The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-09-22 00:00:00

MEMOIR OF GENERAL BESSIERES.

General Bessieres was born in the South of France, of
low and obscure parentage. His pouch, it is generally,
asserted, was not without its errors, and it was generally
reported that he fled his native country to escape the hand
of justice. He chose Spain as his Asylum, entered into'
the military service, and held the rank of Captain when 1
he was arrested on suspicion of forming one of a secret
society fur establishing a Republic in the Peninsula ; being
convicted, he was condemned to death by the tribunal of
Barcelona, but his life was preserved from the following
circumstance : by the laws of Spain, when an individual
is condemned to death, he prepares for the execution of the
sentence by three days' prayers and confessions, in a chapel
where he is confined, and from which he is led to the place
lof execution, but, if by any extraordinary circumstance
the prisoner remains in the chapel of expiation beyond the
term fixed, he is pardoned. Bessieres had this happiness,
he afterwards solicited the clemency of the King, and
upon a report made to Ferdinand by M. Bardaxi, the then I
Minister of the Interior, was pardoned ; but his name was I
erased from the army lists, and he was ordered to quit the
Spanish territory. Wnether Bessieres was fearful of his
native country, or whether he still preserved some hope in
Spain, is not certain, but he took refuge on the frontiers,
where he led a miserable existence. It was here he resided
in 1820, when the events which took place gave him an
opportunity of raising and disciplining a number of troops,
and with them repaired to the environs of Madrid, in the
province of Cuenca. He assumed the rank of Field-
Ma:she], and wore the uniform, and in this quality com-
manded the troops under his orders.
Towards the end of the campaign Beesieres had esta-
blished his bead-quarters at fluetta, a small town, twenty
miles from Madrid. It was here that he struggled against
the Constitutionalists, and by his intrepidity astounded
their Government. He displayed great firmness and pru-
dence, and suffered no violence to be done by his soldiers
in the towns and villages which he occupied. Ile was ex-
cessively rigid in his mode of life; slept but seldom, and
trusted no one, having been several times on the point of
being betrayal to the Constitutionalists. The removal of
the Government to Seville, then to Cadiz, and the arrival
lof the French troops, put a stop to or deranges( all the po-
lkas of Bessieres ; but Pie held out his position at Iluetta
till the entry of the French into Madrid. The King, on
his return, received Bessieres, and confirmed his former
rank. Since that time he constantly resided at Madrid,
and always appeared at Court, where, however, he was
little noticed, undoubtedly on account of his origin, and
became very discontented with the state of things, and at
seeing men preferred before him, but still always appear-
ing devoted to Ferdinand, and accompanied hie Majesty in
1824 to the waters of Sacedon. Perhaps Resaieres had
secret motives in making this voyage. The King traversed
a part of the province of Cuenca, the theatre of Bessieres'
efforts in the Royalist cause, and the populace spoke of him
with enthusiasm. All this assiduity on the part of Bes-
sieres towards the King, and his conduct at the head of
the Royalist party, apparently merited in his eyes greater
favour than he enjoyed. lint Ferdinand did not even be-
stow on him the cross of St. Ferdinand ; and there is little
doubt but discontent and ambition were the cause of the
revolt of this inveterate Royalist, for which he suffered,
and which Ferdinand might have avoided, bad he, by an
act of common generosity, bestowed on him those honours ,
which his attachment to his person and his,serv;cea un• 1
duubtedly merited.—Ft each railer.