Star. — London, England, 1808-10-11 00:00:00

EXPOSITION 4 0 THE PRACTICES AND MACHINATIONS WHICH LED TO r is USURPATION OF THE CROWN OF SPAIN, AND THE ILEANS ADOPTED ST THE EMPEROR OF TIIE FRENCH TO CARRY IT INTO EXECUTION. (Cmciedet/fro, the ST4A yesterday.) 010 this state of things, the new King made his public entry into Madrid", without any other parade than' the most numerous concourse of all the inhabi tants of the capital and its environs, the strongest ex pressions of love and loyalty, and the applauses and acclamations which sprung from the joy and enthu siasm of his subjects---a scene truly grand and im pressive, in which the young King was seen like a father in the midst of his children, entering his cai te as t h e regenerator and guardian angel of te Monarchy. et The Duke cif Berg was an eye-witness of this sale; but far from abandoning his plan, lie resolved to persist in it with greater ardour. The experiment upon the Royal Parents produced the desired effect ; bat whilst the beloved King, who came to the throne under such good auspices, continued to be present, it was impossible to carry the plan into execution. It was, therefore, necessary to make every effort to re move Ferdinand VII. from Madrid. u To accomplish this purpose, the Grand Duke every moment spread reports •3f the Arrival of a fresh courier, with accounts of the Emperor's departure from Paris, And that he might be speedily expected to arrive in this capital. He directed his efforts in the first instance to induce the Infant Don Carlos to set off to receive his Imperial Majesty, upon the sup-' position that his Highness must meet him before he had proceeded two days upon his journey. His Ma jesty acceded to the proposal, being influenced by the purest and most beneficent intentions. He had no sooner succeeded in procuring the departure of the Infant, than he manifested the most anxious desire that the King should do the same, leaving no means untried to persuade his Majesty to take this step, and assuring him that it would be attended by the most happy consequences to the King and the whole king- dom. " At the same time that the Grand Duke of Berg, the Ambassador, and all the other Agents of France, were proceeding in this course, they were, on the othet side, busily employed with the Royal Parents to procure from them a formal protest against the abdication of the Crown, which they had execeted spontaneously and with the accustomed solemnities, in favour of their son and legitimate hell. re His Majesty being incessantly urged to go to meet the Emperor, painfully hesitated between the necessity of performing an act of courtesy to his ally, which he was assured would be attended with such advantageous results, and his reluctance to abandon his loyal and beloved people under such critical cir cumstances. " In this embarraSsing situation, I can assert, that asy toastarit opinion, as the King's Minister, was, that his Majesty should not leave his Capital until he received certain information that the Emperor was already arri'ed in Spain, and was approaching Ma drid ; and that eetn then, he should only proceed to a distance se short as not to render it necessary to deep one night out of his Capital. His Majesty for some days persisted in the reso lutien of not quitting Madrid until he received cer tain advice of the Emperor's approach ; and he ivould have probably continued in that determination, had alit the arrival bf General Salary added greater weight to the reiterated solicitations of the Grand Duke, and the Ambassador Bealthanmii. " General Savary was announced as Envoy froth the Emperor; and in that capacity demanded an audi ence from his Majesty, which was immediately grant: ed. At this audience he professed that he wits sent by the Emperor merely to compliment his Majesty, and to know whether his sehtittients With respect to France Were contiiiinatile to those of the Ring his father, in which case the Emperor would forego all consideration of what had passed, wbuld in no de gree interfere ht the internal cdncerns of the king dom, and would immediately recognise his Majesty as King of Spain and,the " The most satisfactory answer was given to Ge neral Sayan., and the conversation was continued in terms so flattering, that nothing more eould have been desired. The audience terminated with an as surance upon his part, that the Emperor had already left Paris, that he was near Bayonne, and on his u ay to Madrid. " Scarcely hid he left the Audience Chatnher, when he began to make the most urgent applications, to induce his Majesty to meet the Emperor, assuring :rim that this attention would be very grateful and flat tering to his Imperial Majesty ; and he asserted so re peatedly, ant :n such positive terms, that the Em peror's arrival might be expected every moment, that it was impassible not to give credit to his asseitione. It was in fact very hard to suspect that a the Envoy of an Emperor, siloald have toitie G l n a; for the purpose of deception. " The !king at length yielded to so many solici tatiaes, and so many flattering hopes and assurances; and his lave of his subjeeta, and ardent desire to contribute to their happiness, by putting an end to ' this dreadful crisis, triumphed in his generous heart *wee every feeling of repugnance and e rappiehensicin. • a Tha da,aoppinted for his Majesty's departure Gtneral:Savary, affettin sr the most iealous And assiduous attention to his Marsty, solicited the honors of accompanying him on his journey, which, I at the farthest, could onlyeatend to Burgos, accord ing to the iureernation which he had ilia tetcircd of the Emperor's approach. "During his absence, supposed tube only for a few days, the King left at Madrid a Supreme Judta of Go vernment, .consisting of the Secretaries of State, and presided over by his uncle, the most Serene infant Don Antonio, in order that the urgent affairs of the Covornment should be attended to. !.? 1=1•••••• - . . • - . , . . , .. . . . .. . --- . • , -....,-,....: • *.:. • w I • . . . .. 1 7 1 , t , . . .: ...! ./... \ - ' 4 • PW . 1 17.- .. , gal 4 s . 4, 1 l ' • f :-" • ' . f'. ' • % • it ) .., Z , , . iIL . • . .*: t0k.... -' 4 , - .." . ..:....., r --- -4:1 ~ i t- :4... .:-.." . ..• ~,,‘ . . ...... .. . ic or ' . •N- .. / 1 / 4 1, 00 . , • -.--, ... - ~. ._ ... .. ~~ sy~. T " General Savary followed him to Burgos, in a separate tarriage; but the Emperor not having arrived there, he used every etettioit to induce his Majesty to continue his journey as far as Vittoria. Various dis cussions arose as to the course which ought to be pur sued ; btit artifice and perfidy contended with honour, innocence; and good faith ; and, in so unequal a strife , the same betievoient intentions which drew his Majesty from his capital urged him to proceed to Vittoria. " General Savary, convinced that his Majesty hid resolved to proceed no farther, continued Ins journey to Bayonne with the intention undoubtedly of ac quainting. the Emperor with all that had passed, and of procuring a letter from him which should deter mine the King to separate himself from his people. " At Vittoria his Majesty received information that the Emperor arrived at Bourdeaux, and was on his way to Bayonne. In consequence ofathis advice, the Infant Don Carlos, who had been waitmt e a e t n Tolosa. proceeded on to Bayonne, whither he had inVited by the Emperor , who, however, delayed his arrival some days er. " Nothing particular occurred at Vittoria, except that the Supreme Junta of Government at Madrid having written that the Grand Duke of Berg had im periously demanded that the Favourite should be re leased and placed in his hands, his Majesty did not think proper to comply with this demand ; and in communicating- this determination to the Junta of Government, enjoined them to enter into no explana tions with the Grand Duke respecting the fate of the prisoner (3). in the mean time General Savary concerted with the Emperor in what manner they should prepare to Five the finishing blow ; and while the French troops in the vicinity of Vittoria were making suspicious movements, he made his appearance in that city, with the letter No. 3, to his Majesty from the Empesor. " To the contents of this letter, which were neither flattering nor decorous, Genery Savary added so many and such vehement protestations of the interest which the Emperor took in the welfare of his Majesty, and of Spain, that he even went so far as to say, ' I will suffer my head to be cut off, if within a quarter of an hour of your Majesty's arrival atßayonne, the E mperor shall not have recognized you as King of Spain and the Indies. To support his own consistency, he will probably begin by giving you the title of High ness, but in five minutes he will give you that of Ma jesty, and in three days every thing . will be settled, and your Majesty may return to Spain immediately. 44 His Majesty, however, hesitated as to the course which he should take ; but anxious to redeem the ledge which he had given, and, above all, to relieve ibis beloved subjects from the cruel anxiety in which they were, he banished from his heart every apprehen sion of danger, and shit his ears against my counsels, and those of other persons in his train, as well as to the supplications of that loyal city, and determined to proceed to Bayonne; his Royal mind being incapable o.` suspecting that a Sovereign, his ally, should invite him as a guest, for the purpose of making him a pri soner, and of putting an end to a dynasty, which, so far from having offended him, had given him so many striking proofs of its friendship. " Scarcely had his Majesty set foot on the French territory, when he remarked that no one came to re ceive him, until, at his arrival at St. Jean de Litz, the Mayor made his appearance, attended by the Munici pality- The carriage stopped, and he addressed his Majesty with the most lively expressions of the joy he felt at having the honour of being the first to receive a King who was the friend and ally of France. " Shortly after, he was met by the deputation of the three Grandees of Spain, who had been sent off to meet the Emperor ; and their representation, with re spect to the intentions of the Emperor, was not the most flattering. He was, however, now too near Bay onne to think of changing his course, and he therefore continued his journey. " There cattle cut to meet the King, the Prince of Neufchatel and Duroc, Marshal of the Palace, with a detachment of the Guard of Honour which the citi zens of Bayonne had formed to attend the Emperor, and they invited his Majesty to enter Bayonne, where a place had been prepared for his residence. This residence appeared to all, and was in reality, but little suitable to the rank of the august guest who was to occupy it. This remarkable and expressive neglect formed a 2ingular contrast with the studied • magnifi cence which the King had employed in making the preparations at Madrid for the reception of his ally. " His Majesty was doubting what could be the meaning of a reception that he so little expected, when he was informed that the Erhperor was coming to pay him a visit. His Imperial Majesty arrived, accompanied by A number of his Generals. The King went down to the street-door to receive him, and both Monarchs embraced each other with every token of friendship and affection. The Emperor staid hilt a short time with his Majesty, and they embraced each other again at partin. " Soon. after Marshal Buroc came to invite the King to dine with his Imperial Majesty, whose car riagesavere coming to convey his Majesty to the Pa lace of Marac : this accordingly took place. The Emper3r tame As far as the coach-steps to receive his Majesty, embraced him again, and led him by the hand to the apartment provided for him. " The King had rid sooner returned to his residence, when General Satan , waited on his Majesty to inform him that the Einkror had irrevocably determiriedthat the Bourbon dynasty shotild no longer reign in grain; that it should be succeeded by his ; and therefore his Imperial Majesty Irectuireci that the King should in his own naine and that, ct in his faMily, renounce the Crown of Spin anal the Indies, in favour of the dy nasty of licomprit 44 It Would* tolltettlt to describe the surpriie with whith the Royal Ihind of his Majesty Wa6 affected, (s) Every body know a that the prisoner vras at length delivered up to the Trench, and ionclucted under an escort by them to Bayonne. This step was solely owing to an order from the Junta of Governnitnt yielding to Imperious cireumstvices and s the pe remptory menaces of the tlraud Mike, as is stated more at large in the appendix to this publication. vti a. -- Ali • 4 • . . . •• . . and the consternation vat which all those who were pri ces of despotism, when covered with the veil of nearest to his person were struck at hearing of such a Majesty, would, from the operation of the same prin. properAtion. His Majesty was not tit recovered from ciple, display their well-known velour, when they saw the fatigues of a toile:eine journey,.. when the same their independence, and the secetity.Of their beloved roan who had made hirti so many protCstations of se- Sovereign, violated ; that if unfortunately France curity at Madrid. and on the road, -rho had drawn should commit so atrocious an insult, that Power him from his capital and his kingdom to Bayonne, on would lose an ally whose armies, flecte and treistvree pretence of .adjusting matters of the greatest irnpor- ' had in a great measure contributed to hie triumphs ; tance to both States, and of his being recognised by that England, which had in vain attempted to shake his Imperial Majesty, had the audacity to be the bearer the good faith .of the Spanish Cabinet, for the purr se of set scandalous a proposal. of separating her from France, would avail herself of "On the followhlg day, I was sent for by the Enu e such a conjuncture to diminish the force of her enemy, peter to his Royal Palace, where I 'found the Minis and to augment hcr min, by pacific relations with a tet of Foreign Affairs, M: Champagny, waiting to Power which ,slie would assist with money and vritk enter upon a discussion of the proposals verbally her forces by !add and sea, iu the glorious enterpriz stated by General Savary. I instantly complained of defending our independence, and the security of of the perfidy with which so important an affair was our King and natural Lord ; that, the feeble colonies proceeded in ; representing that the King my mas. of France would not in that event find the maritime ..e came to Bayonne, relying on the assurances forces of Spann employed in obstructing the plans at given by Gen. Savary, in the-name of the Emperor, cer4.,:eg .ektertained by Great &hair • *ad ilea the and in the presence of the Dukes del Infantado, S. cemenerce of that - Power must inevita bly come Imo Carlos, D. Juan Escoiquiz, and myself, that His competition at the Spanish market with the French Imperial Majesty would recognize him at the very merchandize, which is now peculiarly favoured. : ' first interview between the two Sovereigns in the " Besides these considerations, having a direct re- Imperial Palace of Mesita ; that when His Majesty lation to the interest of both States, I expadatedin expected to witness the realization of this promised others no less cogent, and Connected - with the chaste• recognition, he was surprised with the propositions ter of the French Cabinet. . . .. - , above alluded to ; and that His Majesty h ad autho- 44 I reminded the , Minister, that, on the 27th of sized me to protest against the violence done to his October last, a treaty was signed at . Fontainbleas, person, in not permitting him to return to Spain ; wherein the Emperor guaranteed the independence mtd as a categorical and final answer to the solieita- and integrity of the Spanish Monarchy as it then was ; tion of the Emperor, that the King neither would that nothing had since occurred which could justify nor could renounce his Crown in favour of another its infractiou : on the contrary, that Spain had conti dynasty, without being wanting in the duties which nited to add new claims to the confidence and grati he owed . to his subjects and to his own character ; tude of the French empire, as his Imperial Majesty that he could not do so in prejudice to the indi- himself had. confessed, by the praises which he be viduals of his own family, who were called to the stowed on the good faith and constant friendship of succession by the fundamental laws of the kingdom ; his intimate and first ally: land much less could he consent to the establ ishment 46 What confidence , I added, can Europe place in 'of another dynasty, which ought alone to be called her treaties with France, when she looks to the perfidy to the throne by the Spanish nation, in virtue of their with which that of the 27th of October has been vio. original right to elect another family, upon the termi- fated ? And what must be her terror when she sees nation of the present - dynasty. the captious means. the seductive artifices, and the " The Minister of Voreign A ff airs insisted on the ne- false prom ises b y which his Im p erial Majesty has con. cessity of the reminciation which had been proprosed, I fined the King in the city of Bayonne, in order to de and contended, that the abdication signed by Charles i spoil him .of the Crown to which, with the inexpresii. IV. on the 19th of March, had not/been voluntary. .1 ble joy of his people, he has been called by the fan " I expressed my surprise that the King should damental laws of the kingdom, and the spontaneous he importuned to renounce his crown, at the same abdication of his august father. Posterity will not moment that it was asserted that the tenunciation believe that the Emperor could have given so great a of his father was not his free act. I wished, h G , v- blow to his own reputation, the loss of which Will ever, not to be understood as entering into such a leave no other means of concluding a war with him, discussion, as I could not acknowledge the smallest than that of total destruction and extermination. • authority in the Emperor to intermeddle with ma:- " This was the state .of the discussion, when the tern which were purely domestic, and peculiarly be- 'Emperor, who had overheard our conference, order. longing to the Spanish Government ; following in e e l us to enter his own Cabinet, where, to my great this respect the example of the Cabinet of Paris, when surprizer, I was insulted by his Imperial Majesty with it rejected, as inadmissible, the applications cf his the infamous 'appellation of traitor, upon no other Majesty, the Royal Father, in favour of his ally and ground than that been Minister to Charles IV. first cousin, the unfortunate Louis XVI. I continued to serve his son Ferdinand VII. He also " Nevertheless, desirous of giving to truth and in- accused tne, in an angry tone, of having maintained nocence a testimony which they alone had a right to an official conference with General Montion, that my exact, I added, that three weeks before the disturb- Master, in order to his being King of Spain, did not ante at Aranjuez, Charles IV. in my presence, and stand in need of the recognition of the Emperor, al that of all the other Ministers of State, addressed her though that might be necessary, in order to continue Majesty the Queen, in these words : " Maria Louisa, his rebtions with the French Government. we will retire to one of the provirces, where we will " . His Imperial Majesty manifested till greater ite pass our days in tranqitillity ; and Ferdinand, who is ritation on account of my having said to a foreign a young man, will take upon himself the burden of Minister, accredited to the Court of Spain, that if the Government." . , the French army offered any violation to the integrity 44 I repiesented to him, that, on the 17th, 18th, and independenceof the SpanishSatereignty, 800,000 and 19th, no violence was done to his Majesty, in men would convince them that a brave and generous order to extort an abdication of his Crown, either by nation was not to be insulted with impunity. the people who had risen purely from the apprehension " After this ill treatment which I met with,. which that his Majesty was going to remove to Seville, and was as satisfactory to my own feelings, on account of thence to America; or on the Fart of his son, the Prince the real causes of it, as it was painful on account of of Asturias, or any other persons ; of which facts the Royal Personage whose interests were in question, the Ministers of the Corps Diplomatique, as well as his Imperial Majesty, with his natural asperity, all the persons about the Court, were fully convinced, entered into a conversation upon the points which had since all of them congratulated and complimented already been discussed. He was not insensible of the new Sovereign, with the exception of the French the strength of my reasons, and the solidity of the Ambassador, who pretended that lie lid not been arguments by which I supported the rights of the furnished with the necessary instructions, diiregarding King, his dynasty, and the whole nation ; but his the example of his colleagues, who were as little pro- Majesty concluded by telling me, I have a system of vided with instructions from their respective courts: policy of my own. rots ought to adopt more liberal dear ; " I concluded with proving to him that the renun- to be less smet;ptible on the point of honour, and not no ciatioii of the Royal Father was only the consequence crffice the prasierity of Spain to the interest of the Bow of his Majesty's predelection for the tranquillity of a bon f amily M . a privatelife, and his persuasion that his constitu tion, en- " His jesty, distrusting the apparent complas fcebled by age and habitual indisposition, Was incom- cericy with. which I received the attention which he petent to support the heavy burden of the Government. was pleased to shew me, as I was taking leave of him, " This irrelevant objection having been got rid of, sent to inform the King, that upon the subject under Mr. Champagny stated, that the Emperor could never discussion a more flexible negociator would be be sure sure of Spain , in case of a new war with the sary. Whilst his Majesty was considering . whom he Powers of the No ' rth, while the Spanish nation conti- should appoint to succeed me in this negotiation, one nued to be governed by a dynasty who mutt regret to tee of the many puppets who played their parts in this its elder branch expelled from the Monarchy of France. intrigne; introduced himself to the Archdeacon I). " I answered, that in a regular system of things, Juan tie Eitoiquiz, and persuaded him to pay a visit such prepossessiiins never prevailed ov•r the interests to the Minister Champagny. He accordingly went, of States, and that the political conduct of Charles under the impulse of a most zealous regard for the IV. since the treaty of Basle, afforded a recent proof interests ofy,a and prevailed on the Minis that SoVereigns said little regard to family interests, ter of the Foreign his MajeAffirs, to communicate to him when they were in opposition to the interests of their the most recent propositions of the Emperor, which dominions ; that the friendship between Spain and the said Seignor Escoiqu f iz immediately put nd in No. into writ- France Was founded in local and political cerisidera- ing, and a literal cop; o th 4, tioni ; that the topographical situation of the two of the annexed documents. kingdoms Was of itself sufficient to denionstiate how 44 In this state of things, his Majesty, impressed important it was for Spein to preser ve a good under- with the qualities which ador the most excellent standing with FianCe, the only State on the Continent Seignor, Don Pedro. de Labrador, formerly Minis of Europe with which she had direct and very exten- ter to the Court' of Florence, and Honorary Coun sive relations, and consequently that every reason of sellor of State, invested him with full powers and suit policy induced Spain to maintain a perpetual peace able instruction% which may be seen in N 0.4, order with Frances. Besides, what ground of suspicion had inghim to present them to the Minister for- Foreign the Ernperor with respect to a nation, who, to consi- Affairs, and to demand his full powers in return, and derations of interest, add the inflexible and religious that the proposals of his Imperial Majesty should be. integrity with which at all periods, according to the 1 communicated in an authentic manner. Both these admission of French writers themselves, they had pre- I demands were rejected by the Minister Champagny, served their federative system ? under the frivolous pretext, that , they were• mere " I added, that there were reasons no less irnpor. matters of for*, being wholly unconnected with the cuen taut why France should not endanger th e c ontinuance tial object of the n egotiation.' of that ha r mony which prevailed since the treaty of " Seigncr Labrador insisted on the importance of \ Basle, with equal advantage to herself and to S p ain; both the one and the 'other requisites, especially in a that the Spanish nation, whose g enerosit y and affect - matter of such great consequence, adding that e ith tion for their Sovereigns were proverbial, if from a out them he could discpss no subject, and that the principle of fi delity they had submitted t o the ca- King hi s master required them to vary the instrac- 1 I , ; • i