1824.] The Last D 



For the M(mtlily Magazhu. 



LAST DAYS o/" SPAIN. 



[The outrage committed by the despots of 

 Europe in Spain still claims pre-emi- 

 nent iiouco. Its present results afflict 

 all the honest fVeling of the age ; and 

 the re-action of that feeling on the 

 atitliors of so many crimes, will operate 

 for ages on the history of Enrope. 

 Such atrocities will, we hope, not pass 

 iinpiniishcd in this fjeneration; hut "the 

 child will rue that is nnborn" the un- 

 principled invasion of Spain by the 

 Bonrhons in 1823. We have ab- 

 stracted, from an interestina; pamphlet, 

 entitled " The Last Days of Spain, by an 

 Eye IVilncss," some details of tlicse 

 events, which have not transpired 

 througli the public journals, and it will 

 be found interesimg to those who do 

 not possess, or who may not preserve, 

 the curious original.] 



IN 1819, Spain was presented to 

 nations as ah admirable model of 

 legitimacy. Ti)C partisan of servility 

 and superstition, M. de Chateau- 

 briand, published a pamphlet, in which 

 lie proved tliat the most flourishing, 

 the most peaet'lul, and the mosthiippy 

 nation of the world, was Spain ; and 

 that her flourishing, peaceful, and 

 happy, condition, was owing to her 

 submissive obedience to an absolute 

 monarch, and to her being governed 

 by priests and the Council of Castile 

 The Ilus.«ian ambassador was tlieinvi- 

 sil)lc head of the Camarilla; and whose 

 agents laid before the king lists of 

 proscription, wiiicii the monarch rea- 

 dily approved, and caused to be put 

 into execution by individuals who 

 thirsted for sianghler and employments. 

 Every thing proceeded admirably. 

 The people were pliant, and paid their 

 quota of taxes; the Inquisition was 

 diligent in preventing the intrciduetion 

 of dangerous doctrines ; Ferdinand 

 applied the revenues of the state to the 

 gratification of his own pleasures ; the 

 convents were increasing in number, 

 and ignorance ensliadosved the king- 

 dom. The revolution of 1820 was a 

 sudden and alarming blow. The 

 French ministry, when interrogated 

 by the Count d'Artois, declared tliat 

 no other plan could be j)ursued but to 

 recognise the legitimacy of the Consti- 

 tutional King ; but this bigot was au- 

 thorised to use any secret measures to 

 re-e.stablish absolute power in S|)ain. 



The Count d'Artois gladly took this 

 task ui)on himself, and the Pavilion 

 Marsan became the centre of intrigues, 

 Tvliieli soon displayed themselves 



Monthly Mao. No. 392. 



uijs of Spain. g 



evcry-where. The Ru'.siaa and Aus- 

 trian ambassadors answered for the 

 co-operation of tlieir respective courts : 

 that of Prussia re(|uired to consult tho 

 ministers of Eerlin, and received in 

 answer, orders to act in concert with 

 the representatives of the cabi- 

 nets of Viei:na and St. Petersburg. 

 Certniu Spaniards, then resident at 

 Paris, and greatly attached to tlie 

 Bourbon familj ; viz. the Count of 

 Espagne and M. Pons, with several 

 ollicis, greatly flattered the asj)iring 

 passions of the prince who had placed 

 himself at tlie head of this under- 

 taking. They described the Sjianisli 

 revolution as an ephemeral reaction of 

 a party too trifling to be feared, and 

 which Hould be annihilated on the 

 least appearance of force to oppose it. 

 'i'he French ambassador at Madrid, 

 the Prince of Laval de Montmorenci, 

 although strongly bigoted to preroga- 

 tive and feudal notions, and sincerely 

 attached to the Bourbon dynasty, was 

 a man of too noble and upright a cha- 

 racter to betray the cause of trutii, by 

 flattering the passions of those by 

 whotn he was employed ; and, in his 

 despatches, he spoke of the revolution 

 of January as a necessary consequence 

 of the ill management, violent mea- 

 sures, and iniquitous proceedings, of 

 liie former government ; and declared 

 that the wlmk- nation had adopted, 

 ni'Ji enthusia.sm, the institutions that 

 had been re-establi.shed. Urged, how- 

 ever, by the French ministry, M. de 

 Laval replied, that there existed 

 among the ministry and the Corles a 

 moderate party, composed of men who 

 feared despotism as much as anarchy ; 

 and that France should encourage, 

 counsel, and unite with this party. 

 Those who were the most courted 

 and flattered by the French diploma- 

 tist, were the ministers Arguclies and 

 Canga Arguclies. and ihe deputies 

 Torreno and Vlartincz de la Kosa. la 

 September 1820, Ricgo arrived at 

 Madrid, and the enthusiasm of the 

 ])eoj)le was at its height; but this burst 

 of patriotism, which was productive of 

 no excess, the ministry viewed as a 

 general calamity ; they disbanded the 

 army of La Jsia, which, under tho 

 orders of Quiroga and Riego, had se- 

 cured the gratitude of tiieir country, 

 ordered a stop to be put to popular 

 assend)lics. and fille<l the streets of 

 Madrid with aitillory. In tl.e mean 

 time, Kiego was proseribcd, and a 

 report spread, that be was at the head 

 C of 



