The Sun.
London, England, 1837-01-10 00:00:00

THE SPANISH CONTEST.

BY PELAGIUS.

LETTER V.
The relief of Bilboa is an event which derives its
principal importance from the moral tied which it
will produce on the combatants : in a military point of
view, the town is of little consequence to a Government
possessing above twenty strong fortresses—but the
failure of the Carlists will much discourage the parti-
zans of the Pretender, and give a corresponding degree
of confidence to the Constitutionalists.

The observations which I made in a previous letter,
upon the unfitness of the insurgents for siege service,
have been abundantly justified by the results of their
attempt on Bilboa. Any person possessing even a
slight knowledge of military service, has merely to cast
his eye on a plan of the town, to perceive that had the
assailing force been British, not even the obstinate
gallantry of the garrison (and never did men behave
better) could have preserved the place three days ;
half a dozen guns, directed by English artillery officers,
would in 48 hours have made a breach, into which the
besiegers might have entered 300 men a-breast ; and
in 12 more, a column would have given the assault, so
supported, that the garrison would have been bayoneted
in twenty minutes.
The truth is, the town has no strength, although it
might easily be very much strengthened. On one
side it is much advantaged by the Nervion, and a wide
fosse might be drawn round the other side, quite from

the Church of St. Antonio to the Convent of St.
Augustin, supplied by water from the river ; a redoubt
might be erected on the little island just opposite
Abando ; the heights of Artugan and Morro should
be furnished with good works, mounted with very
heavy artillery, to sweep the whole front of the (now
exposed) face of the town ; and on the side of Bilboa
Viejo, the Convents of St. Clara and San Francisco
should be greatly strengthened (and might be fossed
from the Nervion), as should Mount Miravillo. The
Convents of St. Mames, the Capuchins, and Burcena,
should be dismantled, and the materiel removed to
Bilboa ; they were merely traps in which weak garri-
sons were sacrificed, and points front which the Car-
lists could command the river.
A strong flotilla of gunboats should he constantly
moored near the Desierto, and huts erected on the
shore for quarters during the nights fot the crews
—leaving guards of course on board.
Another division should be stationed at the bend
of the river, between the General Hospital and the
Mill ; their fire would enfilade what may be now termed
the land points of the town.
With these precautions, and a little addition of
strength to Desierto and Portugalette, Bilboa might
bid defiance to any future siege ; and it is to be hoped
these works will be forthwith commenced, for it must
not be expected that the recent blow will disable the
Carlists. Spaniards (be their opinions what they may)
are not people to be dismayed by one defeat, nor by a
score. Let the Government prepare for a fierce and
lengthened contest.
The present moment certainly affords an opportu-
nity for striking another formidable blow against the
Carlists. If Espartero, after refreshing his exhausted
troops, (knocked up by a month's marching and bi-
vouacking), advances with 12,000 men, and reinforces
the corps at Vittoria to an equal number, and Evans
leaving St. Sebastian to the care of Colonel Wylde,
the marines and seamen, pushes forward by a simulta-
neous movement, the three divisions might drive every-
thing before them, unite at Durango, feirtify it, leave
a strong garrison, well provisioned, in the very centre
of the enemy's country, and then commence scouring
the insurgent provinces, dismantling their fortified
points, and sweeping the country of arms and provi-
sions ; surrounding, by simultaneous and well-com-
bined movements, the scattered detachments of the in-
surgents, and hunting Carlos over the frontiers into
France.

Even success in this great enterprise would not
terminate the war. Countless parties are spread over
the whole kingdom, who will require many, many
months' chasing. But by organizing the national
guards, and forming moveable columns of infantry,
provided with horses for forced marches (the means by
which Gomez got over so vast a space in a few days),
the bandits might at length be hunted down.
It is to be hoped that the Spanish Government will
encourage the National Guards throughout the king-
dom (who form two-thirds of its numerical force) to
behave gallantly, by bestowing marks of distinction on
the brave « Urbanos" of Bilboa—every one of whom
ought to be allowed, for life, the pay of a regular sol-
dier—and the families of those killed should have pen-
sions of a like amount.
The regulars also ought to have gratuities, medals,
and promotions. There is no economy so effectual as
that of liberally rewarding good services. If a good
spirit could be infused into the troops and National
Guards, it would be cheaply effected at the cost of a
million, for it would ultimately save hundreds of mil-
lions. There are plenty of men under arms to crush
the insurgents, if the military force acted with spirit—
and was WELL
,OFFICERED
P.S. The town ought to be rebuilt at the public
expense, and made a free port.
(TO BE CONTINUED.)

The health of the King of Sweden is stated to be
gradually declining. The severity of the climate and the
weakness of age combine to render the continuance of his
life very precarious.
A few days since the Commissary of Police of the
Quarticr St. Martin received an anonymous letter, inform-
ing him that an innkeeper, named Becher, in the Rue Vert-
bois, had, at the instigation of a mistress, kept his daughter
for some months locked up in a small closet, where she was
treated with unexampled cruelty. The Commissary imme-
diately visited the poor girl's prison, where he witnessed a
most appalling spectacle. The sufferer, a beautiful girl
about 18 years of age, was reduced to a mere skeleton.
She informed the officer that she had been constantly kept
in close confinement in the niche where she was discovered.
In her prison, which was scarcely three feet square, she had
neither room to sit nor lie down. Her food was of the
coarsest description, and her gaolers were in the habit of
beating her most cruelly. Every attention is now paid to
the unfortunate girl. The inhuman persecutors were taken
to the Prefecture of Police amidst the hootings of a crowd,
who would fain have inflicted summary punishment on them.
ROYAL IVIARRIAGE.—James Stuart, lineal de-
scendant of a hundred Kings! James Stuart, better known
in the town of Berwick as " Jamie Strength," has, accord-
ing
ilOB winters, nor yet has his
pr
bloeond become chilled. James (for
account,
we deprecate the ignoble familiarity of Jamie) has brought
in the thirty-seventh year of the nineteenth century with
most happy auspices of domestic felicity. We congratu-
latesitto sunk,his ow
roya se
norn his
him most sincerely, as we do all old heroes who have
fought their country's battles by sea and land. On Mon-
day last he led to the hymeneal altar Miss Isabella Daw-
son, a young lady, some seventy years younger than him-
self. This lady is James's fifth consort ; his fourth partner,
Margaret Huett, died about a month ago, which must have
been observed by the elegant black crape he wore around
his antique chapeau. It is said that James serenaded the
fair one for some time, till Miss Dawson was quite over-
powered. She thought that Paganini and Ole Bull were
but second and third performers to James Stuart ; she re-
membered his inspiring strains, as he played through the
streets Barbara Bell," We'll gang nae main to yon toon,"
The east neuk o' Fife" (which James declares is " hard
to play, it has sae mony variations"), and she vowed she
would become the partner of himself and his fiddle.—Bcr-
wick Warder.

An old man named Barker, who resides at Heaton
Mersey, and has but one arm, had been enjoying his Christ-
mas-day with a friend at Handforth. On his return home
near Cheadle-bridge, and fell
endeavouring to extricate him-
janttonigalliet
rhiev
emr s s eAd
After
footingvain ly
him-
self he gave up struggling, and resigned himself to the
deep ; when his dog discovering its master's situation,
jumped into the river and caught the old man by the arm
and drew him to the shore, where with difficidtv lie managed
to crawl up to dry laud. Barker reached home with his
clothes so frozen that theywere cut off him.—ChesterGazette