The Sun.
London, England, 1833-05-21 00:00:00

MADRID, MAY 6.

The report which had been circulated relative to
an insurrection in the Canary Islands turns out
untrue; neither has any new disturbance broken
out in any province of Spain. But although the
seditious movements of the Royalist Volunteers
have every where ceased, the persecutions among
the Liberals seem to increase. The emigrants who
have lately returned are those whom the Govern-
ment treats with the most rigour. Those unfortu-
nate men had too implicitly relied on the amnesty
when they made up their minds to return. Here
they met with resources quite insufficient to supply
their most urgent wants, for the miserable pensions
allowed to some of them were nothing equal to the
allowances they had in France and in England, and
the means which were there at their command.
Some time ago, those of the emigrants who had
belonged to the array were sent away from Madrid;
now all are exiled indiscriminately, whether military
or otherwise. Almost every one of them has re-
ceived orders to quit the capital in three days. By
a mockery of mercy they are allowed to choose the
Place of their exile. Thus the act of amnesty is
both in spirit and in letter violated. It would have
been more creditable to have revoked it altogether.
They are suspected of entertaining hopes of forming
plans of revolutions, and for the establishment of
constitutional government; and in order to make
sure of the maintenance of tranquillity during the
meeting of the Cortes, they are put out of the way.
But whether it be excess of confidence in the
future, lassitude or discouragement, or contempt for
that phantom of a national assembly which has been
convoked for the mere purpose of swearing fidelity
to a child of three years of age, almost all, Carlists
and Liberals, seem to trouble themselves much less
just now about the deputies who are in the course
of being chosen, and of the forthcoming Cortes
themselves, for the period of whose assembling the
fetes to be given are already in the course of prepa-
ration. It Is only those who thoroughly understand
the situation of the country who seem to entertain
serious uneasiness as to what may come at last, but
far from thinking of conspiring, they afflict them-
selves with the reflection that after having, for a
short period, relied on reform where it was most
called for, everything has again relapsed to the
vic'ous rule of absolutism. The same system now,
in fact, exists as under the ministry of Calomarde.
The only difference is, that M. Zea is neither sold
to the Apostolicals, nor so cruel a man as that ex-
Minister. M. Zea is a man of ability and energy,
absolute is principle, and causing absolutism to be
systematically adopted, but to be exercised with a
certain degree of moderation.
The secret protest of Don Carlos is much less
spoken of now than when I last alluded to it.
Those who pretend to understand the spirit of Car-
lism now say that he will not protest, or if he does,
that it will be " mentally," by which means lie will
be able to swear fidelity with the Cortes in person,
or transmit his oath from Lisbon. If he were to
protest openly, though even in Portugal, his property
would incur the danger of confiscation, and he would
remain without means of subsistence. However
this may be, it would seem that Don Carlos has not
yet any idea of returning hither, though the decree
which " permitted" him to repair to Lisbon speci-
fied that he might remain absent as much as two
months. Don Sebastian and his wife, whose return
was also expected, have not yet left Lisbon. This
is certain.

With regard to the affairs of Portugal, though
the negotiations are conducted with the utmost
mystery, it is pretty well known that this Govern-
ment has at last become extremely anxious that they
should be brought to a close, but in such a way as
not to favour the pretensions of Don Pedro's daugh-
ter, in spite of all that Sir Stratford Canning can do
or say. The treatment which that diplomatist is
said to experience from M. Zea does not promise
that he will be listened to.

ACTS RELATING TO SLAVERY.—On
the much agitp.ied question of negro emancipation many
valuable hints are to be derived from the work just pub-
lished under the title of " Service Afloat"—the two Naval
Officers who are its authors having devoted considerable
attention (one during a long visit to the principal West
India Islands, and the other whilst on the coast of Africa),
to the character and condition of the negroes. Some of
the more violent advocates of the planter's prerogative will
be a little startled at the disclosures made in these two
volumes.