The National Register.
London, England, 1823-03-16 00:00:00

WAR, WITLI
(Fret!, dic jourrud des 'Mats.)
PARIS, MANCH 13 —The inconveniences inse-
parable from a war with Spain arc generally felt,
mid too well appreciated, to permit us to announce
without a profound impression of sorrow that the
last holes of peace have almost disappeared; but our
just sorrow is tempered by the conviction, that in
drawing the sword from the scabbard we are fulfil-
ling a national duty, and a command of honour.
Every thing has been done to draw from revolu-
tionary Spain a single proof of a wish to put an end
to the excesses which disquiet Europe, and compro-
mise France. There was no question of the sacrifice
of liberal institutions, ,or of foreign intervention,
nor, in a word, of any thin!, which could compro-
mise the interests or wound the honour of Spain.
It was only required of misled men to substitute for
u destructive action, without object and without
limits, that independent action of Royalty which is
the life-spring of monarchical society. Spanish li-
bony was only asked to recognize the rights of
legitimacy, but she refused. She is then nu longer
liberty. No veil now covers the hideous traits of
anarchy—no consideration tempers its fury—no
friendly or pacific voice can stop its progress.
Facts equally indisputable and shocking have just
established the outrageous captivity of King Ferdi•
nand. It is evident that faction is determined to
tarry its crowned prisoner in its train, and the pro-
jositions for gripping him even of the shadow of
iyalty find no longer any obstacle, ex' ept the fear
of opening the eyes of the multitude on the real
state of things. But what man of sense, what en-
lightened nation, can liencetiwth be deceived by this
empty image of royalty? Who can for a moment
tioubt that the King of Spain is now as completely
a. captive as if he were already loaded with the base
chains with which his Ministers have dared to me-1
Pace his august person ?
But the revolutionists of Spain have, by their
suggestions, given to their confederates at Madrid
the word of order fora blind resistance—for an im-
yiacably fury, in order to render fruitless the efforts
:Jade lily reason and loyalty to prevent a deplorable
war. They sacrifice Spain to the infatuated hope of
reviving the flames of a universal revolution along
with a general war. '
That hope will not be realized. The invisible.
and yet incontestable, presence of the revolution of
1793 in the councils of Spain, necessarily unites all
• ksevernments in one common wish, that of repressing
im known enemy, an irrcconcileable enemy, whose
terrible excesses they well retadlect.
Such will be the necessary consequence of the late
events at Madrid: they will have at least the me-
lincholy advantage of justifying the foresight of
France, and the maasures whi::s she has taken fur
her own security.

The following communications are from private
letters:—

MAnco 12.
"The English Papers of Saturday lust, containing
the report of the dinner proceedings at the London
Tavern on Friday, and the protest of the 62 Mem-
bers of the Chamber of Deputies against the expul-
sion of M. Manuel, were yesterday seized by the
police. Copies of them, however, had arrived by
special couriers a day betisre, and thus the aczount
of the thinner appeared in the French journals of
yesterday. None of them dared to copy the protest.
This latter document was taken by the law officers
from the hand of the President of the Chamber, and
submitted to c Cobncil of Ministers, to determine
whether it did not warrant a prosecution against its
62 subscribers. Nothing but the number and res-
pect:Ability of the signatures, and Ow dangerous agi-
tation that such a proceeding would excite, pre-
vented the the Council from placing -the Deputies
on their trial for seditious writing. The Ministers
would, however, eagerly 'seize an opportunity of
prosecuting any printer, bookseller, or journalist
who would give it to the world, and therefore all
those parties arc on their guard. Lithographic al-
lies, however, are largely distributed; and thus, in
Paris at least, every person who feels an interest in
such subjects may obtain.a perusal of it. Printers
and booksellers have been apprised by the police,
that it' any copy of it appears in their shops, they
%sill be deprived of their licenses (or brevets), and
have their shops shut up. Mercier, the serjeunt of
the National Guard who refused to arrest Manuel,
is to be tried by a Council of Discipline. The ut.
most punishment that it can inflict is dismissal and
a month's imprisonment. Even this moderate pu-
nishment the authorities may be afraid to inflict,
from a sense of shame, and a fear of irritating the
National Guard, whose services will be now more
necessary than ever, when u great part of the troops
is sent to the frontier.
" There arc various rumours in town to-day, res-
pecting the rclitions between France and Spain, but
none of them can be traced to any authentic source.
It was stated on 'Clrulge, that Mina • had entered
prance, but Mina by the last aeomatswas at 13.1 -