274 
their mechanical power. If morality 
or principles had any weight in the 
contest, the Bourbon slaves, who be- 
came Banditti the instant they invaded 
an unoffending country, would long 
since have been exterminated. But, 
on the contrary, in the partizans of 
arbitrary power, of the inquisition, 
and of all those negations of intellect, 
which sink men into brutes, the ban- 
ditti found a numcrous party of priests 
and priest-ridden slaves, eager to co- 
operate with them; and intcllectual 
men, as possessing no extra degree of 
mechanical powers, have, by their joint 
action, been overwhelmed. The ban- 
ditti, with allikeir infamy of conduct, 
have, nevertheless, been ashamed of 
their Spanish adherents, and a war of 
words, if not of arms, has commenced 
between them. Some wretches were 
_ constituted a Regency at Madrid, but 
their violent and brutal policy render- 
edit necessary to restrain them by 
a formal preclamation ; and, in conse- 
quence, an implacable hostility. bas 
been declared even against the Bour- 
bon slaves, whose alleged moderation 
is criminal in the estiuation of these 
Spanish desperadocs, 
In the mean time the Bourbon 
leader having assembled his forces 
before Cadiz, proceeded to evince his 
prowess by storming the fortifications 
of the Tracadero, a slip of land which 
runs from the main into the harbour ; 
and, taking advantage of the night, of 
low water, and of treasons within the 
works, they were carried, and numbers 
of brave Spaniards fell murdered 
victinis at their guns. All civilized 
Europe lamented this triamph of me- 
chanical power, but certain govern- 
ments look on while these crimes are 
perpetrating, aad appear to think that 
those are justifiable who coolly pass by 
while assassins are murdering a help- 
Jess man inthe strect, It is even sus- 
pected that the nian who was ambas- 
sadcr at Naples, in 1820, has, by 
Machiavelian policy and intrigues, 
aggravated the mischiefs of the con- 
test, though his master rules a free 
people, who have but one opinion on 
this subject. Whatever be the result, 
the martyrs of the great cause of 
human nature will be greatly multi- 
plied by this contest, one of many 
which must take place before man 
triumphs over ignorance, and over 
those who profit by it, The brave 
Rieeo is one of the last victims of his 
base and treacherous countrymen. 
Political Affairs in September. 
[Oct. 1, 
The Cortes shut up in Cadiz have, 
however, imitated the Roman Senate, 
when the British Brennus led an army 
of ancient Gauls to Rome, the mem- 
bers of which died at their posts. At 
the end of their session the following 
Speech was delivered by Ferdinand; 
and this, with the Reply of the Presi- 
dent, as exhibiting the true state of the 
Spanish question, we have preserved 
for the information of posterity :— 
Gentlemen Deputies.—On this solemn 
day, ia which the present Cortes are closed, 
my heart is necessarily affected by sensa- 
tions of different kinds, though still they 
aceord with the cireumstances in which 
the nation is placed. On the one hand, 
the evils by which she is oppressed, and, 
on the other, the valour of those sons who 
defend her, produce in my mind the natu- 
ral effects of such opposite causes; and, if 
the public calamities and the horrid abuse 
of my royal name by the enemies of the 
state, are to me matter of ,the deepest 
affliction, I likewise feel the greatest satis- 
faction when I contemplate the virtues by 
which the Spanish people are acquiring 
fresh claims to glory, and the conduct by 
which their worthy representatives have 
distinguished themselves Curing the pres 
sent legislature. 
Invaded as our territory is, by the most 
unheard-of treachery on the part of a per- 
filious enemy, who owe their existence 
chiefly to this magnanimous nation, the 
world beholds violated in her the rights of 
all countries, and all the principles the most 
sacred among men. Pretended defects 
in our political institutions—supposed er- 
rors in our interior administration—a feign- 
ed wish to restore tranquillity, the distur- 
bance of which is the work of those alone 
who exaggerate it—affected concern for 
the dignity of a monarch who wishes not 
to be one but for the happiness of his ‘sub- 
jcects—such were the pretexts of an ag- 
gression which will be the scandal of pos- 
terity, and the blackcst spot of the nine- 
teenth centary. Buthypocrisy, embolden- 
ed by her ephemeral progress, soon threw 
ot the mask, and, discovering all the hor- 
ror of her views, no longer allows even the 
mest duped to doubt that the only reform 
she aims at is to deprive the nation of all 
independence, ofall liberty, and of all hope; 
and that the dignity which :le pretends to 
restore to my crown, consists only in dis- 
honourpig me, in exposinz my royal per- 
son and famiiy, and in undermining the 
foundations of my throne, to raise herself 
on its ruins, 
With very little reliance on their forces, 
and on their own valour, the invaders have 
not been able to advance but as cowards, 
by scattering corrupting gold, by recurring 
to the vilest shifts to seduce tlie incautious, 
and by arming in their aid ‘treason, fana- 
. ticism, 
