Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1823-11-18

was nj the same tune heard that the Ir0-
cadero was taken. An immense mob was
Immediately collected, and bessl the Go
verrlment house, v here The Prime Minister
Calatrava and his colleague Mauzanares,
were in deii5esatien. The Ministers soon
appe ared at the windows, and sp6kes. |
man was appointed by the mob, who all
remained o. rtectly silent while be lated
the object Of stheir assembling. He said,
they did moi come 10 disturb or frighlen
the Ministers: they came solely tor jos
tice: tbss had heared tha, the TrocadeTO
was taken. they wan ca to know whether
4: IFS capture was owing 10 ireachery, cow
ardice, or neglect. Ii il was owing TO any
of these causes they demanded the pun
ishmen: OF the offenders The Minister
Calatrava answered, that all be knew at
present was the fact which they all knew /
from report, that the Trocadero was taken;
but the cause OF that deplorabe caiastro.
pbe he did not know. He would, bowev.
err, Immediately institute an inquiry among
the soldiers who we're arriving from that.
garrison. and would ia the morning ac-
qua int them With the result For The pre-
sen, he babe them IN the name OF the law
10 depart 10 their homes The mob cheer
ed him, and Immediately dispersed.
Calatrava and MaDzsnares then began
their inquiry among ibs soldiers who had
escaped; and after an investigation which
lasted all night. they collected the follow
ing facrs:-lt appeared that guard, con.
sisting OF Lieut. and forty men were sta.
toned in that part OF the fortress which
was most accessible from the canal. The
men, who had been barassed with con.
slant labor tor several days, and bad not
the proper reliets. became completely ex-
hausted, and it 10 believed fell asleep
About two in the morning. il being ex-
ceedinely dark, the French crossed the
canal, having heir allies, the Spanish Ul-
,ras in their front. The noise in some de.
gree inseparable from the move ment OF so
large body of men, just served TO arouse
. little The attention OF the sleepy garrison,
but their ala o. subsidized when they heard
themselves csIelessly addressed in the
Spanish tongue with the phrase Of "Dont
disturb yourselves; we. are all friends. -
So treasured, they laid themselves down,
and il was not until alter some time that
they saw 4 body of men IN the garrison
far numbering themselves They took
the alarm The buge sounded 10 arms, and
presently body OF their friends came up
and fred. but being addressed in Spanish
by their opponents, who asked them ~ at.
fected ast0nisbment how they could IRE
on their comrades, they became embsr-
raised; and in sn instan, the confusion was
rendered lncursble by the arrival oil large
body OF French troops Thus 10 lbe con.
clusion resistance was impossible, and the
French with scarcely any loss took pos :
session OF the fortress.
Whenthe mob me, the next day before
Calatrava's house, be told them this story
adding that The lieutenant through whose
negligence this fatal event bad hsppened,
had been killed by the first shot: the
mob then quietly dispersed. Besides, the
good disposition of The inhabitants OF Ca.
dix, OF the militia of Madrid. which we're
staunch to IA man, and of the regular
troops who had given no ground tor sus.
piciOn, there were other circumstances
which to outward appearance gave hope
that Cadiz would hold out, at least tor a
month or two The town was amply sup
Piled with provIslnns before the taking
oil Ssnti Peri, the passage from Gibral-
tar to Cajiz was performed with such ease
and with 50 little risk. that tue rate Of IN.
surance seldom exceeded u sDd never 5
I per tent. Even alter The taking OF Sant'
Petri, owing partly to change in the
winds, and chiefly TO the extremely bad
seamansbip OF the French, vessels could
90 in or on, OF the barbor OF Cadiz with
scarcely any risk. And yet with all these
advantages Cadiz has fallen without a
blow! To what is this TO be ascribed !
To no want Of courage. as we have shewR,
in the people to no wa0t OF courage, or
OF honesty in their government: tor bra
yer and honester men than Caiatrava,
Valdez. and Alava, do not exist but 10
the utter ignorance Of all necessary de.
tails of business. 10 slugg VI cbarac.
ter, to want Of forecast, and, what will ap.
pear incredible, but which was the conse.
auence OF The foregoing defects, their alb
solute want o. information as 10 the events
daily happening in every part Of Spain.
| Add 10 this, they were tor the most part
The dupes OF Ferdinand's affected protes.
tations of liberalism, or, If they suspected
him, mere afraid 10 act np0n their suspi-
ciOns.
| Ferdinand, who j. Ly no means the
dolt that he has been supposed in this
country to be, was all along playing deep
and cunning game. Alter bis arrival in
Cadlz, he pretended TO have changed his
opinions on the subject Of The Ctostitu
| ton he protested The greatest dislike Of
the conduct oil the French. and affected to
| .esr that the Duke a'Ansoulene wanted
| . b. King Of Spain: The Ministers were
weak enough to be the dupes OF this arti.
ice, rbongh be was every day doing wha,
! ugh. 10 have excited their suspicious
te never went out, but walked for several
ours every day on the terrace at the top
II the palace, where he bad erected tow
/ r. from which he was constantly looking
out with telescope. Among bis amuse-
nenis lie daily LET Ay number OF paper
,ites Of various colors. Those who were