Star.
London, England, 1808-05-23 00:00:00

W

rOkEIGY INTELLIGENCE.

but as sa unfortunate and ababdoned ?flee& have foind a
indebted to him for my life, for the life Of my Queen, and for that
place of refuge and protettion in the midst of his army. I am
Of my Pointe Minister. I hale followed you to Bayonne. You
have brought affairs to such a state, that henceforth every thing
must depend upon the arrangements and protection of this Great
Prince. To have recourse to insurrection.s of the people, to plant I
reduce yourself, my kingdom, my subjects, an..l my family, to the
the standard of faction, would be the ruin of Spain, add would
greatest wretchedness. I hale opened my Wb ole heart to the
Emperor. He is acquainted with all the insult. have received,
and the usurpation imposed upon me. He has deCleeed tome
that be will never acknowledge you as King, and that the enm
emy
of his father can excite no confidence in the breast of a
He has besides shewn Me letters, which contain proofs .of Your
aversion from France. stranger.
Under these circumstances It is evidently my right, and 01111
more evidently my duty, to spare the blood of my. subjects, a.ld
.
net at the end of my days to adopt a course wbich would
th expos
Spain to fine. and sword, and reduce the country to e most
wretched condition. Assuredly you ought, faithful to your duty,
and to the feelings of nature, to have rejected the traitorous cound
-
sels given you. Had you constantly appeared by my side, reay
for my defence, and had waited till the usual course of nature had
raised you to the Throne, then the political interests of Spain
might have been brought to coincide with the interests of all.
Doubtless for these six months circumstances have been very cri-
tical; but such as they were I should not have feared to meet
them, supported by the good conduct of my subjects, and even
my own feeble efforts; but, above all, with the moral power
which I should have posse.sed in proposing to my ally an arrange-
ment calculated to reconcile the interests of my subjects and my
family. In depriving me of my crown, you have broken your
own in pieces ; you have stripped it of all that was illustrious, of
all that rendered it sacred in the eyes of men.
But your tonduct towards me, and your intercepted letters,
have erected a brazen wall between you and the throne of Spain.
lam a King in the right of my ancestors. My abdication was a
consequence of compulsion. I have, therefore, nothing to- receive
from you. I can consent to no meeting--I will consent to r.Othing
that may occasion a civil war or insurrections. Every thing ought
to be done for the people, but nothing by them, and to forget this
principle is to make ourselves guilty of all the consequences which
its neglect occasions. I have, through my whole life, sacrificed
myself for my people, and at the years at which I am arrived I
shall never do any act repugnant to their religion, their tranquilli-
ty, and'their prosperity. But all my sacrifices will be forgotten
whenever I am informed that the religion of Spain, the inviolabi-
lity of my provinces, and their privileges and independence are se-
cured; I shall then lie down in my grave forgiving you all the
sorrow which in my latter years you have occasioned me.
(Signed) CHARLES.
Done at Bayonne, in the Imperial Palace,
called The Government, May 2, 1808.

have given you, by flattering the prejudices of the
people, and by forgetting the, sacred resptct which is
due to a Throne and lawful authority, Popular corn-
motions are like fife, easily'exehed ; but other expe-
rience, and another arm than yours is necessary to
quench them."
No. I,.rridarzn OF HIS MAJESTY THE EMPEROR TO THE
• PRINCE OF ASTCRIAS.
Mr Bacasza!-.4 have received the letter of your Royal
Highness t in the papers which you have received from the King,
your Royal Highness's father, you must have found a proof of
the interest Which I have always felt for you. You will permit
me, under the present circumstances, to speak to you with truth,
and I wished, by my journey to Madrid, to draw over my illus-
trious friend to some necessary ameliorations of his States, and
also to give a certain satisfaction to the public feelings. 'The re-
moval of the Prince of the Peace appeared to me to be necessary
for the prosperity of his Majesty and that of his subjects. '1 ha
affairs of the North had retarded my journey. The events at
Aranjuez took place. I pass no decision on what had previously
fallen out, nor upon the conduct of the Prince of the Peace; but I
knew well that it is dangerous for Kings to accustom their people
to shed blood, of to seek to redress themselves. I pray Goo, that
I your Royal Highness may never feel this by your own experience.
It is not the interest of Spain to injure a Prince who has married
a Princess of the Blood Royal, and who for a long time directed
the affairs of the Kingdom. He no longer has any friends: your
Royal Highness will possess them no longer than while you shall
be fortunate. The people willingly revenge themselves for that
homage which they pay us. How also can the process be drawn
tip against the Prince of the Peace, without involving in it the
1 Queen and the King your Father ? This process would give
nourishment to hatred and factious passions, the issue of whirls
would be fatal to your Crown. YOUR ROYAL HIGHNESS HAS
ND OTHER RIGHT THERETO THAN THAT WHICH YOU DERIVE
FROM YOUR MOTHER. If this process degrade her, your Royal
Highness destroys your own right. He who has lent an ear to
weak and disloyal counsels, has no right to pass sentence on the
Prince of the Peace, His misdeeds, if he can be reproached with
them, go to destroy the rights of the Crown. I have frequently
expressed a desire, that the Prince of the Peace should be re-
moved from affairs; the friendship of King Charles has often
induced me to remain silent, and to turn away my eyes from the
weakness of his conduct. Unhappy mortals that we were! Weak-
ness and error, these are our motto, ; but all may be arranged ;
namely, that the Prince of the Peace should be banished from
Spain, and I should invite him to a place of retirement in France.
As to the abdication of King Charles the Fourth, that has taken
place at a moment when my troops were traversing Spain ; and
in the eyes of Europe, and of posterity, I should seem to have
sent so many troops solely for the purpose of pushing from his
throne n.y ally, and friend. As a neighbour Sovereign, it is fit
1 that I should know this abdication, before I acknowleged it. I say
it to your Royal Highness, to the Spania-ds, and to the whole
world, if the abdication of King Charles has proceeded from his
own will, if he was not driven to it by the insurrection and
uproar at Aranjuez, I make no scruple to accede to it, and to ac-
knowledge your Royal Highness as King of Spain. The circum•
spection which I have observed for this month past, must be test:.
curity to you for the support which you shall find in me, should
ever party differences disturb you, in your turn, upon the throne.
" When King Charles made us acquainted with the events of
last October, I was very much affected by them : and I think
that by my efforts the affair of the Escurial received a happy issue.
Your Royal Highness was much to blame—l have no need of any
other proof of this, than the letter which you wrote to use, and
which I shall always desire to consider as not having come to me.
Your Royal Highness must distrust all popular commotions and
insurrections--A FEW OF MY SOLDIERS MAY BE MURDERIIO, BVT
THE SUBJUGATION OF SPAIN SHALL BL THE CONSEQUENCE
OF IT.
I see with pain that some persons at Madrid have disseminated
certain letters of the Captain-General of Catalonia, and have done
every thing to excite disturbances among the people. Your Royal
Highness perfectly comprehends my meaning.
it
perceive that
I have touched slightly upon many points, which it would not be
proper to enlarge upon.
You may be assured that I will conduct myself in every thing
towards you, in the same way as to your Royal Father. You may
rely upon my desire to arrange every thing, and of finding an
opportunity of giving you proof of my perfect regard and esteem.
Herewith accept, firc.

I!

PARIS, MAY IL
The Moniteur of yesterday contains the following
*nicks : .... -
BAYONNE) MAY 6.—The following particularsire
contained in a letter from Madrid, dated May 2, seven
in the evening :
" The people of Madrid, since the events of Aran-
jue7, have been constantly in a state of ferment.
Their pride and presumption had arrived at the
highest pitch of which it is possible to form any con-
ception. The victory which they had obtained over
their King, the trophies with which they were elated,
having snatched from the two hundred carabineers
who formed the life-guard of the Prince of the Peace,
inspired hopes that every thing must give way to their
fantasies and licentiousness. Every day were inju-
ries done to the French.; sometimes the guilty were
punished in an examplary manner ; but the French
always discovered the ceolness and tranquillity of the
strong, towards the commotions of the multitude. It
is true, that the good sense of the great body of the
respectable inhabitants of Madrid confirmed this dis-
position on 'the part of the French.
" Within these two days, the assemblages of the
people were more numerous, and appeared to have
some determinate object in view. Reports and pro-
clamations in manuscript were dispersed over the
country ; cool spectators of those things, as well Spa-
niards as French, saw a crisis approaching, and saw
it with pleasure ; for without some severe lesson, it
was impossible to bring back the misguided multi-
tude to reason.
" The Queen of Etruria, and the Infanta Don Free-
cisco, indignant at the affronts to which they were
daily exposed, asked and obtained permission to set
out for Bayonne. The Grand Duke of Berg sent
one of his Aides-de-Camp with his compliments and
assurances that they should sustain no injury ; having
reached the court of the Palace, the Aid-de-Camp
was surrounded by the assembled mob, but he defen-
ded himself long, and at last was on the point of
sinking, when ten grenadiers of the guard advanced No. $. LETTER FROM TILE PRINCE OT ASTURIAS TO Toe IN•
briskly with charged bayonets, and rescued him. TANTA, DON ANTONIO, AT MADRID.
" At the same moment a second officer was woun- " I have this day sent a letter to my dearly beloved Father,
dud by another mob. The great street of Alcala, conceived tiredthe following terms :
'1 Hono Father anti Lord—in order to give you a proof of
the Sungate, and the Great Square, were covered " my love and obedience, and in fulfilment of your desire, 1 resign
with the populace. The Grand Duke caused the emy Crown in favour of your Majesty, wishing you may enjoy
alarm to be beat, and every one repaired to his post, e it many years. I recommend to your Majesty the persons who
while a battalion of the Grand Duke's.piquet, with " have served me since the 19th of March. I rely on your as-
two pieces of cannon, advanced near the Court of the " suranees in this respect. I pray to GoD to preserve you many
" hlppy days. I throw myself at the feet of your Royal Majesty,
Palace, where the seditious were the most daring, e the humblest of your sons. (Signed)
being drawn up in a line, a firing began. from two " Bayonne, May 6. " FERDINAND!'
ranks. The grape-shot flew through the different "In virtue of the abdication which I make to my well-beloved
streets, the arrayed crowds were dissipated in a taro-- father, I recall the full powers which I had entrusted to the Su=.
ment, and the greatest dismay succeeded to the most preme Council before my departure frcio Madrid, for the execa-1
tion of such weighty and important matters as might happen
extravagant arrogance. - during my absence. The Council shall pay regard to the orders
" The Grand Duke had sent orders to General and commands of my Father and Sovereign, and put them in ex-
ecution throughout the kingdom.
Grouchy to scour the street of Alcala, for the
purpose of dispersing an assemblage of more than " I must finally express my gratitude to the Members of the 1
Council. to the Public Functionaries,and to the whole nation, for '
20,000 men who were in it and the adjacent squares. tee attachment which th2y have testified for me. I further direct
Thirty discharges of artillery with grape-shot, with th,an to unite themselves with heart and hand to King Charles
several charges of cavalry, cleared all the streets, and the Emperor Napoleon, whose power and friendship can do
though then the insurgents took refuge in the houses, more than all other things, to secure the chief prosperity of Spain
with the independence and integrity of her territory. I exhort
you not to fall into the snares of our eternal enemies, to live uni- i
and began to fire out at the windows. Brigadier-
Generals Guillot and Daubrin broke open the doors, tee among yourselves and with our allies, to spare blood, and to '
and all who were found with arms in their hands were Bayonne, April 16,1808. - avoid the mischiefs which would be the consequence of the pre-
put to the sword. A detachment of horse guards, at No. 2.--TRANSLATION OF A LETTER WRITTEN IN SPA- sent circumstances, if men gave themselves to the spirit of made,
the head of which was Dusmenil, Chef d'Escadion: NIsII, BY KING CHARLES IV. TO lIIS SON, THE PRINCE ress and disunion.
*"
Bayonne, May 6. (Signed)
FERDINAND."
made several charges in the square. This officer had or AsTumAs. BAYONNE, MAY to.
two horses killed under him, and General Grouchy MT Soo!—The faithless counsels of the men who surroundyou
have brought Spain into a must distressing situation. Ihe country The day before yesterday a deputation from the
had a horse wounded.
Magistracy of Bourdeaux waited on his Majesty the
" While this was going fonvard, the insurgents nos;inecaen ot be saved bat by the Emperor.
nthe Peace of Basle, I have been always convinced, that Emperor to return him solemn thanks for the decree
made for the Arsenal, to get possession of eight and it was the first interest of my people to preserve a good under-
twenty pieces of cannon, and to arm themselves with standing with France, and I have considered no sacrifice too great he had lately passed in favour of that city. A guard
10,000 muskets which were there at hand ; but Gene- to attain that object. Even when France was the prey of tempo- of honour has arrived from Pau, through which place
fury Governments, I determined to repress my own inclinations, his Majesty is to prison his return.
ral Lafranc, who, with his brigade, was quartered in
and be guided only by a regard to sound policy and the welfare
the convent of St. Bernardino, advanced with his regi-subjects—but when the F h Emperor had ; drd PARIS, MAY 13.
of my
ment by forced marches, so that the insurgents had in France, then apprehension remaining in a reat degre removed, SO The disturbances which took place at Madrid, in
scarce time to fire some cannon shot. All who were that I bad then new reaSons for faithful tom- system
1 - the beginning of this month, extended to other towns
of alliance.
found in the Arsenal were put to death, and fire- good of the kingdom, but have, however, been less serious.
When England declared war against France, I had the
arms, which they had begun to take from the chests,l- eOn the 21 tof April, towards ' the people of
, and thereby to afford to my people the
s
fortune to remain neutral,
were again locked up in the armory, advantages of peace. England, however, soon :tier captured four Toledo began to l
e'assembe in great numbers on the
" A great number of peasants from the neighbour- of my frigates, and made war upon me before war was declared, . plain, crying long live rdind VII. The disor-
ing villages were summoned into the city before the Twehruesewxtaesuldceodmtpuemlled tuohreecptes! force by force, and the evils of war der reached such a height that the respectable part of
grand attempt ; but when they saw how speedily the Spain being suerouynsdeci by coasts, and being indebted for her the citizens could not suppress it. Furniture and
insurrectionwas put down, they endeavoured to escape greatest prosperity to her trans-marine possessions, suffered more property belonging to the Corregidore and other per-
to the country; but they were watched by the cavalry than any other country by the war. The interruption of trade, , sons of distinction, were burned and destroyed. These
at the different outlets of the city, and all who were and all the evils connected with that state of affairs, were cape- disturbances continued all night, and next mornin
rienced by my subjects, some of whom were uncandid enough to
taken with arms in their hands were shot. throw all the blame on me and my Minister,. I had, however, the Staff of the Corregidore was taken and carried
" The French
.garrison of Madrid were aloneleast the consolation that the country was safe, and had no rea- about in procession, with a flag affixed to it, on which
gaged in this affeir, consisting of two battalions of fuse, to he alarmed for the preservation of my provinces. was the portrait of the Prince of Asturias. The mob
sileers of the guard, commanded by Colonel Fried- At the same time, I was the only King of Elurope I.vito livedditi afterwards proceeded, under the direction of two of
,Uhatd
itsenutatter tun)
nichs, a picquet of infantry, and 5 or 600 cavalry. tstiliosusekicu
striiitlyLavme iednsjtotvheedctorannyquusiliolintsv
for thean ad- men of the town, to the
the most worthless young
When the cannon was heard, and the alarm was vice which has turned you aside froni the path of duty. You have great plain, where they erected a statue of the Prince ,
given in the five camps, the divisions were formed, been too easily led away by the hatred which your first wife the- of Asturias on a throne. They then directed that!
and advanced with rapid march towards Madrid ; rLhed against France, and you have participated in her obstinate course toward.; the Council House, where the Cardi-
dislike to my Ministers,. your mother and myself.
en-
when they arrived, order was already restored 1 thedal and the Infanta came to the windows, and 1
resorted to the rights of a father and a King, and arrested ynti
garrison of Madrid, composed of 3000 men, was when I found among your papers proofs of your guilt. But at the deavoured to restore tranquillity. The insurgents,
quite sufficient to bring all the iusurgents back to theh- erd of my career, about to become the prey of grief, I felt for however, still kept up the cry "of Long live Ferdi-
senses. Our loss is reckoned at 25 killed, and between the tears of your mother, and forgave you. nand the Seventh," and compelled the quiet citizens
40 and 50 wounded. That of the Insurgents amounts Meanwhile, my subjects were agitated by the false represents- to join them. Towards the night they attempted to
dons of a faction, at the head of which you placed yourself.--
attack other houses, but fortunately at last some Re.
to some thousands of the lowest orders. From that moment the peace of my life was gone, and to the evils
" The Junto, or Government Council, immediately which had befallen my people,l had still to add that distress verend Churchmen and brave citizens prevailed on
the rabble to disperse, and peace was restored ; but it
gave orders for disarming the whole city ; all good which the disunion cf my family had occasioned,. • Even my mi.
citizens rejoice at this regulation, and view with plea- misters werecreisviaedndtehr
tedsto
ituhewEisnhisrtoor of
d the
rt Pfteonmet,hertiehaolit link
- was necessary to patrole the streets night and day.—
sure the punishment of those insurgents, who, had it General Dupont, however, arrived on the 27th April,
in;
perceived
the dispoluan to disorder even *ln my family, occu:
not been for the presence of the French, wonld, by pied, under various pretexts, my States witk his troops : bat so with a corps of French troops. He was received with
great joy by the citizens, and the tranquillity of the
overturaing the Throne of the late King of Spain, long as they remained on the right side stile Ebro, and appeared
have annihilated the kingdom, and have plunged this destined to maintain a communicatn with Portugal, I stll.l hoped town was completely re-established.
that he would return to those feelings of respect and friendship
The Official Journal of this day contains the fol-
brave nation into a state of head-long decay." which he had always testified towards me. When I learned that
When the Emperor here received information of his troops advanced towards my capital, I felt it necessary to as- lowing articles from Spain :
" This day we have official intelligence from
what had had fallen out at Madrid, he immediately went semble my army around me, In order to exhibit myself to my il- -
thotswvibieuttsidbehecamremecytted,KingmofuwSpnaiinu.t—e. drid, of the 6th. Two days before, on the 4th of May,
to King Charles, who was just returned from the irkitrii ors, ally
tiendthhiast stua sad
Ettpresso with whom he had been partaking of a restssadjanecd. I recalled nly- troops from Portugal, land ordered the junto of the Government, in consequence of a let-
eljeune. "Ah !" cx.,:.timed the old King, upon hear- those in Madrid to evacuate that capital, and directed them to as- ter received from the Grand Duke, and in consideration
ing a relation of tlie events, " I have foreseen this sentble on several points of Monarchy. This was not done of the difficult and extraordinary situation of public
bouftt, on the
cr contrl2 affairs, conferred on his Highness the office of Presi-
misfortune. Those guilty men who, in order to ac.. for the puurpose. of. abandoning mbiry tahenbi"t3'
cOmplish their object, have set on the people, hoped long
rdeexrpteritnursunce ;fa Tore
me that the glEomrlperor of thoevnirenclyi, dent of the Junto. On the 6th the following procla-
to be able to manage them ; but they have fallen into consistently with his own interests, and the extended political ay's- matien was addressed to the army by the Grand Duke:
the pit which they themselves have dug." tern of the Continent, could entertain no wish prejudicial to my " SOLDIERS I—On the 2d of May you were compelled to draw
The KING instantly resolved to appoint the Grand home. But in the mean time, what was your Conduct ? You your swords and repress force by force ; you have behaved well ;
threw my whole palacr into confusion. You instigated. my paards Aam satisfied with you, and have transmitted an account of your
Duke of Berto Lieutenant-General of the Kingdom,
to turn against rie, four father was your prisoner. My Prime conduct to the EMperor. Three soldiers allowed themselves to
and has accordingly sent Patents to the Junto, and to Minister, whom I had reared and adopted into my family, was be disarmed; they Ire declared unworthy of serving in the French
the Councils of Cas.ile and War. draut d bleeding froth dungeon to dungeon. Ifoutave disgraced army. Ali have now returned to order—tranquillity is restored
He 'has recalled Don Antonio, whom he had placed my grey hairs; you have bereft them of a crown 'Worn with kw -rdbe eleklateals are punished—the misled have seen their error—
tre by my anoefarse , and which l bad jtaresetivedt without a stain—. :rtetll ainMatarver the past, and confidence must be restored. Sol-
at the head of the Junta, as having neither su cient
hail, _yourself
_, _e_ol. ;_the=eetyourfanner friendly relations with the inhabitants
steadiness nor enough of experience for such difficult Tdir :et the nde 4 r Mitdr "et b
who are led by the Mem. of S troops merits praise. The harmony
circumstances. bees of your patty, and of the foreign troops that have epterwkArad good understanding which subsists between the two armies
The King afterwards called to him the Prince of the. ' mat be mere and more confirmed.
Asturias, and
to rag him the letter of the Gtand theeon‘piraeg.at the EseurisJ was accompliskted, and the acts ; , I " -MMASITADT3 OT Ma ID Inhabitants of Spain, be tran-
ofmyd Gwoitvherininesetzttiewse,re aosulgasesito public contempt. Old, and quit ; remove ham your minds all that anltiety which the evil
I ulse of Berg to read, containing a det o: tbese I could not withstand that new misfor- disposed wish to excite ; return to rine wonted occupations • and
:.t cn s, s t to hi •, " See then, what !tae ben in one and fled to the Much 'Emperor, no longer as a King at the see in the Soldiers of the Great Napoleon, the Protector of Spain,
;,, tt 1 rouBlit about by the counsel which wicked 119411 lead of his troops, akistuTounded with the lustre of de throne • only friendly troops—only faithful allies. The inhabitants of all