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 the 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 findiagoareak 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 that be would 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