The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-02-15
fmsign Affairs.
REVOLUTIONS OF sPAIN-No. S.
H. B. S.


The Duke of Angouleme, on entering Spain,
put forward the following proclamation: "Span-
iards! everything will be done for you and 10Th
you. The French arc, and only will be, your
auxiaries; your own flag will alone wave over
your cities; the provinces that my soldiers shall
traverse will be administered in the name of
Ferdinand, by Spanish authorities. We do not
pretend to impose upon you laws we only de-
sire to restore to you order"
This was at least conciiatory in spirit and
courteous in language; but three days before
the Dukes proclamation appeared, another
document had been issued from the French
territory, of most grossly offensive character
"Spaniards !" it said, "to you belongs the
glory of exterminating the Revolutionary Hy-
dra. The Provisional Junta of Government
declares that sovereignty resides entirely in the
King, and emanates from him. Spaniards I!
your Government declares that it does not
recognise, and holds as NULL all the public and
administrative acts as well as the measures of a
Government established by rebellion, and that
consequently it temporarily re-establishes things
the 18th March, 1920" This was indeed an
insulting defiance, certainly not calculated to
effect peaceful restoration of the absolute
prerogative, but to rouse every patriotic Span
lard to the most vigorous resistance. But,
strange to say, among this extraordinary peo-
pie, who had displayed national feelings with
constancy and intensity that electrified all
Europe, in the contest against Napoleon, all
energy was paralyzed, although the official
returns of the army of Spain, at the invasion,
give On effective force of 96,750 men.
The French army marched from the Bidassoa
to Madrid without resistance. On the 18th May,
the Count Abisbal, who commanded the garri-
son of Madrid, surrendered the capital, which
the French entered on the Goth. Nina, who
commanded in Catalonia, having offered q vain
resistance, embarked for England on the 7th
November, and he has the glory of being the
last to submit. On the 26th June, Morillo, to
whom the defence of Gallicia had been intrusted,
issued proclamation, declaring that che would
not acknowledge the Government illegally estab-
lshed by the Cortes," though from that Govern
ment he derived his command. He signifed
his intention of sending flag of truce to the
French, and propose a suspension of hostilities.
The preamble to this convention contains the
following passages, which illustrate the disuni-
ted character of the Spaniards at this critical
juncture. The cause which we defend, al
though just in its origin, and honorably sus-
tanned, ceased to be so from the moment when
the majority of the nation pronounced against
it, and especially after what happened to the
King and royal family, on their departure from
Seville, when the King was placed in state of
captivity, which left him no freedom to act,
even within the circle of the powers assigned
to him by the Constitution. Henceforward,
therefore, the legitimacy of the Cadiz Govern
ment has become mere illusion, and should
consider myself culpable, were l to continue any
longer to obey it, and in this manner to prolong,
and even to aggravate, the enormous misfortunes
which already weigh us down. Influenced by
these causes, and animated and supported by
the sentiments of the whole army under my
command, solemnly and automatically declared
1 have determined to enter into negotiations
with Count Molitor, commanding the second
corps of the French army"
The Cadiz Cortes denounced Morillo as
traitor, and sentenced him to death; but then
power was gone, and others soon followed the
example of Morillo. Ballasteros, who held
Valencia, retired to Murcia, and subsequently
to Granada, as the French advanced. On the
4th August, he acknowledged the authority Of
the Madrid Regency. Riego left Csdiz, hoping
to prevail on the army of Ballasteros to renew