remarks on the Exaggerations of the Spanish Newspapers-Impolicy of deceiving the People-Brief Recapulation of the Success of the Spaniards, and the Loss of the French, up to the Evacuation of Madrid. HE abdication of Charles, and the consequent accession of his son, by whatever means they were brought about, appear to have given very general satisfaction to the Spanish nation, and to have infused into them no inconsiderable portion of confidence, activity, and vigour. They had hitherto submitted with patience to the induence and power of France, utterly hopeless of rescuing themselves while Charles sat on the throne and the prince of peace directed his councils. But the accession of Ferdinand and the disgrace of the favourite led them to hope, that they should now find a sovereign 1908. willing to direct and lead on their efforts to regain their independence. Scarcely, therefore, had the new arch ascended the throne, be fore offers of assistance and support were made him, provided he were disposed and thought it pru dent to resist the tyranny of France. That such offers should have been made at a time when Spain was filled with the armies of the enemy, and stript of great part of her own, is, of itself, a sufficient proof of the spirit and determination of the people. The province of Ca talonia, at once the most induatious and the most warlike in the Spanish empire; whose inhabitants T are are not more distinguished, in the records of history, for their manly and persevering struggles to preserve or regain their privileges, than for intrepid and unshaken attachment to the cause they have once espoused, particularly distinguished itself by the prompts ness and magnitude of its offers. The captain-general of that province, relying on the known resources and disposition of the inhabitants, came forward, soon after Ferdinand a cended the throne, with the offer of upwards of 100,000 men. Nor were other parts of Spain deficient in zeal and attachment to their new sovereign; and had Ferdinand been endowed with greater firmness of mind, or been surrounded by less arduous and enibarrassing circumstances, he might soon have placed himself at the head of an armed nation. But though less disposed than his father to submit to the views of Bonaparte, he by no means possessed a character equal to the emergency. of the crisis in which he was placed. He therefore discouraged and repressed the offers of his subjects to free him from the bondage of France; and preferred yielding himself up to the wishes of Bonaparte, with the ill-grounded hope of thus warding off his enmity and displeasure, to the nobler and hot more hazardous resolution of opposing him openly by force of arms. The spirit, however, which had animated the Spaniards thus boldly to declare their eagerness to support their sovereign, was not of a nature to be chilled and repressed by his timidity or example. The hatred they had conceived against the French found daily fresh sources of nourishment. They saw Ferdinand, who had rejected their proffered services, lest he should expose himself to the displeasure or suspicion of Bonaparte, enticed by deceit, or compelled by violence, to quit his own kingdom, and commit himself to the power of his enemy. They anticipated the cons. quences, and prepared themselves to resist them with vigour and unanimity. Scarcely was the renunciation of the royal family, in favour of Bonaparte, known in Spair, before the northern provinces burst into open and organized insurrecton. Asturias and Gallicia, the refuge of Spanish independence, when it fled before the Moorish power, set the glorious example: and it was soon followed by almost every part of Spain not immediately occupied or overawed by the armies of France. One of the first steps taken by the leaders of the revolution was to form and assemble the juntas, or general assemblies of the provinces, who immediately issued proclamations calling upon the Spaniards to rise in defence of their sovereiga and their own liberties. In these proclamations every topic was insisted upon which could rouse the indignation of the people: the long and prejudicial subserviency c Spain to the views and interests of the French government; the degradation and misery which this subserviency had produced; the treacherous behaviour of Bonaparte to Ferdinand; and the consequences which must necessarily result, if he were permitted to carry through his plans, were strongly dwelt upon. The nation was called upon, by every thing they held dear; by the dignity and glory long sustained by the Spanish name; by their attachment to their religion, their country, and their sovereign; by every tie that bound them them to the liberty and happiness of themselves and their posterity; to arm themselves with energy and courage, and to prevent by their powerful and unanimous interference the infamous and complete rin with which they were threat eled by the common enemy of the indepen ence and happiness of the human race. The crimes of which Bonaparte had been guilty were placed before, their eyes, in all their horror; the fatal consequences which had uniformly resulted from the apathy and indifference of the people in the countries he had already conquered, were urged as holding forth the most powerful and urgent reasons for the union of the Spanish nation in the great and glorious cause of resisting his oppression, and rescuing their country from being sunk into that state of degradation and slavery which had overwhelmed so many of the governments of Europe. The cause for which they were called upon to leave their peaceful abodes and occupations, and to as sume the grand and animating character of defenders of their country, was strongly and pointedly contrasted with the cause for which Bonaparte was fighting: the object, for which he was wasting the blood and treasure of France, and disturbing the repose of Europe, Was that of gratifying the most contemptible as well as insatiable mbition. They were called upon to fight for that which alone could clothe the horrors of war with Justice: their sovereign had been forced from among them, stript by violence or fraud of his legitimate rights, and hurried into the midst of an enemy's country, where nothing protected his life, but the policy or indifference of that man who had thus deceived and insulted him; they were rising to rescue him if possible from the grasp of tyranny; or at least to avenge his imprisonment and degradation: their country was about to be seizeď by one whose footsteps had always been marked by slavery and dest lation; they were going to fight in defence of that country: the religion of their forefathers, which they had hitherto preserved pure and unmixed from the smallest taint of heresy, was threatened by a man who had uniformly shown an indifference and contempt for all religion, and had lately behaved with the utmost insolence and insult to the venerable head of the church: they, therefore, as Spaniards, long and strongly distinguished for the purity of their faith, the energy of their zeal, and their attachment to the holy father, were called upon to surround and protect the holy catholic doctrine. Thus, every motive which could animate and actuate the breasts of men attached to their sovereign, their liberty, and their religion, presented itself in its utmost strength to rouse their indignation, and make them rush to aros. The They were finther encouraged by the representation, that the hearts and the wishes of the rest of Europe, even of the French nation themselves, must arsuredly be in favour of their success. tyrant, whom they were going to oppose, reigned but by the strength of his armies: he had no hold on the affections of the people he had conquered. A successful opposition to his schemes; the defeat of his army, if it were signal and decisive, would be the watchword for a general insurrection throughout the oppressed and degraded countries TZ he he had subdued. And how glorions would it be, if Spain were to be the first nation to conquer or repress the armies of Bonaparte! if, through her means, independence, tranquillity, and happiness, should be restored to the exhausted, enslaved, and despairing nations of the continent ! Such were the principal topics on which the different juntas, in their addresses to their respective provinces, dwelt; and certainly they were well calculated to produce the effect for which they were issued. The province of Arragon was addressed by Palafox- a name afterwards celebrated in the annals of the Spanish revolution-in a strong, spirited, and bold manifesto. He congratulates the Arragonese on their having preserved in their province, from the enemy, an immense quantity of muskets, armunition, and artillery, with which their patriotism, loyalty, and attachment to the customs and religion of their ancestors would now arm them, in order to preserve themselves from the encroachments of the French. His life was at the service of that cause, to defend which he had been chosen by them: but he cautions them not to doubt his loyalty and attachment. Some indeed, from whom they ought to have looked for better things; on whom they had bestowed great trust and high honour; in whom they had placed great confidence; had been the first to desert the cause of their country, and to endeavour to work its ruin. But even these men, when they viewed the determination of the Spanish people to ake off the yoke of French tyranny, might conceal the wishes and ebjects of their heart, and join to all outward appearance, in the common cause. He assured his countrymen he had his eyes upon them; time would discover whether his opinions were well founded. As for the French troops, they would easily fall into the power of the Spaniards, if they were sincere and united in the defence of the just cause in which they had embarked: this cause must render them invincible. The Spanish nation were particularly called upon to prevent the repetition of the horrid carnage which had taken place at Madrid; and to secure their deposed and imprisoned monarch from any further acts of violence and indignity. For this purpose he declared that the French emperor, and every indi: vidual of his family, as well as every French general and officer, should be responsible for the safety of the different branches of the Spanish royal family that no quarter should be given to the French soldiers, if they committed any further murders; and that all the transactions which had taken place or might take place at Ba yonne, relative to the throne of Spain,/should be considered null and void. He concluded by in viting the deputies of the provinces, not invaded by the enemy, to meet and choose a lieut.-general, whose orders might be obeyed by the particular chiefs of the different provinces. The junta to whose proceedings most attention is due is that which was assembled at Seville. As Ma drid was in possession of the French, it became necessary that some principal city should take the lead in issuing directions respecting the great and arduous contest in which the Spanish nation was about to be engaged. No place seemed more proper than Seville: situated SLE |