The Sun.
London, England, 1842-12-14 00:00:00

When ESPARTERO had fully succeeded in putting
down the civil war, he was naturally grateful for
the assistance so cordially rendered by England,
and sh owed apreference to the English connection.
This roused the jealousy of France. Queen
CHRISTINA then became the favourite, and an
attempt was made to excite a civil war, to destroy
the Constitution, and bring Spain back to its
former state of pupilage under France.
That plan also miserably failed, but
the EX-REGENT was still cherished at the
French Court, and her partisans thronged around
her at Paris, ready en the first appearance of re-
volt in any part of Spain to join with the enemies
of the REGENT. This was an unjust policy
towards a country with which France
was at peace, and which really had given
no just cause of offence to Louis PHILIPPE.
Next comes the outbreak at Barcelona, and
though we are willing to acquit the French Go-
vernment of all blame in concocting a mad
scheme of this kind, it cannot be denied that the
agents of France are using every possible means
to turn it to advantage. The journals, both in the
interest of the Ministry and the Opposition, are
stirring up the French and the Spaniards against
England, and even accusing our Government of
a wicked design to destroy Barcelona in order
to put down the manufactures of Catalonia. If
they succeed in this plan, the darling object of
France will be gained, the cry against England
may be too strong for the Government of
ESPARTERO, and the country be again plunged
into a civil war. CHRISTINA and her adherents
will then be let loose to encourage rebellion, and
prevent the:QuEEN's marriage with any other than
a BOURBON. The conduct of the French Consul
throughout the whole affair has been extremely
suspicious, and though we cannot concur with a
Contemporary in describing him as the cause of
the bombardment of Barcelona, and of the in-
surrection itself, we must do him the justice
to say that he has given a turn to affairs which
will be highly acceptable to his employers. Our
Government, we trust, are taking active mea-
sures to rebut charges of such a serious charac-
ter, not only against the British Consul, but the
country.

Madrid papers to the sth have been received.
The Gazette announces that since the departure
of the REGENT 3,000,000 reals have been for-
warded to the army in Catalonia, independent
of sums and supplies furnished by the Intendents
of provinces. Accounts from Seville appear in
the Madrid papers, stating that on the 28th about
twenty persons raised a disturbance in the streets
by singing revolutionary songs. In the course
of the night the authorities called out the troops,
and got ready the artillery, and on the following
day the town was perfectly tranquil. In other
parts of the country tranquillity prevailed.
The Three per Cents. were done at 22 at va-
rious dates, and the Five per Cents at 26 9-16ths
at GO days. The titulos of the foreign converted
debt sold for 181 for the 20th inst.

The Paris papers are chiefly occupied with re-
marks on the bombardment of Barcelona, and
abuse of the English Consul, Mr. PENLEASE.
There is little new in these remarks. The follow-
ing extract, however, from the Journal des
Debuts, is worthy of notice, as it probably ex-
presses the opinions of the French Government
respecting the conduct of ESPARTERO, and the
course of policy which Mr. PENLEASE considered
it his duty to adopt. It displays nearly as bad a
spirit as that which inspires the Radical and Re-
publican papers, and in plain terms intimates
that Mr. PENLEASE was rather glad than other-
wise at the injury done to the most industrious
city in Spain. This is a most wicked and, we
believe, most unjust imputation on the British
Consul :—" We feel repugnance," says the Minis-
terial journal, "in associating ourselves in the
systematic declamations incessantly poured out
against an allied country, and we regret that the
conduct and • the language of the English
Consul at Barcelona force us to abandon
our reserve. Had her Britannic MAJESTY'S
Consul been satisfied with refusing an asy-
lum to those who most required it, without
exposing the motives of this conduct, it would be
sufficient to blush for him and his country at the
interpretation he gave to his duties; but he
should not be allowed to throw blame indirectly
on those who understood and executed •their
mission more nobly, more courageously, and
more honourably than he has done. This
somewhat more than scrupulous respect for the
doctrine of non-intervention will appear perhaps
extraordinary to those who are acquainted with
the habits of English politics, and persons will
be tempted to believe that the British Consul
has beheld without too much regret the calami-
ties which have afflicted the most industrious
city and the most manufacturing province of
Spain. The English Consul, by au excessive
delicacy of diplomatic conscience, has sinned
against the imprescriptible rights of humanity,
in ordernot to err against the rights of neutrality.
We • trust that the English Government will
mark with its energetic reprobation, the lan-
guage of its agent, and we are convinced, for 'the
honour of the English nation, that it will feel
nothing but shame at the conduct of its repre-
sentative."
The attack on ESPARTERO is equally unfair
and ungenerous, and shows that the failure of
the revolt is viewed in certain quarters with re.-
gret. "Is it not melancholy," says the Journal
des Debats, "to think that this lamentable
disaster could have been avoided by the most
trifling concession, since everybody was submit-
ting, and the leaders of the revolt were quitting
the place ? What title to glory, what security
for his personal power, does the REGENT hope
to obtain by this act of merciless vengeance,
which is regarded by persons of all opinions as
an act of Vandalism as odious as it is impolitic !
What secret hatred will it not excite ? PHILIP 11.
and the Duke of ALBA never treated the revolted
towns of Flanders as ESPARTERO, VAN HALEN,
and ZURBANO have just acted towards Barcelona.
The REGENT would not yield anything to repen-
tance, nor did he even receive the suppliant
deputies. Certainly, when the noble Spanish
people raised one of their fellow-citizens to the
Chief Magistracy of the State, it was never ex-
pected that this Chief would display more pride
and rigour than a King by divine right. Who
knows even if this bombardment of thirteen
hours, suspended as if to let the mortars cool;
would not have been resumed some hours after,
had not news arrived at head-quarters of the
rising of Catalonia and the advance of the No-
tional Guards to succour Barcelona.? At mid-
night the REGENT suspended the firing until
morning, and sent to demand submission.
Stunned by the first disasters of the bombard-
ment, and supposing themselves without succour,
the inhabitants yielded, the more so, as they
were threatened with a renewal of the bombard-
ment at four in the morning. No shadow
of an amnesty was offered to them. On the con-
trary, they are treated like the town of an enemy's
country which has been seized on after a long
siege and a sanguinary resistance. The unfortu-
nate town is afflicted with a contribution of
2,000,000 of douros (10,000,000 of francs); and,
in virtue of a decree of General VAN HALEN, is
declared in a state of siege under exceptional ju-
risdiction. The Government promises nothing
on its side in the way of oblivion and pardon, but
the decree terminates by inviting the inhabitants
to forget the past, and to fraternise with the
troops. It will be seen that there is nothing re-
assuring for any persons now that the chiefs of

the insurrection have taken to flight, and every
inhabitant may dread being taken up as one of
their accomplices. Let us hope, however, that
the bombardment will suffice for the punishment
of Barcelona, and that humanity will not have
to lament rigours from which the insurgents
themselves abstained during their reign."
The latest news from Barcelona is the follow-
ing telegraphic dispatch in the Message?' of Mon-
day night :

:‘ PERPIGNAN, DEC. 9.—The shops were closed yes-
terday at Barcelona. In default of chiefs, 200 soldiers
and militia have been arrested, and several of them

shot.
The Cyclops steamer has towed away the For-
midable, and an English frigate has also left.
" The French Government steamer Gassendi left
Barcelona yesterday evening, and touched at Port