The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-03-31

situation; and what is worse, is, that up
wards of 500 mea have died with hunger
Yesterday the command of tho army was
taken from Castanos, aud an enquiry is in-
stithted respecting his conduct An tho SOL
4disrs accuse him of treason, and / believe
them, since he has deceived us during two
months.
SIGyENzA, 4th Dec.
My DEAR FRIENp,
b l suppose you are informed of all that
has happened (; l will, nevertheless, add, that
our army, which was under the comma md of
Castanos, and consisted Of 90 900 men, has
passed through this city, in a disorder diff
hcult to be believed; it is impossible to des-
cribe the damage they have caused through
out the country, by their robbery and pilla-
ging. Only 10000 men now remain.
General Castanos has been put under ar
rest heis to be carried before the supreme
;lunta: we cannot say what will be the re-
suit, @
). We found at Madrid, in the Palace of the
Duke OF lnfantado, two caskets, containing
papers belonging to the Princess of Asturias,
in which matters of the highest Importance
are spoken Of This passage of letter from
her mother, dated 18th January, 1906,
makes known what opinion the Queen of ST.
city herself has of the English
These letters are full ofproofs ofthe con-
spiracy which was forming to break the
friendship that subsisted between France
and Spain.
Cofy of mint Is 4vrittez IN, symtiathefic ink
az ne letter from Queen Charlotte toshe
Princess Of .dStUrfas, the 1Sfh january
Z 1906,
My beloved child, am infinitely uneasy
about your situation. about the increase oi
grief which You will experience upon learn
ing our cruel situation. But rely upon nv
truth. Believe in no fright which people
will snot fail uncharitably to give you, and
be prudent. Wal! always tic x; you and
very sincerely, and believe in no other news,
for promise to the heart and tenderness
OF my dear child to conceal nothing from
you thus believe only in me. We all support
ourselves in good health. We are 1,cru I'M
easy; Nassena rs zyith $4,000 men at our
frontier, since that fatak and cursed disem-
6arkafioi IF The English, 4vho zvifh her-
.fdzons and uneramficd co7vardice, AFTER
havfns co2lfironised rs, quilted us al The
moment zohen fhe danger Suas the most III
oleHt. These heohie haze ruined us. Be-
naharte causes nothing 10 be said or 7vfit-
ten, and III aHHkeEhood zve Shali6c zndone
we have only 500 men in arms; tor the
two years and half, that the French have
been In our country, they required that we
should noe recruit our army they thereby
rendered all our forces useless, and behold
We are now at their mercy. without any
nope Ut defence against a force of $4,000
men. and II, they please of 100. GOO men.
'3Nst7a deStToYc1, atSc5icd, and f6r .ffiy
years annuLte5 /; in. fine, tits an unexasahled
mt&forfune, 20 7vhich nothing but our holy
religion cen make US be RESIGNED, that sole
consoiotion under all nisfortunes Your.
dear father and the svhoie family are in de-
sofafson. EUery thing is hacking IN, for
froRi The entrance Of the frontier to come
10 .Naf'ies is the eBair efsir or seDen days,
and one cannot let ones seif6 taken FRI
soner; thus, we are preparing every thing
for disastrous and eternal departure, and
this reDds my heart. The king has sent the
Cardinal General Ruffo to Rome, and has
dispatched to Paris. But neither Fesch,
nor Alquier, nor Eugene Beauharnois, nor
Massena are able, according to their dec
Iaration. to stop the march of the troops !;
thus St. Theodore, who has been dispatched
in order to join Gallo, and speak to him of
All that, has remained ut Rome to superin-
tend our affairs, and the Cardinal is set off
in search of Ronaparte, either to Munich,
or to Paris, wherever he may be to be found,
to endeavor to save US.
Your good father is ready in order to sa-
tlsfy the general wish, to abdicate and leave
Francis king, reserving to himself coed
pension, the fruit of part of the money
which he has advanced to the royal finances.
Many people think that this will suffice to
lay the storm, but / do not think so, and
am convinced that they wish to have the
kingdom of Naples.
II the danger approaches, we shall retreat
TO Messina and Calabria, in order at least
there to defend ourselves, and prevent the
taking of Sicily Think, Leopold, your two
sisters. my daughter-in- law seven months
gone with child, who will lie in at Messina,
Palermo. God knows where, two little chill
dren so interesting in fine, every body is
weeping nobody is willing to remain; eve
ry one frightened at the thoughts of lost
time, wishes to set off We have neither
squadron Bor vessel, nor scarcely any thing
but two ships; in fine it is desolation.----
You shall always know every thing BE
prudent. Show no i'll humor at the wicked
things that will be told to you Let them
talk; that is nothing God will Judge us
and posterity. No false Interpretations
Your two sisters are IN desolation Leo
pold and Francis will go to Calabria to de-
fend the posts. IN fine, God has permitted
il his holy will be done Think, nv dear
child, of re establishing your health of be-
ing we'll. Behave yourself we'll /; life is
short the other is eternal and sure think
not OF affecting yourself with any thing !;
give no credit to- any i'll news. l Shall find
means to give You information Of every ling