J-i 



The Last Days oj Spain. 



[Feb. Ij 



details of Iiis perfidious conduct, Le 

 lived in contempt and obscurity, tlat- 

 teriug; tin; ruling powers, and endea- 

 \ouring to gain over public opinion by 

 his popularity. He happened to be at 

 Madrid at tlie time of the insurrection 

 of Quiroga's army in January 1820; 

 and, when the spirit of rebellion was 

 spreading in a manner too formidable 

 for power, he was summoned by the 

 king, wlio requested of him the assist- 

 ance of his sword, to oppose the ex- 

 pedition of Kiego, who was reported 

 to have possessed himself of Cordova. 

 Abisbal left Madrid, accompanied by 

 some young military officers, known 

 for their liberal principles. On his 

 arrival at La Manclia, he put himself 

 at the head of the troops cantoned in 

 that province, and proclaimed the 

 Constitution. The news of this event 

 roused the public spirit of Madrid, 

 ■where the revolution burst forth imme- 

 diately on the intelligence of the 

 event. Herein he rendered an essen- 

 tial service to the cause of liberty ; but 

 so many perfidious traits in his cha- 

 racter alienated the conlidence of 

 those wlio put themselves at the head 

 of the new order of tilings; and, con- 

 scious himself that he could no longer 

 act an elevated character on the poli- 

 tical stage ; he took refuge in a village 

 of Castile, whence he was recalled by 

 the ministry of San Miguel, to act as 

 Inspector- General of the Infantry. 

 He continued in his office, when the 

 threats of tiie Congress of Verona 

 were about to be effected. The 

 CwdoH Sanitaire was now metamor- 

 phosed into an army of observation, 

 and still the ministry persisted in their 

 credulity and supineuess. When the 

 danger approached, the Cortes quitted 

 Madrid with the king and the ministry, 

 and Madrid was delivered up to the 

 Count d'Abisbal, who re-united in his 

 person all political pover, both civil 

 and military. Here he paved the way 

 to treacliery in this memorable cam- 

 paign, by the facility of a triumph 

 which had been prepared by every 

 means of corruption. Fifty thousand 

 piastres were the recompense of his 

 own inactive cowardice. 



In the mean time, Morillo had re- 

 ceived the command of tlic fourth 

 array of operations. The territory of 

 his command extended from Castile to 

 Gallicia; he had under his orders, in 

 this latter province, the brave Qui-, 

 roga, who was burning with impatience 

 to defend the cause of libertv, and 



whose operations were always thwarted 

 by Morillo, with unparalleled address 

 and constajicy. While Quiroga was 

 forming an army of eleven thousand 

 men, Morillo was busy in discouraging: 

 and disbanding the troops that were 

 joining him. At last, Morillo acted in 

 such a manner, that the province, on 

 which the liberals had most fully relied, 

 was soon the theatre of anarchy and 

 confusion. Morillo concealed the 

 treacherous part he was playing, and 

 with a refinement of hypocrisy which 

 was not to be expected from a rough 

 soldier, better known for the ferocity 

 of his character than the extent of his 

 abilities. This man had been gained 

 over to the French party, to whom he 

 had engaged to deliver Galicia, and 

 was only watting for a favourable op- 

 portunity to acquit himself of his pro- 

 mise. This opportunity soon presented 

 itself. The Cortes, in their journey 

 from Seville to Cadiz, suspended for 

 a few days the king's exercise of his 

 funetions, and nominated a regency, 

 consistently with the power granted to 

 them by the Constitution. Morillo 

 then, erecting himself as supremo 

 h'gislator, and placing himself above 

 the king, government, Cortes, and 

 those laws v/hich he had sworn to ob- 

 serve, openly declared that he would 

 not submit to the new authorities. 

 Acting in conjunction with all the 

 servile party in Galicia, he opened the 

 gates of this province to the French, 

 and placed himself nnder the orders of 

 General Bourk. 



The third act of treacherj' was still 

 more scandalous. General Ballaste- 

 ros, who had never before disgraced 

 his character, who had traversed seve- 

 ral provinces of Spain, augmenting 

 every-where his army, throwing garri- 

 sons into the strong places, and pursu- 

 ing, sword in hand, the rebel bands, — 

 when at the head of an army of 

 20,000 men, at the gates of Andalusia, 

 through which the French were to 

 pass to penetrate to Cadiz, entered 

 into a capitulation, tiie conditions of 

 which are yet enveloped in obscurity, 

 and thereby facilitated the occupation 

 of the southern part of Spain, and con- 

 sequently the siege of Cadiz and all 

 its consequences. Quimga was re- 

 called from Galicia, at a lime when tlie 

 critical circumstances in which that 

 province was situated stiongly re- 

 quired his presence. Patiijieluna, 

 which was in a formidable state of de- 

 fence, with SOOpieces of cannon ready 

 mounted, 



