Blaquiere’s Spain and Spanish Revolution. 
‘sion, exclaiming that, being King by the 
grace of God, he was only accountable to 
Him and his confessor! 
FERDINAND’S ARMY. 
A detailed account of the miseries en- 
dured by the Spanish army during Fer- 
dinand’s reign of terror, would occupy a 
large space, and present scenes of human 
suffering, which could not fail to rouse 
the indignation, and excite the sympathy 
of the most obdurate. I had in my for- 
mer intercourse with this country, and 
while Godoy held the reins of power, 
frequently witnessed the manner in which 
that minion of corruption degraded the 
military character of Spain; but it would 
be unjust not to add, that the general 
treatment of the army under his admi- 
nistration was infinitely better in every 
respect than it met with from the servile 
faction. Arrears of pay, want of clothing, 
and a scarcity of food, were by no means 
unusual in the late reign; and it was not 
till that of Ferdinand VII. that officers 
of high rank, both of the naval and mili- 
tary profession, in various cities of the 
Peninsula, were glad to profit by the 
obscurity of night to solicit charity. 
Such being the condition of the offi- 
cers, what must that of the poor soldiers 
and seamen have been? From the nume- 
rous anecdotes in circulation on this 
painful subject, it is extremely difficult 
to account for that patient resignation, 
with which men bearing arms abstain- 
ed so long from acts of open violence. 
This extraordinary constancy in suffering, 
is singularly characteristic of the Spanish 
soldiery, and though carried farther than 
the most slavish advocates of tyranny 
could justify, it forms their highest pane- 
gytic. There were, indeed, some cases, 
and those of not unfrequent recurrence, 
wherein the victims of cruelty and oppres- 
sion were driven to extremities by in- 
ducements which could not possibly be 
resisted. While on my way to the capi- 
tal, I had the good fortune to become ac- 
quainted with one of Mina’s most active 
assistants in the Guerilla war, now com- 
manding a regiment of cavalry in Arra- 
gon, and who communicated a variety of 
the most affecting details relative to the 
rivations of the army. In speaking of 
imself, my friend, Don Manuel, did not 
however lay claim to an equal share of 
forbearance with his brother soldiers; 
having assured me that, not many months 
‘previous to the recent explosion, such 
was his wretched state, being left for 
three whole days without bread for his 
wife and children, he had recourse to the 
desperate alternative of seizing his sword, 
585 
and proceeding to the paymaster’s house, 
where he paced backwards and forwards, 
before the door, till the latter made his 
appearance; upon which my friend ac- 
costed him in the language inspired by 
his situation, reproached the paymaster 
with being the cause of it, and ended by 
calling upon him to draw, for unless 
instant relief was given, to prevent his 
family from perishing with hunger, one 
of them must fall! This appeal had the 
desired effect; and what will excite still 
more surprise, Don Manuel was not 
called to account for his temerity, so satis- 
fied were the authors of his sufferings 
that they could not justify their own 
conduct. 
MINA. 
The reception of Mina in France was 
very creditable to the ministers of Louis 
XVII. Though closely watched by the 
police from his arrival till he departed in 
March last, he was allowed a liberal pen- 
sion during his stay at Paris. It has been 
remarked that this brave and independent 
patriot ought to have been invited to fix 
his residence in England; for although 
by his exertions in the war against Napo- 
leon, he was peculiarly entitled to protec- 
tion from the Bourbons, he had much 
stronger claims on the British cabinet. 
Whatever the General’s feelings with 
regard to England may have been for- 
merly, I have every reason to believe he 
now joins inthe opinion so universally 
entertained here, that we are the cause of 
all those evils which have oppressed 
Spain within the last six years; since, 
according to this opinion, it was, by the 
connivance and support of our ministers 
the constitution was abrogated in 1814, 
Unlike too many of his countrymen, 
Mina makes a proper distinction between 
the ministers and people of England. I 
have a particular right to say so; and 
take this opportunity of expressing my 
thanks for his hospitable kindnesses to me 
while at Pamplona, where he has suc- 
ceeded in conciliating the esteem of all 
ranks, (except the Serviles) by his justice 
and moderation as Captain-general of 
Navarre, 
Actuated by the same motives as Lazan 
at Zaragoza, Mina’s predecessor, Espe- 
leta, also a noble and old courtier of 
Charles [V., has done his utmost to dis- 
turb the harmony of the province, but in 
vain, though assisted by nearly the whole 
of the priesthood, of which there is a 
great number in Pamplona. 
The activity and simple mode of living 
peculiar to the Guerilla chief, might be 
advantageously imitated by the military 
men of more Northern climes. Having 
only 
