Star.
London, England, 1826-12-26 00:00:00

MADRID.

We.have received the following interesting Private
Letter, dated Madrid, Dec.l2:

" The importance of the events which have recently
transpired here has prevented my writing you earlier
and giving the accounts you desire of the state of things
here. You are quite mistaken at home in supposing
that Ferdinand is guilty of one half of the acts attributed
to him; he is in fact merely a puppet in the hands of
others. The Franciscan Convent has been the Cabinet
of Madrid for the last nine months, and the Ministers,
as well as the King, are mere cteatures in the hands of
this powerful faction. The Monks have ramifications
throughout France and Portugal, and they even say
England. It is these who have armed the whr'le pea-
santry of Spain, formed them into Battalions of
Volunteers, and organized the present Military sys-
tem. The people of property and the middling
classes may be regarded as generally in favour of
the Constitution, but the whole of the peasantry are
servilely devoted to the Priesthood. These latter
have been doing their utmost to produce a war be-
tween France and England, and to gain this point,
have organized the Portuguese Insurrection, well
knowing, that should England resent it and commence
hostilities with Spain, France must ultimately be drawn
into it. Morality and religion, generally speaking, have
been quite discarded by the upper classes, although they
attend Mass once a day at least to keep well with the
Priests, and th's country is an example of a rapid transi•
tion from bigotry to profligacy. It was currently stated
in this capital as far back as August last, that in the
Franciscan, as well as the other convents, the Monks
were daily drilled to the use of the musket, that in the
event of a war, they might be competent to lead on and
encourage the Royalist force; and as far back as Sept. the
Priests publicly boasted, that if the English did not inter-
fere in the affairs of Portugal the Constitution would soon
be overthrown, and that the Portuguese peasantry had
been gained over by their emissaries. The people In.te
have very little respect for their Monarch." Li Borrico"
(the Jack Ass) is a common appellation applied to him.
His brother, Don Carlos, is the head of the Apostolical
party, and never quits his brother. The 3d brether,Fran-
,cisco, is much beloved by the nation for the plainness
of his living, and his mixing more familiarly with the
people. the administration of justice in Spain is most
infamous. It is customary for plaintiff and defendant,
the night before the trial, to go to the Corregidor with
such letters of introduction as either can obtain, and
with him is left a sum of money proportionate to the
sum at stake, and no case is ever known in which the
heaviest purse is not the gainer. An instance of this has
occurred to an English house very recently.We,however,
never hear an instance in which the French commanders
interfere, either one way or the other, with the Spanish
Courts. The Spaniards detest all foreigners, but their de-
testation of the English it is impossible to describe. Smug-
gled goods from France are introduced in great roan-
tities, and with great facility, under the plea of their
being property of the French Officers. The Govern-
ment is in a most embarrassed state, and is indeed
maintained by a contribution levied on all classes in
proportion to their wealth, ac. The merchant pays a
certain sum, the artisan another, and so on. The streets
are crowded with monks, beggars, and officers. The
streets, with the exception of one or two, are unpaved,
and this city is not so large as Liverpool, and contains,
by the last census, 142,000 inhabitants. Diligence, are
now established on the three great roads—the first
from Madrid to Barcelona—the second, from Madr id
to Seville—and the third, from Madrid to France, by
way of Irun. The roads are most infamously unpro-
tected, and robberies are frequent. Tr e ignorance of
the people, with regard to what passes in England, is
astonishing. No English Newspaper is allowed to be
brought into Spain, and very few French. Now ani
then a Galignaes Messenger is seen by stealth, and
occasionally the worst paragraphs in the Opposition
English Papers, in the hands of the Government, are
extracted into the Madrid Gazette, and the people are
taught to believe England on the brink of ruin, and
that the disturbances at Blackburn, Bcc. (which are the
chief paragraphs taken), are a general insurrection
against the Government. Our conduct towards the
South American States has drawn universal h itred
upon us. The lower classes are bigotted to the extreme.
is This city has some fine buildings. The Palace is a
very handsome square building, as is also the MWCUM.
The Palace of the Prince of Godoy (now converted into
an arsenal), is a fine building, and is situated opposite
the Ambassador's Hotel, in the Calle de Alcata,'