, Mr. Jacob's Letters from Spain, 
to foster the rising spirit of the people. 
Unauthorised by any superior power, 
and animated solely hy the patriotism of 
his own feelings, he opened a negociation 
with Sir Hew Dalrymple, then governor 
of Gibraltar, secured a supply of troops 
and stores, and obiained from Lord Col- 
lingwood permission to dispatch officers 
by the Adriatic sea, to convey intelli- 
gence of the passing events to the Aus- 
trian government. These arrangements 
were settled previously to the first move- 
ments of insurrection in Seville; and 
when the revolution was completed, and 
the newly invested government in that 
city sent their secretary to ascertain if 
supplies could be furnished from Gibral- 
tar, they learnt with surprise and plea- 
sure, that the patriotic general had anti- 
_cipated their wishes, and had arranged 
with the British commander every pre- 
paration and assistance which their situa- 
tion demanded. This proof of patriotism 
was too unequivocal to leave a doubt on 
any mind; and Castanos, by the voice 
of the country, was invested with the 
command of an army to oppose the 
troops of France, which, under Dupont 
and Vedel, were hastening by forced 
marches to occupy Seville, and reduce 
Cadiz. 
Castanos collected the few regular 
troops in the district, organized the citi- 
zens, who, at the sacred call of their 
country, crowded ta his standard, and, 
with a rapidity and vigour which has not 
since been displayed, tought and cap- 
tured the first invading army of this for- 
midable eneiny. So long as hervism and 
patriotism shall continue to attract. the 
praises of mankind, so long as history 
shall transmit to futurity the brightest 
triumphs of Jiberty, so long will the field 
of Baylen and the fame of Castanos be 
admired by posterity. This is the 
brightest spot in the records of Spanish 
contests, aud may be dwelt upon with 
pleasure, amid the dreary scenes that 
surround it. O sisicomnia! But the 
success, though not the merit, of Casta, 
nos, had here its termination, ; 
The Central Jynta, induced by his 
opularity, conferred on the hero of 
or the command of the army of the 
‘centre, but basely deceived him with 
assurances of placing 75,000 men under 
his command; when he reached the 
army he found scarcely 26,000 collected, 
and those were without stores or provie 
sions, and badly clothed. With this in- 
gullicient force, he had to defend a line 
extending from ‘Tudela to Logrono, of 
625 
more than fifty miles in length, and te 
resist the army of France, incréased by 
newly arrived reinforcements to 120,000 
men, with one hundred and seveuty 
pieces of cannon, led by the most expe- 
rienced generals, and commanded hy 
Buonaparte in person. The calamities 
which followed were such as might natu- 
“rally have been expected, and were not 
the fault of the general, but of those wha 
equipped so insutlicient an army, and 
weakly conceived that they had prepared 
a force equal to the defence of the kings 
dom. : 
SPANISH COLONIES, 
The American dominions of Spain 
contain a population of twelve milion 
sguls; of these, two thirds are the abo- 
rigines of the continent, whose ancestors, 
after the conquest of the country, becaine 
subjects of Spain, cenverts to its religion, 
and obedient to its laws; and the present 
race is so familiarized to the mauners and 
language of the conquerors, as only to be 
distinguished. by their complexion and 
features; there are indeed some parts 
where the Indian race is more insulated, 
and in others totally unmixed with Spa- 
niards; these, however, are only excep- 
tions to the general description, The 
negro slaves are a small body, in many 
parts not-one tenth, in others, as in the 
kingdom of New Granada and in Chili, 
not a twentieth part of the inhabitants; 
but in the islands, and in Venezuela, the- 
proportion ts much greater. ‘The sexuat 
Intercourse’ betwixt the Spaniards and 
the Indian and Negro race, has been 
always more considerable than in the cos 
lomtes founded by England; and hence 
has arisen a much greater proportion of 
those mixed races denominated Mustees 
and Mulattoes, who, after mixing with 
the descendants of Europeans for three 
generations, acquire the name, and he- 
come entitled to the privileges of Spas 
niards. lence, though in the tables of 
Spanish Ainerican population, the Spa= 
niards are estimated as one sixth of the 
whole people, in the estimation are in= 
cluded those of the mixed race who enjoy 
the rights of Europeans. 
The Spaniards are divided into the 
Creoles and the natives of Eurape; and 
the latter are understood to amount to 
one twentieth of the former, or one hu j- 
dred and twentieth part of the whole po- 
pulation, Yet to this small body was 
entrusted the sole power of the govern 
ment. The most lucrative offices in the 
state, and the best beneficesin the church, 
were filled by them, whilst the Creoles, 
natives 
