The Wilmingtonian., 1824-02-26
FERDINAND.

al auis |,
FERDINAND. III
The following account Of the condition ms
which the King of Spain found himself, dunngIt
the ascendency of the constitutional system, IS ,
taken from ga Visit to Spain," by Michael
Quin, Barrster The author lays the scene at
Madrid.
cit is we'll known, that since the events
of the 9TH of July, Ferdinand VII. was as
much prisoner in the royal palace as ever
Napoleon was in his mansion at st. Helena.
The Cortes were perhaps justfiable, to a
certain extent, in prescribing the move.
ments of the king because the sincerity OF
his attachment to the Constitution was
properly suspected, and some obscure de-
signs seemed to be on foot for getting him
beyond the Pyrenees. 1t was impossible
for any prince, who regarded the dignity
and Just rights of his throne, to subscribe,
with willing hand, the Constitution OF
Cadlz; for it reduced his prerogatives and
faculties to mere shadows. The Cortes,'
by demanding too much, and succeeding
in their demands to the very letter, pa-,.
ccd themselves in false position, which,
they were obliged to keep, in order to pre-
serve any of the advantages they had
ganed.--The king, on the other hand, by
conceding too much, reduced himself to a
situation that rendered him hourly an ob-
iect of suspicion at home, and OF manifold
intrigues abroad. i
"There were accordingly household
guards and officers appointed, in whom the
new government confded. These guards
ed in different rooms of the palaces, and
the stairs were night and day lined with
battle-axe men. Formerly, strangers had
little difficulty in entering the palace. and
viewing the magnificent collections OF pic
lures and superb furniture which it con-
fains; olt at this time no one was permit
Ell e enter who was not known to be
nbs cted with the household, or the
yards and the faces Of all those who
alae t were strictly examined before
hey we're allowed to pass. On Court
seys. indeed. the prohibition of entrance
hsas necessarily dispensed with, but very
e few attended these ceremonies except thu
= Liberals. The friends of The King stait
away for several reasons; for those II
,,iiam his Majesty paid any particula
mark of attention, were put down as Ser
,fiss, and exposed to all the dangers 0
Isnunciaton.
One day Happened to be in the squar
before the palace, when | observed mum
Del of state carriages going towards tn
principal entrance. | was told that thu
Hiag and the whole of the Royal Famil,
were just taking their usual promenade
spi l had the curiosity to see how the.
appeared. The principal entrance is
gateway, which, during the daytime, is
common thorough-lare, as it leads to tn
interior square of the palace, in which al
the offices of state are situated. On tn
right hand is the grand staircase: it wa
lined with battle-axe guards party d
the carabineers before noticed, and tou
or five grenadcrs, occupied the lowe
steps, and stood on each side o! the King
carriage, which was in waiting. The II
!antry guards were drawn up in the squar
before the palace, and body of hors
guards, to the number of five or six an
twenty. was waiting also in the square I
escort q. 2. to guard) the royal carriage
In the passage there were two or tire
military men in unGrass, and seven
eight old women, who were waiting
present memorials to the king thou
they could scarcely have been ignora
that the time for asking favours was pa
King add Queen descended the stalrca'
attended by several officers of state, in #
dress: dark blue coats, turned up W
crimson, laced with gold, in the usual nj
tary fashion. white small clothes, a
white silk stockings. Such was also
less of the king, in addition to which
wore blue riband over his left should
and a star on his breast. The Queen
slight. genteel figure, with small rou
countenance, feminine and timed, and
more, l should think, than eighteen
nineteen years old appeared in a pl
satinhat, vesy plain. and a blue silk mi
tie, edged with ermne. which covered
remainder of her dress. Her face ha
mild beauty in it, which strongly intere
spectator 1t looked on this occas
pale. and oppressed with inward suffer-
The face of the King is remarkable
tnr vacsncy--I fear | mast saY' the