The Sun.
London, England, 1854-07-07 00:00:00

SPAIN.

Advices from Madrid, of the sth inst., announce
that tranquillity continues to prevail at Madrid.
The insurgents, discouraged, continue to retire
before the royal troops which pursue them.
On the 2d the events which had taken place in
Madrid were known at Barcelona ; the oity was
tranquil.
According to telegraphic advices reinforcements
of troops were arriving at Madriu from all quarters.
Private letters, which reached an eminent bank-
ing-hou.te in Paris, state that the bad feeling against
the Ministry among the populace in Madrid was
every day increasing, and the impression there was
that if Queen Isabella did not consent to change her
Ministry, her position would become a very precari-
ous one. Already the possibility of a change of dy-
nasty was the subject of common conversation, and
the general belief in political circles was that the best
selection would be the nomination of the King of Por-
tugal as the Sovereign of both Spain and Portugal,
with a regency during his minority. As respects
Queen Christina, her unpopularity was extreme ;
and it was thought that, however the crisis might
finish, she would be forced to leave Spain. A tele.-
graphic despatch from Madrid received by a Paris
banker, states that the irritation among the popu-
lace of Madrid was still on the increase, and that
crowds had paraded the streets with cries of
" Death to the Ministers 1"
It is believed that the insurrection has extended
to Valladolid and Saragossa.
The Debats gives the following details respecting
the chiefs of the insurrection, which will not be
read without interest :

"General Don Leopold O'Donnell, Count de Lucena,
is the veritable chief of the insurrection ; he is an old
officer of the Royal Guard, and is renowned for his
bravery ; he made himself remarked in the seven years'
war—as the Spaniards call the long war which they sus-
tained after the death of King Ferdinand VII. against
his brother Don Carlos, who claimed to be his successor.
Leopold O'Donnell was one of the first to attach him-
self to the cause of Queen Isabella, which was that of
liberal and constitutional monarchy. During this war
he passed through all the grades of the military career, and
at length obtained the superior command of the army of
the centre, which was destined to act against the Carlist
general Cabrera. After this war, a command was con-
fided to him in the northern provinces. - In 1841 he
seconded the movement which was directed against the
regency of General Espartero by General Diego Leon,
who is still remembered by the most faithful servants
of the Queen. This premature attack did not succeed,
and O'Donnell left Spain. In 1843, after the fall of the
Duke de la Victoria, he returned ; he was then nomi-
nated Captain-General of the Isle of Cuba. After his
return to Spain, he sat in the Senate, where he formed
part of the turbulent and unreflecting Opposition,
which has so often compromised the constitutional Go-
vernment of Spain, and produced the existing regime.
General Narvaez, who knew the qualities and faults of
General O'Donneil, and who did not fear him, confided
to him the important functions of Director-General of
Cavalry ; but he was dismissed by the Ministers Bravo
Murillo and Lersundi. In the month of February Ge-
neral O'Donnell was one of the members of the Senate
who was ordered for exile by a decree of the Queen ;
he refused to submit, and secreted himself in
Madrid. The police were not ignorant of it ; but, not-
withstanding many acts of imprudence on the part of
the general, they did not arrest him, either because they
were tolerant, or because they were wanting in ability.
It is now known that the movement which commenced
on the 28th of Juue was to have broken out on the 25th,
and that it was put off from day to day. It is known
also that General O'Donnell, during the three nights
which preceded the explosion, walked about the environs
of Madrid in the full uniform of a general officer, waiting
for a favourable moment, which at length presented
itself on the 28th. General O'Donnell is possessed of a
very large fortune. He is making his present expedition
in a very commodious way—in a post-chaise and four.
As to General Dulce, he commanded the Halberdiers,
who were on guard near the Queen and the Princess her
sister, at present the Duchess de Montpensier, in the
night of the 7th October, 1841. He supported in this
quality the attack made on the royal apartment by
the authors of the insurrection conducted by General
Diego Leon, who wished to carry off the Queen in
order to remove her from the domination of the Re-
gent Espartero. From this day General Duice was dis-
tinguished; he had given proof of courage and sang 17 oid.
He belongs to the Progressista party, but is generally
esteemed by all other parties. General Blaser, Minister
of War, had entire confidence in him, and appointed
him to the post of director-general of cavalry, one
of the highest in the army. The colonel of the 3d
Regiment of Infantry, who has joined Generals O'Don-
nell and Dulce, has hitherto not been very widely known ;
his name is Raphael Echague. He served with distinc-
tion under General Lersundi. Having entered the army
as a soldier in 1834, he took part in all the principal
combats of the war of succession, and obtained all his
grades on the field of battle. Colonel Echague only had
with him at Madrid one battalion, which is about 400
strong. But the colonel has also carried of the regimen-
tal chest, in which there were about 4,000,000 reals
(1,000,000 f.). The Prince's regiment is considered as
one of the richest in the Spanish army. The money
will be an important resource for the insurgents."