Star.
London, England, 1822-07-16 00:00:00

DEFEAT OF THE SPANISH MUTINOUS

GUARDS.

MADRID, JULY 7.
111014 Tllll UNIFESLIL, JULY 8.
When at the conclusion of our article last night
we said that the violent state of Madrid could not
last long, the battalions of the rebel Guards had al•
resdy fo med a plan for fulfilling our prophecy.—
They ascribed to weakness the peace which we left
them to enjoy. The protestations which they made,
and the capitulation which they proposed, were in-
tended to lull us asleep, and to inspire us with confi-
dence. They meditated projects of vengeance, and
endeavoured to dip, in the blood of their brothers,
the chains they prepared for us. But HILAVIN has
disconcerted their wicked plans, and the slaves have
received the punishMent due to their perjury. At
three o'clock in the morning the battalions of the
Guard who had encamped in the Prado, penetrated
into the capital, throwing down the gate of Conde
Duque. This plan, as it appears, wa. to form them-
selves in three divisions, one of which was to attack
the park of artillery ; another to disarm the National
Militia, which had encamped in the square of the
Constitution ; and the third to take possession of the
Puerta del Sol, and to guard the streets which led to
it. Of these projects, the only One they succeeded in
executing was the third.
The battalion destined to attack the park of artil-
lery dispersed without any known motive on hearing
the first firing in the street dr Is Luna, and the ex-
hortations of their OfficerS was it no avail to retain
the soldiers, who, retreating, as it appears, by the
way they had entered, dispersed in disorder by the
wood of Moncloa.- Many of them have, attempted, in:
the course of 4110 dant° join their cool:4410ns at the]


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Palaua and some of them have been killed without
object 'ln this dispersion, the Meer
D. Lewis Mon was taken, who seeing) i melt detained
by a peasant, offered twelve pieces if gold and his
Watch to be .released, but the disinterested .patriOt
conducted him to the park of artillery. It must be
contested, that the dimion which attaeked.tfe
chewed more firmness, but. it encountered entitle's*
worthy, not only of contending with it, but wiik the
first soldiers in Europe. • The rebels paid dear* for
their audacity, dying by the hands of the heroit imp
tional militia, at the foot of the guns. They had no
other resource but to retire towards the Palace, strew.
ing the streets the whole way with their dead bodies.

The mad presumption of two divisions being thus
punished, nothing remained but to dislodge that
which occupied the Puerta del Sol, the guard of
which had fortified itself in the Casa de COMO%
when it observed the enormous inequality of itsforee.

This enterprise succeeded as desired, and in a short.
time the insurgents threw down their arms, and fled
lin frightful disorder by the streets del Carmen, des
Preciados, and del Arenal, avoiding the death which
threatened them from a cannon supported by pens-
diers and sharpshooters, together with a party of ca-
valry under the command of General Ballasteros. In

the meantime, the loyal guards who were in the park
of artillery possessed themselves of the stables, .and
fortified themselves in them, so that the patriotic sol-
diers occupied all the approaches to the Palace.
While things were in this state, a deputation from
the battalions of the guard proceeded to the Hall of
the Cortes, where te Permanent Deputation had
assembled, in company with certain members of the
City Corporations, declaring that the guards were
ready to surrender their arms' ,but that they should
be permitted to do so when they were beyond the
precincts of the Palace.
It appears the answer was, that at the end of four
hours the two battalions which had remained in the
Palace should retire with their arms—the one to
Leganes, and the other to Vicalvaro; and that the
battalions of the Prado, who had fled hither, should
form tents, and should retire without arms to their
destined quarters. Then it was seen, that although
the contagion which had spread among the corps of
the Guards was great, there were many who joined
on compulsion and' by an ill-understood sense of
honour, the party of the seducers ; for many of them
immediately deserted their ,companions, and repaired
to their quarters, shouting for the Constitution.—
Others, distrusting, doubtless, the generosity of their
conquerors, or accused by their consciences fur
past crimes, fled, throwing away their arms. But
some parties of cavalry, the National Militia, and
some pieces of artillery, pursued the fugitives on the
road to Estremadura, and at present there are ar-
riving a great number of wounded and prisoners. The
most complete tranquillity now reigns in the capital.
All who have witnessed the attacks of this morn-
ing, agree that never troops of the line fought with
more order or more bravery than the Militia. We
have not been able as yet to ascertain how many dead
and wounded there have been in the different en-
counters; but the highest estimate does not make the
number of Militia killed to amount to half a dozen—
a loss extremely small, considering the importance of
the victory, but deeply to be deplored, when we re-
flect that this force is composed of proprietors of land,
merchants, respectable artisans, and fathers of fami-
lies, who sacrificed themselves to defend our liberties.

The Imparcial and the Espedador each giye ac-
counts of the same transaction, not differing mate-
rially from the above. The former adds, that, ac-
cording to the most authentic reports, the Guards lost
100 men, of whom between 25 and 80 were killed.
When the mutinous Guards had been dispersed, the
Permanent Deputation of the Cortes sent a message
to the King, demanding that the four battalions
which had been the most active should be disarmed;
to which the King rather reluctantly agreed.
The folloiving further details are from the Etpedit•
dor, the Editor of which says, that he was a spectatdr,
with arms in his hands, and that he was “ worn out
with glory and fatigue":
" When this measure was about to be carried into effect, the
battalions of the guards who were condeutued to surrender their
arms took to flight, some by the Campo del Moro, and others by
the gate of Segovia, in the direction of the Yentas de Alcorcoe.
Immediately two pieces of artillery, a battalion of militia, two
squadrons of cavalry, and a battalion of officers, under the com-
mand of Don Evirists San Miguel, were dispatched in pursuit
of them. It is now ten o'clock at night, and more than a third,
part of the fugitive guards have entered as prisoners.
" The wounded and prisoners belonging to the liberticide
faction, who endeavoured to create a horrible day of mowing
for Madrid, and of everlasting affliction far all Spain, have been
treated by the conquerors with a generosity and compassion as
worthy of the men who love freedom, as disregarded by the
wretched slaves who fight for the vile gains with which theie
blood is bought, and which covers them with opprobrium and
The" The conduct of the brave National Militia, of the no less
gallant Regiments of the garrison, and of the Artillery, has been
above all praise. The pliant Genetals Morillo and Ballasteros
exhibited a valour and enthusiasm of which they have often given
proofs in the field of battle. The moment the latter presented
himself in front of the troops, to direct the attack which was
made an the Puerta del Sol, he inspired such enthusiasm by Ms
presence as would have been enough to overcome a whole army.
• We should extend this article to too great a length if we
were to enumerate the distinguished actions of which we have
been witnesses ; but we cannot pass over without notice the gal-
lantry of Colonel Scoane, who, being placed in front of a com-
pany of grenadiers in the street Arenal, showed such an excess
of bravery, that be advanced upon the mutineers till their bayonets
touched the chest of his horse, and he fell dead with the effect of
five .Mots. It would have appeared a miracle had this brave
Officer escaped with his life from such a danger. The Spanish
Washington, General Riego, and the gallant and patriotic Airs,
animated the friends of freedom with their presence.
0 To-morrow, when less fatiguedowe shall be able to give
more ample details to our readers.
" Our subscribers must not be surprised that to-day our pub-
lication has made its appearance excessively late, and that the
number contains only half a sheet. This has been a campaign-
day, and no person in our office, from the director of the press
down to the printer's devil, could be restrained from taking their
muskets, and going to join the ranks of the defenders of liberty.
Our failure having so noble an origin, we anticipate an acquittal
from our readers.
" Venous Patriots have assured us, and we have no reason to
doubt their word, that they saw the Duke del Infanta& ea-
ebb% a numerous group of peasants in the Yiedilas, with cries
of Long live the aloolute ring f Leos he. Behests ! Cameral
Ballasteros, who bad notice of the sedition which the Duke was
orisaising in that quarter, flew to the point with a company of
wineat and andb
refuge irrintheadympvroalacemereent7adisperib:
d
or Royal seminaries, we hope he will receive his deserts.
but as
thhowetrehelarehliokrditeLnotria.vagadmewDuke
A
fall of earn lately .vsi'ed, to the depth of seversl els, tie
Nommen% to the Par" of Vont*, in Norway, Is
who were there at the time and all asleep, for it was
CZEisara happily saved, but a great many cattle perished;
• jig. oar two remain standing.

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