STATE PAPERS. 



693 



and by the gratitude of foreign 

 •nations, after having secured by 

 your arms an honourable peace, 

 when the satisfaction of our mo- 

 narch, the approbation of the 

 world, the rewards of valour, the 

 blessings of your fellow citizens, 

 and the consciousness of deserved 

 repose await you. 



Charles, 

 Archduke, Generalissimo. 



Letter to the Vice President of the 

 Supreme Central Junta, dated 

 Merida, I2th April, 1809. 



Excellent Signor, — The greater 

 number of the provinces of Spain 

 have sufficiently suffered from the 

 horrible effects of war and con- 

 quest, and the rest are threatened 

 with the same calamities. The me- 

 lancholy events of the 27th and 

 28th of March, affecting the armies 

 of generals Urbina and Cuesta, 

 have filled with consternation and 

 alarm those honourable Spaniards 

 who cannot contemplate without 

 the most poignant grief the utter 

 desolation of our beloved country. 

 These persons have implored the 

 king to alleviate the distresses of 

 such of the provinces as are occu- 

 pied by French troops, and to avoid 

 ihem in those which are not yet in 

 their possession. 



His majesty has attended to 

 their prayers, and in consequence 

 has ordered me to repair to this 

 city, to announce his compliance 

 to your excellency, authorising me 

 at the same time to consult the best 

 means of fulfilling his wishes with 

 such deputy or deputies as the Su- 

 preme central Junta shall think fit 

 to appoint. 



I cannot suppose that either your 



excellency or the central junta will 

 refuse to take this step, on which 

 the salvation of Andalusia and the 

 happiness of the whole kingdom de- 

 pends. The business is most im- 

 portant in its character, and most 

 urgent in thepresent circumstances, 

 and on that account it would be 

 improper that it should be con- 

 ducted in writing, which is likely to 

 occasion so many disputes, irregu- 

 larities, and doubts, and which may 

 be avoided completely by personal 

 conference. On this ground I 

 hope, from your honour and pa- 

 triotism, andfrom that of the Junta, 

 that you will name such person or 

 persons to enter on the conference 

 with me, with whom I will agree as 

 to the place of interview. God 

 preserve you, &c, 



JoAouiM Maria Sotelo. 



Anstver, addressed to Gen. Cuesta. 



Excellent Signor, — On the re- 

 ceipt of the letter written by Don 

 Joaquim Maria Sotelo to the vice- 

 president, and the insidious propo- 

 sition on the part of the French 

 government therein contained, the 

 supreme central Junta has not for- 

 gotten the sacred character with 

 which it is invested, and the solemn 

 oaths it has taken in concurrence 

 with the wishes of the whole Spa- 

 nish nation. If Sotelo be the 

 bearer of powers sufficiently exten- 

 sive to treat for the restitution of 

 our beloved king, and for the eva- 

 cuation of our territory by the 

 French troops instantly, let him 

 publish them in the usual form 

 adopted by states, and they will be 

 announced to our allies. The 

 Junta cannot neglect the employ- 

 munl of the powers conceded to it 



by 



