The Sun.
London, England, 1833-12-06 00:00:00

THE GUERILLA CHIEF MERINO.

(From the Spectator.)
The Memorial Bordelais contains a long account of
this extraordinary man. It is evidently written by a per-
son thoroughly acquainted with Merino, and with all the
circumstances connected with his exploits. A few extracts
from this account, showing the personal character and the
influence of Merino, may interest our readers.
It is necessary to premise, that, so far from being the
champion of the priesthood in Spain, Merino entertains a
decided hatred for that class, and admits no priest to his
confidence. He never enters a place of worship, or returns
thanks to Providence fur any of his successes. He has
no fixed political principles ; and has, according to th,
writer of the article in question, no hostility to the Ultra
Liberals, whom he would join if he could bs assured o.
their gaining the upper hand, and granting him impunity
for all his crimes. But he has a dread of what are
Moderate Governments, lest, when his services are over, a
guarantee of oblivion should be broken, and he be sacrificed.
The personal bravery of Merino is said to exceed e 0,,,
that of Mina. In 1808, he carried by assault the town
of Roa, at the head of his soldiers. At Pampelona, he
made the whole of the French arrison prisoners, by the
at
audacity of his movements. At the Vents del Abgel,
Almazan, and in many other places in the same year, be
astonished everybody by his boldness. About this time,
wishing to become acquainted with the designs of his
enemies, be entered Burgos seven or eight times, dis-
guised as a peasant, and leading an ass loaded with red
pepper, which he sold in the streets ; becoming thus his
own spy, counsellor, and general.
" In 1823, in the month of August, Merino, accom-
panied by four men, arrived at eight o'clock in the evening
at Ontoria ; whilst at table, the house in which he had
taken up his quarters was surrounded by sixty soldiers of
the regular army and 30 of the National Guard. Merino
quitted the table, deliberately saddled his own horse, saw
the horses of his soldiers also saddled, and rode through
a shower of halls to the bridge, where his horse fell under
him; in this position the two sentinels fired at hint ; but
he raised his horse, and escaped.
At another time, he appeared at the chateau of Colina,
with twenty men. The authorities of Villahoz being
apprised of his visit, sent one hundred and forty soldiers
to the chateau. They blocked up all the avenues. At
night, Merino ordered the owner of the chateau to open
all the gates, and drove before him about thirty bul-
locks which were in the stables, at the same time shouting
defiance to his enemies. The besiegers, bearing his voice
and the noise of the sortie, discharged a volley, killing
nearly all the bullocks. Before they could reload, Merino
and his troop had escaped without a wound.
At Roa, in 1823, he was defeated by Obregon, and
had seven hundred of his men taken prisoners ; but his
defeat did not discourage him. He withdraw, disputing
every inch of ground.
Among many anecdotes respecting him are the follow-
ing. In 1823, when the army of the Duke of Angou-
'eine was in Spain, the husband of 'Merino's sister, An-
tonio Santuyo, and another assassinated the Alcalde of
Villahoz, Don Mateo Alvarez, a distinguished Liberal;
for whom, personally, Merino was said to entertain a
great hatred. The assassins were apprehended, and im-
prisoned. Merino's sister immediately went to 'Madrid,
where her brother was all influential, to obtain his inter •
cession in favour of her husband. At first, Merino drove
her from his door ; but recalling her, and appearing to
relent, he gave her a sealed letter to Don Ignacio Romero,
the Chief Judge of the Criminal Court at Valladolid ;
which, on being opened by the Judge, was found to con-
tain the following words:—
" Seuhor—My sister will give you this letter. I charge
you to look out for a second husband for her, and to hang
the first, as a just punishment for the murder of the Al-
calde of Villahoz. It is not for him to judge of the poli-
tical opinions of men.
(Signed) " MERINO."
The influence of Merino over the Castilians is extraor-
dinary. It may be judged of from the following fact. The
Judge of Curia, Don Pedro Martinez de Velasco, returned
to Villahoz shortly after the arrest of Merino's brother-in-
law. The Royalists of the environs, in their rage at the
arrest of this person, bad flocked to avenge it, and bad laid
the Liberals of Villahoz under contribution, and impri-
soned some of the most wealthy. Having been informed
of the return of Don Pedro, they surrounded his house, and
demanded his person with loud imprecations. Don Pedro
presented himself, and exhibited his passport ; on which
Merino had written with his own hand, that Don Pedro
Martintz de Velasco might without fear of molestation
traverse the two Castiles. The chief of the band had no
sooner read aloud the words " In the name of Geronimo
Merino," than all the troop took off their hats, and heard
the whole in the most respectful silence. They then
withdrew the Commandant, having first kissed the pass-
port, and placed a guard of honour at the door of the man
whom they came to arrest, perhaps to massacre.