The Sun.
London, England, 1831-04-02 00:00:00

STATE OF SPAIN.

The Madrid Gazette of the 22d of last month
contains one of those barbarous decrees, by the
issuing of which the Government of Spain has,
since the restara;ion of Ferdinand to absolute power,
been too often distinguished and disgraced. The
occasion which has given birth to this decree is the
insurrection in Cadiz and its neighbourhood, and it
must he admitted that in a crisis of great clang. r*
and difficulty any Government would be expected
to resort to means of self-preservation. But it
i.
remarkable that though Ferdinand describes the
efforts of the Constitutionalists as totally powerless
and insignificant, he, at the same time, thinks it ne-
cessary to udopt the most extraordinary and arbi-
trary measures, and to surpass in violence and seve-
rity all his previous despotic edicts. The present
decree übjects the inhabitants of Madrid and of all
the provincial capitals in which the Ceptains-Gt-
neml may think fit to institute courts-martial, to
rn litary execution, and among the offences to he
tried by these tribunals is the circulating alarming
accounts relative to the force of the insurgents; so
that if a man were to report the fact of the ap-
pearance of a Constitutional corps on any point,
he would be' liable to be shot! The following is
the preamble :
" The shameful and dating incursions which the rebel
faction has had the hardihood to execute on various points
of the kingdom, the unexpected occurrences at Cadiz and
the Isla, and many other transactions of a highly criminal
nature, which have taken place simultaneously in different
places, have fully convinced my Royal mind of the existence
of a revolutionary focus, which, carrying into effect the
plans hatched in other countries by the Corypheos and
directors of the sects of darkness, emits nothing which
may be supposed capable of promoting the work of iniquity
which those men have planned for themselves. The con-
sequences of such attempts have, however, been what was
to he expected from the valour and decision of my troops,
the often confirmed loyalty of the Royalist Volunteers, and
the intimate conviction of the whole people--produced by
the recollection of times of odious character—that the fe'i-
city and tranquillity of the country depend on the pre-
servation of its ancient and venerable laws, and of
the throne on which the Almighty has placed me,
and on which I have been repeatedly maintained by
the love and pure fidelity of my subjects. The revolu-
tionary hordes have been every where beaten and de-
stroyed. Every where has loyalty, with indignation, re-
jected the flattering promises of perfidy ; and the people
hive every where manifested disgust at the plots and in-
trigues which have been put in action to induce theta to
withdraw their love and respect from the Government and
the religion of their forefathers. But, notwithstanding
all this, from which I must conclude that the basis on
which the evil disposed rest their calculations and machi-
nations are ephemeral, sound policy, and the duty I have
to fulfil, in preventing crimes, that the inconsiderate may
not patticipate in their commission, either through seduc-
tion or deceit, have also convinced my Royal mind that
the penalties hitherto enacted by the laws, and Royal de-
crees, against the perpetrators of such atrocious and cri-
minal deeds, are not, and cannot be, sufficient to repress
these crimes, if, previously to the infliction of the penal-
ties, all the forms and solemnities are to he observed which
the said laws direct to be observed in tranquil times.
Wherefore, and with reference to what under circumstances
similar to the present I was pleased to command in my
Royal order of the 13th of January, 1824, in conformity
with the opinion of my Council of Ministers, I have thought
proper to resolve, &c."
A der ree of 19 articles follows, the first of which
establishes a permanent military commission in Ma-
drid, arid the second directs the establishment of
similar commissions in any of the provincial capitals
in ‘‘hick the Captains-General may think them ne-
cessary. The remaining articles relate to the consti-
tution of the commissions, and the execution of their
functions. The individuals subject to be tried by
these commissions are, according to the sth article,
all who may be charged, from the installation of the
commission, with the offences recapitulated in arti-
cles 2,3, 4,5, 6,7, 8, and 9, of the decree of the
Ist of October last. The 6th article, which is the
most remarkable, is in the following terms :--
"Also are subject to be tried by the said commission
all persons who, after the epoch above states), shall declare
themselves, by arms or acts, enemies of the legitimate
rights of my throne, or partisans of the abolished consti-
tution ; those who write papers or pasquinades with
the same views ; those who speak against my sove-
reignty ; those who seduce or attempt to seduce
others with words, promises, or gifts, from their fidelity
to my royal person ; or who form any party having for
its object to aid the plans of the rebel faction ; and those
who spread alarming news relative to the forces of the
faction, or any other thing of the like nature which
may reasonably excite fear in the minds of the peaceful
inhabitants."
The same Gazette contains a Royal order ad-
dressed by the War Minister to the Captains-
General of Cuba, Puerto-Thco, and the Phillip-
pines, recommending to them to take every possible
means of preventing the public mind in their go-
vernments from being alarmed by news circulated
by evil-disposed persons in letters, apocryphal pa-
pers, and foreign journals. They are informed that
all the real news is to be found in the Madrid Ga-
zelle, and all the details which have already ap-
peared in that veracious journal respecting the insur-
rections are repeated in royal circulars for the be-
nefit of Ferdinand's transmarine subjects.
The following article appears in the unofficial
,art of the Gazelle :

44 MADRID, MARCII 20.

" In the course of last Saturday, a number of placards
bearing treasonable inscriptions of the 54111 e description as
appeared o❑ the morning of the 6th, were found scattered
about in several streets. This new mode of conspiracy
against public order is in itself a proof of the weakness of
the rebels, who have nut even the courage to post up a
pasquinade, and is so far consolatory, inasmuch as it shows
that they have a feeling of distrust and want of confidence
in themstives. In these placards an appeal is made to the
Royalist volunteers to unite in the destruction of the throne
and of religion ; and it is but fair to suppose that if the
rebels call upon the Royalists, it is because they have no
confidence in their own strength. Thus, then, our con-
viction is further confirmed, though it is a pait'ul reflec-
tion, that nothing but the cannon and the sword cf the
Royal armies will be able to demonstrate a truth which it
has been the object of all our arguments to prove.
"In a word, we avow, that if the rebels gave ❑s pain
when they had confidence in their own power, they excite
our derision when they suppose defection, or rather the
suicide of the Royalists, possible That any change can
be effected in the sentiments of a popu'ar militia, ♦olun-
tarily organised from a class the most prudent and
incorruptible in the nation, and which has bad the
best experience of the manner in which the promises
of liberalism are fulfilled, is such au absurd supposition
as could only find place i❑ the imagination of those
who measure the moral state of all the people of the king-
dom by their own corrupt thoughts; and who say there is
no faith in nations, because they hwe been condemned to
lose all credit themselves. Already Torrijos, in his cele-
lebrated manifesto, and afterwards the emigrants from
Gibraltar, in their last proclamations, have invoked this
extraordinary coalition of the Royalists with the Liberals.
Indeed, it is a pity that they cannot revive the spirits of
Manzanares, Bordas, and Chapalangarra, to proclaim
throughout Spain the change and favour which this invi-
tation has effected in the minds of the Royalists towards
the Liber rls. It is a pity, too, that they are not alive to
tell of the flexibility of the poor goatherd, whom the offer
of two bags of dollars could not corrupt."
The last sentence in .the above letter has reference
to a story related in o,e Madrid account of the de-
feat of Manzauares. It is said that he had endea-
vouned to bribe some goatherds to serve him as
guides. These rren, it seems, agreed, but betrayed
him and his few followers into the hands of the
enemy. On discovering their treachery, he drew
his sword and ran one of tlie goat herds through the
body, but the goatherd's broths r, who was armed
with a musket, immediately fired and shot Manza-
nare3 dead on the spot. Such is in substance the
account which Ferdirtand's tools give of this event.

THE FAMINE IN MAYO.—ThC 1.0111)
MAYOR has, in compliance with one of the most respect-
able requisitions fur many years submitted in this city,
ca led a meeting of his benevolent fellow-citizens fir Tues-
day next, at the Alansion-house. His Lordship received
the deputation that waited on him at eleven o'clock yester-
day, with the greatest urbanity, and fully coincided in the
necessity of making an unanimous effort at this trying
crisis, to relieve the appalling wants of such a vast number
of our countrymen as are at this moment suffering extreme
misery and destitution in a distant part of the country.—
, Debtits Frrotait'

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