Star.
London, England, 1814-02-01 00:00:00

PRIVATE LE fTER.

" cuitessea, Nov. 4,
44 I have just come over from the Main, and am
sorry to say, that the fine province of Venezuela
reams fast merging to a statelike that of St. Domingo.
In the valley of Santa Luiva and Santa Theresa, 29
whites have been Murdered, mostly women and chil-
dren, in the name of Ferdinand VII. whilst to wind-
ward similar atrocities • have been perpetrated for
46 la Patria." In La Guayra .14 innocent Spaniards
were shot on the Most frivolous and improbable pre-
tences, without a murmur ; but when some black
soldiers were to be flogged, their comrades interfered
and rescued them; and this dangerous breach of dis-
cipline passed unpunished. WA it be believed 'oat
women have taken an active part in the horrible pre.
ceedings carried on, and have scourged the ladies of
the royalist party in the most cruel and indecent
manner. Every thing, in short, announces an ap:'
proAchiog struggle,. wherein every species of cruelty
will be exercised, and the different shades of t °lour
in the skin will stitersede the necessity of. all other
external distinctie:ls. The negro officers have al-
ready the finest liralses, mules, and arms, and speak
with a freedom which even a white-creole dare not
use without running the risk of becoming the inhabi•
tants of a jail.

•

.... a j •
" Before quitting La Guay'ra, I was' witness to a
scene which made a deep impression on my minds
and indeed- which never whilst I live can be erased,
from it, The Spaniards had so long and so co.nft.;
dently talked of reintorcethents arriving from Cadiz,
that- they were no longer credited, and the matter
began iw'be. treated as a jest by the patriots. AO
lengei, on; the 12th September, a squadron, consist—
ing of a frigate and six transports full of troops*
made its appearance in the offing. Immediately al
was in motion, and every thing was prepared is
ceive them, should they be igporant of the real state;
of affairs, onto give them a warm reception, should
they attempt to force a landing. It was not, how-
ever, till noon the next day that the ships drew near,
,and the headmost were already within reach of the
batteries, when they- suddenly stood off the land and
lay to. It was then evident that they were suspi.
Iteious that all was not right, although the royal stan-
dard was displayed on the fort above the town.
d After a short time a boat was _seen approaching
the shore, and measures were immediately taken to'
deceive those who were in'her : the tri-coloured was
' replaced by the red cockade • the picture of Ferdi-
nand was ;gain hung up at Goremittent House; .tha
populace were instructed to hail (heir approach b
loud acclamAtions ; andoo crown all, the farmei
'Commandant of the town. Colonel )4armol, was taken'
out of his dungeon and threatesied wkh instant death
'unless he turned traitor, and consented still to act the
part of Commandant for the King. The infamy of
' this act of the base
.ffibas needs no comment, when
twe learn that Marnsol was a than 'of good-character,
and had surrendered on condition °fining allowed to
:quit the country—having actually his passport irrhis

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pocket when arrested, without the shailfgrniit crtnse ; 1
whatever may be thoi.ight of his conduct, the plan
was wellialit, and succeeded at first beyond all eel;
pectation. After various parties, the second in com-
mand, with a gukird of ten or . twelve men% lande
with all the dispatches and letters; anti direetly.eifter-
d
wards the frigate and all the transports came to an-
chor directly under the batteries. No one now dreamt
that it was possible to escape, and our only concern
was, what could be done with so many. prisoners.
This, however, gave the patriots little concern, ii they
told me they, supposed it would be easy to get them
landed in small parties, and then disposed Oft pap"
sacring the whole.
44 My feelings were now wound up to the highest'
pitch of anaiety. Fortunately the brutal ferocity of
4ibas, and the consummate ignorance of the artil-
lerymen, saved the lives of perhaps two thousand
men. Mistrusting the answer that was sent to one
of his Messengers to the frigate, he ordered the firing
to commence, as it did immediately—sixty pieces of
heavy-artillery playing on the frigate alone: She in-
stantly cut her cables, and stood off, followed by all
her convoy, yet the breeze was so light, that it can
be only attributed to the ignorance of the gunners'
that every vessel was not :lurk. Upwards of an Sour
And a quarter elapsed, during all which time a lurious
cannonade was kept up without the (dilate deigning
to veturn a single shot. What is singular, not a spar
was seen from the shore to be carried away, nor was
a single English schpaner touched by their ill direct
ed shot. Yet some damage must have been done, as.
the frigate, when out of gun-shot, was seen to heel,
and have carpenters busy in plugging holes in her
side. The'whole loss, I have since been informed,
was about 40 men.

Monte-Verde has conducted Affairs very badly,
rand has returned Le Puerto Cabello wounded in the
neck. What` was to be expected from such a here-
ditary ignorant man,. upon whom the most striking
lessons were lost Alas! that province which we
traversed with so much pteasere—how changed is
its. fate ! "

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FRENCH Ad PERS.

'TETHER EXTRACTS.

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ANTWERIA, JANUAR); 10.
The affair which we had here on the 19tit, ,was
very hot. The Prussians and Russians came ttp`to,
our very gates ; they were repulsed with great 1ots•
Our young conscripts conducted thenuelves with est-
trerne sang froid and bravery. 'Up to the present, the
enemy has not aga•n appeared. His conduct has been
horrible in our country ; he ill treats the inhabitants,
pillages and takes every thing away from them. The
fine country-houses, which ornamented:skim neigh-
bourhood, have been ravaged and dettrood.
BT. DIZIWt, JANUARY 14.
It is affirmed that the enemy has passed Nancy,
and that he isitdriancing to Bar-sur•Orriaih ; but he
find troops on his•way•to stop him. Troops ate
continually passing to Troyes and Eperny.
MITZ, JANUARY 16.

r The Marshal Duke of Ragnsa left Metz this morn-
ing to proceed to the htights of Go avelotte, two posts
,from Metz. In the night to.s.tween the 14th and 15th
the enemy threw about thirty shells into the town of
Thionvine, but without doing any datissige.
The inhabitants of .this town are full of seal and
courage ; they do not suffer themselvEs to be lulled to
gimp by the deceitful proclamations of the enemy.
They are determined to defend their property. This
is an example to cite and to follow. •
It yesterday rained all day=the Moselle is no loos:
ger passable at any point. _
TROYES, JANUARY.IB.
-For-several days the passage of troops through this
town has been continual: They-are in general -of fine
appearance. There are among them many cavalry,
and they have niinwous trains of artillery. Thesight
of them inspirreeconfidence, and new energy. These
brave men all-vveicamed with eagerness, who, on their
aide, diaplaf the greatest desire to come to an engage
inein.whh the enemy, to whom #rance has constantly,
and: i t the, midst of her victhriesr offered the olive
branch of peitce. These troops take the road to
Chaufaout.

COLOGNE, JANUARY
The accounts from the othei side of the Rhine
state, that the enemy confines himself to the observ-
ing of Magdeburg, all his attempts upon that place
'haring been as Truidess as his suthmons to the brave
ga*son. The fortress of Erfurth still holds-out.—
;mild seem by the same account* that the enemy
has not yet ventured to make any serious attempt
against Hamburgh, whist), by the works that have,
been constructed thereon, is become a fortress of the
greatest importance.
Westphalia is at this moment in the greatest anar-
chy the Allies exhaust it by contributions of every
kind; and the ancient Elector, far from trying to
lessen the burthen, addi to the distresses of the inha-
bitants; by loading them with imposts which are
Tamed, for his own account.
,
CHALQNS-SUlt-SAONE, JANUARY 16.
General Legrand arrived here yesterday morning.
The national guards of the -neighbouring country,
hasten from all sides: It is probable that within a
few days the enemy will be entirely driven out of our
Department.
The enemy told us they did not come to make war
lajtainst the 'French. We replied—Why are they then
in' France ? and why, do they not retire nut of out
territory ? We have not been the dupes of these art-
ful words, and we congratulate ourselves upon it.
A party of the enemy presented themselves at
ITournas, but seeing the inhabitints disposed to &-
Void themselves, they retired. Such is the good eft
rof courage and firmness.
The enemy, on the 15th, had at Macon only 263
men. The enemy, on taking possession of the town,
,bad, according to his customary tactics; ordered the
• Mayor to provide 20,000 rations for a corps which
would arrive.the same day, but which has not arrived
lyet.- The inhabitants of the -country are irritated
against the people of Macon. As to us, we are de-
.terruined to profit by the lessons of experience, and
not to,suffer ourselves to be surprised, like the people
of Macon, who have bee* overloaded with requisitions
and contributions.: - •

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