The Sun.
London, England, 1823-05-29 00:00:00

DVIORNING HERALD.)

No arrivals in the course of yesterday threw
further light on the affair of Alisbal, the General
intrusted with the military command of Madrid.
Of the fact of his treason there appears no doubt.
The only question is as to its extent and influ-
ence. If the other Generals, Ballasteros, Mo-
rale, and Mina, share his sentiments—or, more,
properly speaking, his treachery, there is an end-
to the cause of the Spaniards. It would be rash-
to pronounce with any confidence upon the
fidelity of these other Generals, placed in peril.'
ous circumstances, and, no doubt, assailed by
strong temptations. But the example of Abisbal
does not amount to a 'presumption of further de-
fection. He is an Irish refugee, not a Spaniard,—
a mere soldier of fortune, and already stigmatized.

by an act of signal treachery. It may be recol-
lected that a military insurrection broke out
among the troops under his command)in the camp
of the Port St. Mary, shortly before the success.
ful one of 1820. The rising was quelled, and
Abisbal (then General O'Donnell) affected sar
much zeal, and, in point of fact, wreaked such
terrible vengeance upon the insurgents, that
Ferdinand conferred upon him his present
title. The revolution, however, soon succeeded.
What does Abisbal ?—He proclaims himself one
of its most devoted champions, and boasts the
merit of having been himself the author of the
insurrection which he had been rewarded for put.
ting down. The revolutionists were disgusted
with his barefaced perfidy, and ha was obliged
to retire from public affairs and from public
ignominy. After near two years inactkon
and distrust, he succeeded, by publishing ar-
dent protestations of Constitutionalism in the
Madrid Journals, and by party intrigues, to pro-
cure himself the nomination of an Inspector-Ge-
neral of Infantry, from which he was after some
time raised to the Military Government at Ma-
drid. The treachery of such a man cannot be
matter of surprise ; indeed it might be observed,
that even out of Spain, from the notoriety of his
former treason, his movements were always fol-
lowed with something of suspicion. His treachery
to Ferdinand' was, however, still more base
than to the Cortes. He, in common with
his family of four or five brothers, were not
only unpopular but odious in Spain ; and the
Chief of the Faith Charles O'Donnell (of four
brothers, there are or were two on each side),
in his letter, which appeared in all the public
journals, reproaches him with his treason and
ingratitude to the King, who had advanced
him to rank and honours, and was his only
protector against the enemies of their family.
—We yesterday gave the letters which pas.
sed between him and Montijo, That of
Abisbal is the worst defence of treason we
have seen. It has alt the profligacy of the
Jesuit moral catechism without its finesse. He
abuses the three Ministries which have succeed-
ed each other in Spain. It is probable they had
and have their imperfections, of which, indeedove
will venture to say they havegiven evidence. But if
it had been otherwise,. would Abisbal have
spared them ? Who, is the traitor or apostate that
does not calumniate the party which he has be-
trayed or abandoned ? As to the conditions which
he speaks of, they are all smoke—a deserter im-
pose conditions upon an enemy at whose feet he
has placed himself 1 Ills confederate, Count Mon.
tijo, is, we believe, a Member of the Council of
State, and holds no other function,