The Sun.
London, England, 1808-12-07 00:00:00

CORRBSPONDEATC.B
121*EEN GENERALS- CASTANOS, CU'ESTA, 8k;

We have once or twice had occasion to refer to tbe
arrest of the Deputies to the Central. Junta, from
Castile and Leon, by General Cuesta, an affair which
has hitherto been involved in mystery. At length,
:however, an interestiper explanatory correspondence,.
which took place through the i'uterference of General
Castanos, has been printed, but net published,. by.
order of the Supretne Jonta of Seville. We hare
been favoined with a sight of the documents, which
are rate even in Spain, from which we shall make
an extra& as copious as the occurrence admits o.r,
which is now an objetof curiosity only, and has
used to be of importance.
bNo. 1. Is a" Letter . from General Castanos to
‘-ttesta. It begins by Stating the, reports that had'
seen spread concerning the arrest of the Deputies.,
by the General ; and proceeds then to observe upon
the acquiescence of the whole Nation in the authority
of the Provincial Juntas, and the general desire of the'
People to see a'Central Junta in the possession of the
national authority :
" Independently, however, the public will say,
d
an has already said, of the general opinion enter-
ltained of M. Valdes, his well-tried loyalty and dls-
llguished services, and of the personal character of
due te'e. other
t
Deputies—independently of the respect
-their Provinces
their public character, the high, confidence
bra merit, and the- most important and
bent concerns they were engaged in, what crimes
end "11 they have committed to merit being so arrested
impriaoned ? What is the competent authority
'c' do this ? If they are delinquents, .why were they
l'ut denounced to the Juntas of their several' pro-
Jinces.? Why not accuse them before the Central
4nta,.which was on the point of assembling ?"
"
.1,
or General then justifies his Own interference,
statin the anxiety and alarm of the p, and
'! 'elat he bee-
üblic,
eit.gthe chief of the troops who garrisoned'w
,"Nletroisolis as bound to relieve the public mind;
ie-therefore demands of General Cuesta whether the
reports of his 'eonduet be correat, and why he pur-
Sued WC') steps. This is dated from Madrid, the
18th of September.
M1\10..2. Is the answer of General Cuesta, dated
`teead-quarters,. at Turegano, the t gal September.—
r acknowledged the teteipt of Castanos's let-
et, and
having protested that " as principal. and
!°leChief of the provinces of Castile and Leon," ;,e:lds under no neces..ity to give an account of his con-
-4) any 'Provincial Government, of which he is
illme Pendent, while no e'eneral Government oe
sfact'neY is established ; he proceeds to state the
these ..c----•°‘fleeted with the arrest, which are shortly
naving been nOitiinated Ciptain General of the
Itiprovinces of Castile and teon by Ferdinded
:ring 'his short reign, he -resolved to. do all in his
nr"r•to resist the tyr.inny'Of the French, by arm-
, g the 'Provhices tr\icier his command. In order to
:jCarry this into effeer, he ordered the formation Of a
unta of armanient and defence' for superintending.
.the enlisting and equipping of troops in each dist net
,antendencia) ; and at the same tittle he formed at
Valladolid a General 'Junta, with the same title, :for the sztme.purpose, who a&ed underhis dit and
till the Patriots Were obliged to abandon
Otter :the battle olthe I2i h.ol June. The General,
I,aiter thedissohition of that Junta, termed another
est Consisting of that Provincial Junta atreafty
cipaYlished there, and of a Deputy from each inten-
lein,,Cy of 'Casrile. At Leon, Cuesta was joined.by
to Valdes, who had fled from Palencia, and offered
act Under the direatiOn 'of 'the 'General; who, 'in
c°nsideration of 'his former Office and.resi:eetability,
;'cinfirtiled hiris President of the Junta. When Be-
vente was delivered-ft-bin the French yoke, Cuesta
E,satorP(*ed to establish a new Junta,There; but on tire
treestion of M. 'Valdes,
,he continued the junta.
tll Leon in their posts.
'order Junta;" he says; " 'continued to obey my
'pews) though they frequently surpasSed (heir
teasers after the bloody battle of Rio S,eco,
French°bilged to retreat towards Leon, -pursued
by the
de, and abandoned by the army of Galicia, un-
-I.,_r Which critical tircu-
r.starices I entered Lou. to
re
my infantry in the confines of Asturia, and re-'
with the 'cavalry to Castile." .It was then that.
the Junta retired to Potiferrada:`Whete. M. Valdes;
a
ad those under his influence; intrigued secretly with
the Junta of Corunna hi ord
afro. command horn thence bto
oth Castile and Leon,
tbe pendentlye of the Captain-General, who was to
subordinate to Such 'united Junta From Lugo,
.144ci,LValdes communicated this determination to;the
44-`., teral, requiring that he should obey his .orders,
ttlordering him to.deliver.up all his cavalry ro'the
to dotal in Chief of this the General refused
o _is:7 M. Valdes also comtnueicared similar orders
1it...71 the infk rior Juntas under the'General's autho-
On being informed of
this,' the General itri-
lish`
(CI, •tt those inferior Juntas. his resolution 'to abo-
break, otWafiut%it.ive Junta," and commanded them to
t tte greater Parte''vr, nitnunication with it. I'le was-, for
obeyed,hyThose.Juetas, Parties;
"war
se'ls' some in that kingdom
et„, e for
.Leon,
tali for
„-"'"ngtheir armed population with the
sistieie f"sznY., which was within sight, and in irre-
Teets,
w°i.rtCe• Further, M. Valdes and his adhe-
therns e:",°,l3t any legal authority, arrogated to'
• v-- .41e authority of representatives of Cas-
tral and Leon, and eleeted as DePuties io the Cen-
*l:,,4tluta, M. 'Valdes and Viscount Quintanilla.—
conduel the General considered as a breach of
a'An.ordination towards hit n, the Captain-General,
itc(lag under the authority of the King; and. it was
tulrlithi.s that he arrested M. Valdes, his cousin, Cap-
Z.ol' a Frigate, Viante de Eulate, and the Viscount
hu,tnttanilla, President and Members of the Junta
I,,risicti fled to Lugo. He confined them in the State
the °,,n °f Segovia; but having no jurisdiction . over
fes,Alernbefs of the Junta of Galicia, he did not ar-
t of them.
that the ing stated these feels, General Cuesta protests
Persons arrested not beint; legally ele&ed
that-ill:e.t.a of the Central Junta; the individuals of
satire ,u. y were 'not justified in interfering. At the
Naboi._Lan!le be declared his' readiness to submit the
trail.. to the Central Junta as soon as that body•hO
uut be formaily.constitute Q
'e d and proclaimed.
frozll 3. Is a letter, dated the 20th. of September,
"i Is
to the Council of Castile, in-
fr"g
erence a °IT of No. 1, and soliciting the inter-
perieta , he Council. " The public welfare im-
Sty requires of
'v not to negleCt this expedient,-
.