The National Register. — London, England, 1808-10-16 00:00:00

662 TILE N. 6 The Royal Parents undertook their o rney; and proceeded in it with too notch rapidity for the unhuppy state of health of Charles IV. ; hut the inexorable will of the Emperor had determined that it should be so. " Whitt his Imperial Majesty undertook was a most arduous task. It was necessary to his purposes to deaden the sensibility of the King; to destroy his atlection for his first-born, which the most infamous Court intrigue ever contrived had not yet Wholly extinguished. Further, it was necessary, that these loving parents, affectionate to some of their children, should, with respect to him, substitute for their natural tenderness the mo-t frigid and cruel indifference. To 1011 the purposes intended by Napoleon, in the end, with respect to the Royal Paren , they mast become the instruments of misery, correction, and imprisonment ; they were to become the jailors of their children. His power. by triumphing over all the feelings of nature, ac 7 complisbed his purposes. Qa thesth of the same month of May ,at four in the afternoon, the Emperor went to visit the Royal Parents, and continued in coeference until five o'clock, when King Ferdinand was calltd in by his august Father to hear, in the presence of the Que 4 n ana tile Emperor, expressions so disgustiug and humiliating, that Ido not dare to record them. All the party were seated except King Ferdinand, whom the Father ordered to make an 4h4olute renunciation of the Cross a, under pain of being treated, with all his household, as an usurper of the Throne, and a conspirator against the life of Ids pareuts. " His Majesty is could have preferred death; but desirous not to involve in his misfortunes the numher of pet sons comprised in t h e threat of Charles I V. licassented to another renunciation, h kit hear on its front all the indications of constraint and vipienee, and which in no re,pe - t answers its purpose, to colour over Cie intemted usurpation of the Emperor. These are the only in tames of renunciation in which I have interfered as Minister and !iecretary of State. That which is spoken of at Bounteous, I have not the least knowledge of; but I know the Emperor, in the last conference with King Ferdinand VII. said to his Nl:tie-sty, " Prince, it faut opter cotee re.sion et la more." `• Prince, you have only to choose between cession and death." " The disgraceful means of which the Emperor availed him self to obtain the renunciation of she crown of Spain in his favour, have already been known ; hut the violence of Bona parte to accomplish his purposes did not terminate there. Blinded as he was by the extra‘agance of hlsambition, he could yet discern hoW easily these acts of renunciation wnold be dis posed of; and therefure he endeavoured to confirm them by the Ineatis of h Council, which he called a National Assembly, and hick was to be convoked at Bayonne. " He named about 450 Spaniards, of different classes, condi tions, and corporations. to constitute this Assembly, but only about 90 were convened. A part of thew, represeuting some titles, tribunals, or public bodies, brought with them instruc *loos in the nature of pow given them by those whom they represented; but wholly insufficient to answer the purpose in tended. The Ministers of the Council were without any powers nr instructions whatever, a precaution adopted by this tribitual in conformity to the opinion of its commissioners, in order to avoid all involuntary compromises. Must of the deputies had no other powers than merely an order to take their departure, and 'many of them did nut belong to any public body, or acknow ledged class of the community. • • " The Emperor fully expected, from the acquiescence of these individuals, a mask under which to conceal his usurpation. but he was utterly deceived. Instead of findiag o areak men eon vecieut to the designs of his mercenary ambition, be was met by til•nifilers incorruptible, Grandees worthy of their rank, and i'preiientatiies who were faithful defenders of lb interest and Isf the honour of their country. They all, with one accord, in formed him that they held powers much restricted, that they svPre not the legitimate representatives of Spain, and that they fauld nut compromise her rights. 44 'These and other similar reflections were treated with inso lence in the tribunal of the Usurper, who, far from being dis romfitted; put into activity all the means of oppression, flatter ink:Moel!' that by victoric on the one hand and corruption on ttla Oilver;' he =hound 60 colour over injustice t h at b e wou ld nut 'ciihsidered by the world as the stibverter of general tranquil -66" • Leto not enter into the particulars thnt occurred in this eon. of the MillibterS of the Council of Castile, who ii.._ . 'AL REGISTER. ocr . 16. does so much honour to his robe, vs in satisfy the curiosity ot the public as to this particular. " I ought not to speak of what I have suffered for my Kiug and Country: the truth is, I have not suffered, for all I have done has been required by my into sacred duties. It was to me the highest satisfaction to see my lodging in Bayonne surrounded by the satellites of Government: to these spies, succeeded, who abound always where those are in authority who io his tory usurp the characters of heroes. My steps were reckmo ed; my visits observed ; espionage, tinder the mask of compas • sion, approached to examine the secrets of my soul t hut nothing disturbed the tranquillity of my mind. What I could not be hold with patience, was to see myself condemned to a confinf• ment within the frontier of France, until the Emperor should consider that my narration of the scandalous proceedings could not destroy the lofty fabric of the new Spanish Monarchy. In vain, for two months, 1 applied to the Minister for Foreign Af fairs H ith the utmost importunity to be permitted to return to my beloved country ; the determined resistance I made to the at tempt of usurpation made the French 6overnmcut deaf to my entreaties, belie% ing, not without good reason, that I should endeavour to inflame heroism in my country, deuoinivated insur rection in the Jouraals of Bayonne. " In such tmfavourble circumstances, a mode presented ibrlf to me of avoiding a state of indefinite banishment. Such were the repeated entreaties of Joseph Napoleon that I should eon tinue with him in the situation Of Minister, to which I acceded with repugnance and from constraint, but without prejudice of my right to abandon it at a convenient opportunity. " This opportunity occurred the moment I set foot in Madrid. From that instant I only thought of availing inyuelf of the moyi early means of resigning my new character. - - - " Joseph Napoleon could not he grieved at the disappearance of a Minister who so frequently opposed his wishes, and who, in the opinion of some of those SI ho immediately surrounded him, was a Quixote in his maxims, who could nut comprehend the sublime intentions of the greatest of heroes in favour of the regr• Iteration of Spain. " - Valour and patriotism have successfully armed the whole nation in its own defence, and for the protection of their legiti mate Sovereign. although the people had no knowledge of the will of their beloved Ferdinand as to this movement. That pa triotism, united to wisdom, will now impel them irresistibly to perform with promptitude the most important work of the Cen. tral Government or Regency, which may administer the affain of the kingdom in the name of his Majesty. " Thus will be completed for the advantage of all, the last expression of the will of the King, which he condescended to use the moment before be was forced to renounce the Crown; thus will the nation he preserved fro►p this dreadful tempest ; it will have exhibited before Eampe an example of loyalty, honour, and generous energy, which will be the subject of admi ration in every age, and in every country. " Madrid, Soft. 1, 1b08." Pula° Cir. 0.4.05." AMERICA. 110510 N ?MILK MEETING, sop. 9. Agreeahly to notification, a %cry numerous meeting was held in Fanniol Hall, at ten o'clock, when Stephen Cotboon, Esq. ts as chosen Moderator. The notification was then read, when the lion. Jonathan Mason, after a number of very pertinent-rs marks on the subject, offered the following osetiOn,' in the furor of 4 Tote ; Vor ao, " That it is expedient for the town Or Boston re spectfully to petition the President of the United States to ill , - pend the laws, either wholly or in part, aceOrding to the power vested in him, by the Congress of the United States i and Af any doubt should exist, as to the sufficiency of thoie powers, that lw he requested to cull the Congress together as SOOO as may he and that a Committee of eight persons be appointed tei prepare and submit to the town a petition in conformity. The debate was protracted until two &chick ? when the ques tion til'adopt -the inotion of Mr. Mason pumped by it, itiname majority (not more than WI or 30 agaitatt At fosw o'clock the town assembled accotdbig to adjmaxement, when the Committee reported the Memorial, which was read from the Chair, and passed nearly aiaalatesafp. Wc believe there were not h alf a dozen bands against it Id the, bplls s • • • 1. •