The Sun.
London, England, 1823-08-14 00:00:00

are distant from the capital, the Constitutionalists
who are at Talavera de la Reyna will approach
Madrid. The Regency expressed to his Royal
Highness the Commander-in-Chief their wish to
quit Madrid, and follow the head-quarters, but
his Royal Highness objected. The Constitu-
tionalists have entered Toledo. It is imagined
that it is the corps of Lopez Banos who has moved
from Talavera upon that city. The Regency,
perceiving a little too late the bad effect of the
measures which it has hitherto taken, seems will-
ing to adopt a system of moderation, from which
it should never have departed. It is said that it
has ordered the Constitutionalists imprisoned at
Saragossa to be set at liberty.
IkeonE Sr. SEBASTIAN, AUG. 3.--Besieging
artillery is arriving continually at Ernani ; 156
pieces of ordnance are about to invest the fortress
of Pampeluna, and will be followed by '24 com-
panies of artillery. They speak of the assembly
of 10,000 men under the walls of Pampeluna, in
order to commence operations. It is thought
that the trenches will be open about the middle
of
September. Many copies of the capitulation
ova *50."... tnrown into ltle tui czt.
Sebastian, by order of the Lieutenant-General
commanding the blockade. A young soldier
was appointed to place these papers on the ram-
parts. Having attached them to the end of a
pole, he advanced, favoured by the night, to time
foot of the glacis, and returned to his post
without being perceived : he was distant forty
paces only from the covered way. Yesterday
Lieut.-General Count Ricard sent a letter to the
Goveinor of St. Sebastian, to which no reply has
been received. In war events occur which are not
believed, because they appear improbable, but
which may, however, he true. That which happen-
ed in the camp two days ago is a proof of it—a
shell was thrown from the fort, which alighted at
the foot of the tent of an officer without bursting.
This bomb had encountered the branch of a tree,
which had struck off the match and filled up the
aperture. Two days before a similar thing oc-
curred in the suburb of St. Martin : a bomb fell

in the middle of a pile of arms, destroyed six
muskets, and threatened the life of a great num.
her of soldiers reclined around them, without
hurting any one !

( From the Muria- Francais.)
PARIS, Atm. 11.—The Moniteur of this day
confirms a piece of intelligence which the Ministerial Journals
have long ago published, and which the inutility of the effirts
of Ilallasteros, as well as the unskilfulness of his operations
rendered probable ever since the commencement of the campaign.
He is the third Generahin-Chief who after having for a time
found the Constitution admirable, when it conferred honours,
wealth, and popularity, judge it impracticablentehe moment
when it is necessary to defend it by sacrifices, perils, and fa.
tigues.—More than one obscure soldier, engaged in the con.
test since its beginning, continue 40 brave bangers and viva-
cious, to Miff their oaths, to defend institutions which they re.
gard as the safeguards of progettity and honour .Of the
country ; but these soldiers are unacquainted with corruption
and the calculations of ambition. They know that they have
rights to preservi-e4ntereste to defend—previlegea to curtail_.
and a Constitution appeared to them indispensible. The
Generals bave,reputation.end ;influence ; and when they find a
means of trafficking to increase their fortune and their individual
security, therhelieve there is no longer any occasion for a
Constitution.
,prowitsehsetadtitoonsentitteart
ohe haadtrmeaatdye,
of
ezneoAl bfoi sr btahle,
c aftero oi
tai
tltiatihoen
'he was treated without any regard 'by those whom he appeared
to forsake, and by those whom he wished to join ; on- both
sides his conduct was judged of without any kind of indulgence.
—Now he will be indebted to the circumstances in which he is
placed, and to the events which have succeeded, for the happi-
ness of not occupying in history that place which two of his
colleague% in command anti desertion have taken from him.
Abtabal had organized, with zeal and activity, the army of
which the command was confided to him. At the
approach of
the French army he chewed a disposition to treat with its Chief,
but at that time it was with the Prince Generalissimo he had
to do, and had neither to recognize nor serve the Regency. lie
did not, or he had not time to make any direct overture to carry
his troops with hint. Rejected by them, he was thought too
constitutional by the men of the i aith ; saved from death by
the French he was obliged to retire into France, and he took no
part against those whose arms he had first directed.
Murillo, placed by the Cortes at the head of a province, and
of an army on which the Government reckoned very much,
was only employed in disorganizing his troops, in paralyzing
the public spirit, and rendering all defence impossible. When
the French approached, he published a 'gentlest° against the
Cortes, and against the Regency at Madrid, and declared
his determination to preserve Galicia free from the occupation
of foreigners. But his dislike to the Regency at Madrid, and
to the foreigners, lessened daily, and after having for form's
sake stipulated some conditions, without guarantee and with-
out einct, he Made himself a soldier of that Regency whose ex-
cesses he bad blamed, anti marched against the soldiers whose
companion, guide, and eXernp!e, he had sworn to be.
Certainly in the melancholy pages which history has reserv-
ed for theee two men, the name more severely condemned will
not be that of A bisbal. Ballesteroe now disputes with Moral°
the palm that Abisbal was Ohljged to cede to him. All the
claims of Ballasteros are not yet known, his conduct being
yet enveloped in ,nhecueity. it he has done all which was in
his vOwer to et4let:t ail Willy, he has not at least shewu at the
heed of this army the smallest trve of that activity and those
resources for winch he was so eopepicuous in the war of in-
deltendence.
seems to have only allowed hie troops to fight, in order to
see whether they could obtain speedy end easy victory, which
would no doubt have re-kindled his loye for the Constitution,
or to justify by their defeat the resolution lie had beforehand
taken. Murillo renouncing the cause which he pretended to
serve, had ut least the merit of not trifling with the lives of
his soldiers ? Now, has Ballasteros also stipulated for goo-
mews for his army and for the country which he occupied ?
Iles he thought it necessary to disguise his defection by any
conditions ? As to this, the telegraphic dispatch !Gives us in
ignorance. But it tells us enough in saying that he recog.
rased the Regency. It is well known in what manner treacle%
intended to limit the revenge of a triumphant party are ob.
, served, and we can consequently judge of what utility would
be the stipulations n Rellasteros for those whom they might
guarantee.
It is difficult to pponw„eo between Merillo and Ballesteros ;
bode had a tolerably fair reputation to lose. The last had this.
played talents which do not allow us to attribute his conduct to
want of judgMent and information, but we do not know whe-
ther! like lgorillo, Ile has taken arms against those whorn he
has just e:iandoned. Will his defection have more important
results titan that of letoefflo? Will it facilitate the conquest of
Andalusia more than that of Morillo has facilitated that'of Ga-
licia. The very wimple of Galicia, anti the known character
of the Spaniards, answer this estion. Rut these defections
may have new imitators. The Ministerial Papers announce it,
and appearances ate eufficiently in harmony with their rophe.
cies. 1-has undoubtedly liberty will have much to suffer, for
it defends itself more easily against armies then against cor-
ruption.
t'or ourselves
, we think it very natural for the Government
to profit by the dispositions of the Spanish Generals. It is a
sort of political maxim to receive deserters ; hot morality,
which has also its maxims, nevertheicee maintains the right of
branding them. This right we claim for the interest of the
public faith, and for the interest of all Governments. The
first condition of duty and honour in every citizen is nut
to feign opinions which he does ~not hold,—not to take
oaths of wheel his conscience disapproves,— to remain faithful
to the opinions which he professes,—to the cause which
he has voluntarily embraced,—to the oaths which he has spon.
taneously taken. 'rite contrary of this conduct leads to nothing
but opprobrium and infamy. The Journals opposed to as do
not fail to say that we expess ourselves thus because the defec-
tion of the Spanish Generals favour* the success of our arms ;
but we speak here ebetetteted from all party and all opinion,