The Wilmingtonian., 1823-12-25
GENERAL RIEGO.

GENERAL RIEGO.
1t is confirmed beyond all doubt, that
this gallant and unfortunate Patriot has c
been put to death. His trial is said to o
have ocrasioued important debates at b
Madrid on the 27th October. He refused ]
to be present when the court assembled. !
After the Indictment had been read, it was /
decided that he should be specially judged {
as deputy of the Cortes, for having votedI'
for transferring the King to Cadiz. Hisl'
attorney contended that he could only be +,
tried by a military commission. Every (
plea in his favour was disregarded. lt'
had been determined by the spiritual advl-l,
ser of Ferdinand, who now rules Spain
with rod of iron, that this vrtuous indi-
vidual should perish by an ignominious
death, for having dared to question the
|" divine right" Of kings to tyrannize over
the human race. The following are the
only particulars which have transpired OF
this sanguinary act:
The schooner Imperial arrived at New
York on Friday evening last, from Cadiz,|
brought Gibraltar papers to the 18th ult.
containing the following extracts from
Madrid papers, announcing the legalized
murder of the brave Spanish patriot Ri
ego.
!. MADRID, Nov. s.
The second hall of the Alcades de la
(, Real Casa y Coste, has pronounced the
d. following sentence
), I'D. Rafael del Riego is condemned to
! the ordinary punishment of hanging, and
b he shall be drawn on hurdle to the place
|of execution-his property shall be confis-
: Gated, and he shall pay the costs of suit"
= BY virtue of this sentence, the prisoner
e was placed in capilia (seclusion) at ten
S O'Clock this morning.
: November 6.
e This day, at noon, the ordinary punish
:, lment of hanging was inflicted on the per-
), son of d. Ratel del Riego. The public
j, that hold his crimes in such detestation
ylhas shown, on this occasion, that it can
r. distinguish between the crime and the
. criminal; for not the least insult was OF.
r fered to him, by the immense crowd that
2 filled the streets through which he passed
II and it was only at the moment Of execu
e, ton that the cry of long live the absolute
e King was heard. Madrid Ga1.
t. The execution of Riego is an event, We
J. believe, without "A parallel in modern his
e tory. He has been tried and hung as /;
TRAITOR. The circumstance which consti
e, tutes the singularty, and the atrocity OF
J. the part of the present Spanish government
d is, that Riego has acted all along up to thu
le, e,Itime ofhis capture, under the authority o
1.-the countryside very government unde
e. which the King himself acted during th'
~ same period. Spain had no other govern
IN ment at the time. The mock Regency es
n tablished by the Duke d'Angouleme, wa
3, mot clothed with the least authority deri
'c| we'd either from the people or the laws o
IS, usages of Spain. The evidence of this fac
- is drawn from their wndeclarations whel
III they were called upon by the Duke to no
$. inmate fit persons for the purpose. The.
FL replied that the case was not provided 70
erin the old laws of the kingdom. and per
ai emptorily declined the act. The Duk
al then appointed Regency of his ow
U.s. '|choosing.
slr Now against this spurious government
"h treason could not be committed, becaus
~ it had no legitimate authority. The kin
TO- from the first, acknowledged the constitl
I'm ton; he soemnly swore to observe It'll
ot' acted under it for three years.
y Riego acknowledged his authority, an
me acted under his orders ;--and yet he hi
us'| been brought to an ignominious death on
me charge of treason, when they were bo1
,r,- engaged in the same cause.
ith
lat,
Of FROM the N. \. Evening fos1'
BRAZIL.
mis- Rio de Janeiro papers to the 18TH Oct
state that the Brazilian Congress w