The Sun.
London, England, 1836-08-15 00:00:00

ment, I transcribe it to you for government and corresponding
elects for its fulfilment. God save you many years.
" ALE SANDRO OLIVAN, Under Secretary,
" Senor Civil Governor of this Province.
" Madrid, August 2, 1836.

When I announce to you this sovereign determination, my
authorit) has ceased to exist ; but at the same time I cannot
help to recommend to you good order and submission to the
laws, without which it is impossible that the state of siege of this
great population could cease:
" MARIANO VALERO Y ARTETA.
" Madrid, August 4." " Civil Governor.

We would impress the fact upon the minds of our
readers, that no disturbance took place, and that no
rumour of a disturbance was circulated in Madrid be-
fore the evening of the 3d, and yet the Royal Decree,
declaring the City in a state of siege is dated the 2d.
But it may be argued that the mistake of the date was
the consequence of extreme haste. Admitting this,
how was such an order conveyed to the capital in the
course of five hours, the QUEEN being then at La
Granja, forty miles distant ? No Member of the
Cabinet, no Courier, no Messenger of any kind, pro-
ceeded or was dispatched to La Granja, from the com-
mencement of the emeute till after the City was pro-
claimed in a state of siege. How then was the Royal
Order conveyed so expeditiously to the Civil Gover-
nor ? But it is a waste of time to follow up this
inquiry. The truth seems to be that the Government
planned the whole affair as soon as it was ap-
prized of the doings of the Constitutionalists at
Cadiz. Its objects were probably these desired to
convey to the Constitutionalists, in the least offensive
way possible, the determination of the REGENT not to
adopt the Constitution of 1812. It sought, moreover,
to impress them with a conviction of its strength anti
its clemency : with a knowledge of the facility with
which it could disarm opposition, and its readiness to
confine itself within the bounds of moderation in the

repression of an insurrectionary spirit.
Such is our opinion of the recent occurrences in the
capital of Spain—an opinion which is confirmed by
another order of the Government, permitting the re-ap-
pearance of two of the prohibited Journals. If that
opinion be well founded, we think the game now played
by IsTt.uz is an extremely dangerous one. No go-
vernm'ent ought to concern itself with plots which is not
so absolute as to have the power of disposing of its
secret agents without regard to public opinion. Besides,
if the Spanish people are resolved upon having the Con-
stitution of 1812, any opposition to it on the part of the
REGENT will only accelerate the triumph of the multi-
tude. With the single exception of MALAGA, the
Constitutionalists have conducted themselves with a
degree of forbearance which will go far towards con-
vincing other countries that they are well qualified to
exercise the privileges for which they are now con-

tending.

Such a measure as that which the Government is
supposed to have had recourse to on the evening of the
3d, aie never wholly inoperative. If it fail, the in-
evitable consequence will be, that the Constitution
will be proclaimed in Madrid. Plots, when unsuccess-
ful, are generally fatal to those who have recourse to
them. It is usual on such occasions to proclaim the
triumph of the enemies of order : it would he more
correct to report that a crime had been committed
which would never have been dreamt of, but for the
unnecessary jealousy and idle suspicions of the Go-
vernment.

Since the above was written, we have received the
Messager, together with the other Paris papers of
Saturday. This journal asserts, on the authority of a
letter from Madrid, dated the 6th inst., that on that
day a real outbreak had taken place at Madrid, the
people no doubt incensed at the unnecessary precau-
tion of the Government. After a few hours fighting
the troops under QUESADA evinced symptoms of a
disposition to join the Constitutionalists, when an
armistice was concluded, and order was partially re-
stored. We learn from the same source, that
Count DE HAYNEVAL offered the QUEEN a safe
asylum in France, provided she would persist in
opposing the recognition of the Constitution. M.
ARGUELLES is said to be at the bottom of the plan
for proclaiming the Constitution—a measure to which
he would not have had recourse, had the elections
proved unfavourable to Ministers. We give no heed
to such rumours as this. M. ARGUELLES has no
need to resort to plots or conspiracies, in order to make
the Spanish nation acquainted with his views. In a
word, we cannot vouch for the authenticity of the re-
ports published by the French Journals. They may
be correct, and there may not be a word of truth in

them. The Frcnch Government only is correctly in-
formed of what is taking place in Spain ; but it declines
to publish any part of the intelligence which is hourly
conveyed to it by telegraph.

A powerful section of the people of England is
preparing to aid the Spanish nation in its struggle for
the re-establishment of the Constitution of Cadiz.
While we write, a meeting is being held at the Crown
and Anchor, presided over by several Members of the
Legiskture, the object of which is to encourage the
Constitutionalists in their efforts to re-assert the inde-
pendence secured to them by this celebrated charter of
their liberties, by convincing them that the sympathies of
this country are enlisted in their favour. The pru-
dence of such a proceeding may be safely questioned
at the present moment. If the Constitutionalists in
Spain be not so strong in numbers and resources as
they are represented, it is cruel to encourage them in
a career which must terminate in their own destruction.
If, on the other hand, they be found all-powerful, it
were wiser to attempt to direct their proceedings by
a regular address, than to hurry them into the
commission of excesses by the passing of some
four or five laudatory but abstract resolutions.
Copies of those about to be submitted to the meeting
held this day have been forwarded to us. We shall
;give them in the order they stand upon the paper, with
a word or two of comment upon each :
" That in 1812 a liberal Constitution was established by
the free will of the universal Spanish nation, then contend-
ing for its independence, in concert with Great Britain,
acting as an ally of Spain."

This resolution is merely declaratory of a fact, and
therefore we shall pass it over without much notice.
It contains however an assumption which truth does
not warrant—namely, that the Constitution of 1812
was established by the free will ?f the universal
Spanishenation. There were thousands of Spaniards
who detested the Constitution from the moment it was

first spoken of in Spain ; tens of thousands of Spaniards
were wholly ignorant of its purport then, and continue
so to this hour; and there were more than a million of
subjects who were indifferent as to its very existence.
The second resolution is as follows :

" That the Constitution, after being temporarily sup-
pressed by the treachery of Ferdinand on his restoration,
and happily re-established in the year 1822, was only to be
put down by a foreign force of 100,000 men, under the
Duke of Angouleme—thus affording an evidence of its
practical strength, and its adaptation to the wants and
wishes of the Spanish people."

-That the Constitution could only have been put
down by 100,000 French bayonets is another some-
what unwarranted assumption. Had the tyrant FER-
DINA ND known how to distinguish between an insti-
tution and the authors and supporters of it, he would
have succeeded in putting down the Constitution with-
out the presence of a single foreign regiment. But
his insane :wickedness paved the way for the re-esta-
blishment of tl Constitution, though it succeeded for
a time in ridding Spain of the presence of its most
powerful supporters. The third resolution runs thus:—
'° That this Constitution has high claims on the respect