Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-04-08


suamons by the prince OF Neusckasel, no
general had gone to reply to it. We pro-
missed him that two shoald SO thai syenings 4
md IN the mean tiGae requested a suspen-
sion Of arms 70 wh!ca nc acceded. ne
;2l;; was to cause It 70 be observed by
si.e ,9bislece who shouted continually death
1r S;cfosg-and lied wflen attacked.
On my return stopped to harangue those
who were in one OF the works, but could
obtain nothing, because when had soften,
ed them, she 9ficra came, and excited fresh
disturbances. 1t was dificult to hoist be-
fore tggo white flag in the tower of Santa
Cruz. the signal agreed on for the suspen-.
sion. Ay motions of siae head they all sad
yes, aud with shouts no..
5sae sunta was confused and irresolute,
owing to the clamor of few idssts, and the
gaeas number of its members. But the oc-
cssparion of all the posts, the want OF amnnu-
milton, the loss Of much artillery, and the
greater part of the artiilerists, the fatigue,
Rant Of sleep and loss Of the few troops
which we had, and who were almost Who'll
}y new levies, could aoe persuade us that
we Ysrs able TO make resistance. bus now
capituiate against the general sentiment -
At length at four in the afternoon went
ous with Don Bernardo lriatte to treat with
the Prince of Neufthatel without any thing
having been decided, and was obliged TO
tell the pob..lace that was going 10 reply
that we would defend ourselves antil death.
We found opposite the convent OF the
! barefootsd Carmeliaes, AKA Aid-de-CamP,
| who conducted us half way towards Char.
martin, where there we're four tents in the
middle of an extensive encarnpment, in
/ which the troops were under; arms; N the
FIRST was the prince, TO whom we were pre-
| sented we stated 20 him our situation with
/ respect to the bobulQce, and that therefore
re could not propose q capitulation, but
only q suspension of arms for the following
day, in order tc reason with the people,
1 tnat those who were rational and disposed
TO an accommodation might not be victims
20 the madness Of the cme;le. The prince
! went out saying that he would go and speak
1 10 the emperor, and in q little time return
! ed, and conducted us to his tent. We re-
/ T,sated TO him what we had already told the
! prince. lie answered us like a conquering
he,o, incensed at the obstinacy and igno.
rance of the people of Madrid. No sup
/ plicafions could obtain longer time than ull-
| til six in the following morning; he added
that might convene the parish priests and
prelates, and inform them that if shey did
not persuade the people 20 submit and bring
them to reason, they woald be responsible,
and that without exposing his troops, he
would destroy every vestige of Madrid
We returned to Madrid, and convened as
large an assembly as possible of persons m
public Offices, the assistant bishop, parish
priests and prelates. Many were absent,
and the meeting was large and contentious
at length seeing that the people and the
troops had abandoned the batteries and re-
tired 10 their houses, and that we had no
other dependence than the good faith of the
eaeny, they all determined to capitulate,
and the articles were drawn up. No one
was willing to accompany me, and | could
only prevail Oh the field marshal Don Fer
nando de la Vera, governors of Madrid
We arrived as break of day, and presented
them to the emperor. He ordered ms to
come in, and received us with much affabili-
ty and graciousness granted every thing
that was asked, and dismissed us. The ca
pitula,ion is very honorable, as your excel
lency will see by the annexed copy.
On our return found that CASTELAR, and
many persons of the first rank, both militia
ry officers and Others. had left the city early
that morning and on the preceding days.
did not do SO the night before, because |
would not abandon Madrid without direc-
ton x exposed to all the horrors of sack.
] believed that | ought to prefer the exist
ence ofso many thousands of souls and of |
the capital to my own. as I had formerly,