674 The Campaign of the Spanish Constitutionalists. QDEC. 



superior pretensions would induce the various chiefs to acquiesce in the 

 propriety of the election of Mina to the supreme command, but, un- 

 fortunately, this was far from being the case. Without entering into 

 invidious and disagreeable speculations, we will merely state that, whilst 

 Espinosa, Plasencia, Butron, and other generals readily and joyfully sub- 

 scribed to the choice, there were other chiefs who opposed it, and deter- 

 mined to act independent of his authority. Colonel Valdes, De Pablo, 

 and Vigo were more conspicuous in this opposition, and they forthwith 

 applied themselves to hasten their invasion into Spain. This unfortu- 

 nate circumstance was a source of great sorrow and perplexity to the 

 more prudent among the Spaniards ; they harboured fearful antici- 

 pations that much mischief might ensue from this spirit of disunion, and 

 they even dreaded that the immediate success of the cause might be 

 affected by the event. Negociations were entered upon which proved 

 abortive, and an entrance into Spain without further delay was the 

 result. It is, however, but just to observe, that the decided hostility 

 evinced by the sub-prefect of Bayonrie towards the constitutionalists, 

 and the numberless paltry vexations with which he contrived to annoy 

 them, might also have weight in influencing the resolution taken by the 

 oppositionists to Mina. Be this as it may, a detachment of constitution- 

 alists entered Spain on the 15th of October, under the command of a 

 chief in the interests of Torrijos and the Comuneros. 



Colonel Don Francisco Valdes is an officer who possesses in no ordi- 

 nary degree the quality of daring intrepidity. He is, besides, enthusi- 

 astically attached to the cause of liberty, and bears a character of unim- 

 peached honour and integrity. Added to this, his great activity and the 

 recollection of his attempt at Tarifa, have invested him with a degree of 

 merit which gained him partizans, and enabled him to muster up a 

 respectable body of followers. But let us calmly ask, is this enough to 

 justify Valdes for his ambition, or excuse his reluctance to act under the 

 orders of such a man as Mina ? This unhappy breach among the con- 

 stitutionalists paved the way to the spirit of intrigue, and the enemies of 

 Spanish liberty would not allow so favourable an opportunity to escape 

 without setting all their engines to work, in order to multiply the diffi- 

 culties which the folly of the patriots themselves conspired to increase. 

 From the very active part which certain persons played, from the pecu- 

 niary means at the command of other men by no means deserving of 

 implicit trust, and from a variety of circumstances which it is super- 

 fluous to enumerate, we may draw the most melancholy inferences con- 

 cerning the series of intrigues carried on among the deluded Spaniards., 

 whom, it now appears, no lesson of experience can render wiser. 



Colonel Valdes then, after a stormy interview with Mina, effected, as 

 we have related, his entry into Spain : but his first movements were for 

 some time totally unknown to the public. Indeed, the most contradic- 

 tory accounts were daily in circulation concerning the progress of the 

 small band, and the encouragement afforded by the inhabitants. One 

 day Valdes was completely routed, and the next we heard of his repuls- 

 ing a force of two thousand men under Juanito. So imperfect was the 

 information received, that the greatest variety of opinion existed even 

 with regard to the amount of the numeral strength of the invaders. 

 Some boldly asserted, that the corps of Valdes amounted to eight hun- 

 dred strong, while others were only willing to allow the colonel half the 

 number the latter were, no doubt, nearer the mark. Colonel Leguia 



