The Sun.
London, England, 1837-09-08 00:00:00

SPAIN.

DUELLING IN SPAIN.
MADRID, ACTG. 1729.—1 n former letters I informed you
that General Seoane had by his speech in the Cortes, and
subsequently by a letter published in the journals here, ex-
cited the deepest hostility among the officers concerned in
the mutiny at Aravaca, and also among those who were on
duty at the time the revolution took place in August last
at La Granja. The consequence of his honest and fearless
exposure of the conduct of these individuals has been a
duel yesterday morning, which has produced a strong and
indignant sensation in ,Madrid, from the circumstances un-
der which the event has occurred. You may depend on
the following particulars as being correct :
The officers of the Royal Guard, feeling themselves in-
jured by being included in the common denunciation pro-
nounced against them and the mutineers at Aravaca, held
a meeting, at which lots were drawn, not for one individual
to fight General Seoane, but for several in succession, until
he or they were shot. The first lot fell on a young man,
one of the Guards, whose name I u elerstand to be
Manzano. He was seconded by General Cordova's brother,
formerly belonging to the Guards, but for some rea-
son resigned. General Seeane was seconded by Count
Almodovar, late Minister of War, and by a Mr. Aranja,
of Bilbao. The parties met at seven in the morning, at
the Puerta de Metro, a short distance from the city. Ac-
cording to the etiquette of duelling in Spain, but one of the
pistols is charged with ball, the other only containing pow-
der, and lots are drawn for the weapons, without either of
the principals being aware which possesses the loaded pistol.
The reason they assign for this deviation from the umel
practice is to equalise more completely the chances between
good and•bad shots. The parties also fire at eight paces,
each party taking aim at the first signal, and firing at the
third. General Seoane and his antagonist having been
placed on the ground according to these rules, the word
was given by M. Cordova, and both fired at the same mo-
ment, so that one report could not, I am told, be distin-
guished from the other. General Seoane was observed to
fall instantly ; but on the seconds coming up he rose, and
was found to have been only wounded in the side, the ball
probably striking on one of the ribs, and in this manner
taking an oblique direction. The ball was found in the
breast of his coat. His first exclamation after recovering
from the shock was, I understand, Cargar otra yr; to
charge again ; but his seconds, very properly, would
not consent, and took him off the- field. This is not
all. His chivalrous conduct, too much so. indeed, for the
persons with whom he has to &al, exceeds any-
thing of the kind perhaps ever heard of. You are
aware that the present laws of Spain condemn the survivor
in a duel to certain death, whether he be the aggressor or
in fault or not. In order to remove all apprehensions feom
the minds of his antagonists as to the consequence of fight-
ing with a general officer, and of his being killed in a duel
with them, he resigned his commission the night before to
the Queen, and had horses prepared in his stable, and di-
rections drawn up for obtaining an immediate passport to
insure the flight and safety of the individual whom he was
going to fight. A letter to this effect was. put by him into
the hands of his antagonist's second, M. Cordova, mid giv-
ing him at the same time his purse containing some gold
ounces, in order the more effectually to assist him in escap-
ing the consequences of the law in the event of its being
necessary. This of course was refused, M. Cordova stat-
ing that the friends of the young officer would supply him
with means sufficient for effecting his escape, should such
a course be found necessary. The matter has so far thus
ended, General Seoane on going into his carriage declaring
to the seconds that lie did not nor would nr,t retract one
syllable of the speech spoken by him in the Cori os, or writ-
ten in the letter to which I have already alluded. I ant
happy to state that on inquiry this morning I P.td filet his
wound is not considered dangerous. The report this
morning was, that lie had been assassinated clueing the
night, but no attempt of this kind was made. It is by no
means creditable to the Government, the Cortes, and his
friends, that no steps were taken to protect him front the
attacks to which bravery and honesty have exposed him.