New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-10-08
THE SIEGE OF OARTAGENA.
AFFAIRS WITHIN THE CITY.


CARrAGENA, Sept. 10.-It were to believe
all hear should have to believe that within two or
three days the besiecers forces viii IN gnOminous
retreat, awful the preparations which are IN
OF preparation here 70 attack them II IL SAID
that a sortie ia TO be attempted within day
or two with forces composed OF artillery, cavalry and
infantry The artillery yet only consists OF one gun,
aud few men are drilled by an artilleryman, the only
one here believe TO manage It, The.cavalry is com
posed of about twenty horses mounted by marines so
that may really be said to have horse marines the
infantry counts the soldiers OF the mutined regiments
Of Iberia and Akendzoria and che volunteers All THE
sounds formidable. bat at present there seems TO
be one drawback which prevents the plan from oeng
carried out With true cantOnan autonomous Instincts
the volunteers have decided for themselves
In tho matter. and refuse to leave the town TOT
two reasons. In the first place. they 40 hot
consider themselves match for the disciplined
Civil Guards and carabineros who form the greater
part OF the besegng force and they are AFRAID OF pehs
decinated useesey and without pity. Brave though
they may be. spaniards not altogether deNolo OF
discretion as has proved by their conduct under
fire during the whole Of this siege In the second place
they have misgvngs the object of a certain official
notice which has appeared In the Canton HnresG'o,
directing all persons have houses IN Cartagena 10
deliver up their Keys responsible persons IN the toW
80 that cantonal authorities may pay domieiharY
vsts whenever they should deem such measure neceS
which time il the keys not forthcoming the doors
will be broken OPEN There great many families IN
the country where postal communications are almost
unknown and out OF Spain, who Will not near OF me
order tin long time after the siege Is over and on Their
return they may find their houses cleared out Nor Is
any one 20 be permitted into the town under
preext of wishing find some one 70 take charge OF
the key The keys to De delivered over to some one
at the gate and then the househoders are 10 return
TO where they came from or suffer the
copseouenees which would be 70 be hred
npon The excuse for such an arbitrary orderls so
fnsy that il "a not be wondered at that the voun-
teers who have their homes in CartAgena should look
upon with distrus especially when they see eoupe
OF thousand oonvics Of the very worst kind OF Criminals
walking about the streets without any armed escort or
even the control OF a single guard. The excuse for
the order is, that there may be dead animals IN the
houses which might produce pestienee This As non
sense on the face of it, for all the families have either
taken away home pets, OF else they have ie them
to the tender merces Of the street Arabs and must
say that have seen very few dead animals IN the
streets here the horoughfares being kept very clean in
deed all dogs and without owners appearing to
have destroyed. Another excused that there may
be arms and provisions hid away, but If there are any
arms which is very improbable they might as Wen DC
left where they are as there ia abundance Of weapons
in Cartagena and old muskct or two IN an unlnhao-
tied house cannot do much harm to any one As for
provisions a putrd becfsteak = couple Of bad eggs
woud not be OF any great service IN feeding any OF US
As write hear couple Of volunteers discussing this
order. and one is saying 70 the other; YES by al
means let the doors opened, but the FIRST man that
attempts TO enter my house will shoot dead ana IN
stead Of going out to fight the field and leaving my
bouse to De robbed by this canaIie Will mount
guard my door"
This is the present state Of affairs here and where mat
ters will end Heaven alone knows; but notice great
discomfort the volunteers, and alarm among the
few non-combatants that remain II was sad, last
night and heard it from very good authority, that
Gen CabaIlero de ROdas man famed for energy ana
severity was coming to take the command OF the be-
seeng army and 10 reinforce II with 100 men, and
that an immediate attack was expected 10 take place
The nacuOn OF Martinez CampOs, as have SAID IN for
mer letters due % nsuihClency OF lOIce ana
In his anxiety that no one should be able 20 escape ~
sea- which only be prevented by the presence OF
strong Spanish squadron in Escom. reras Bay. But
where is this squadron be rot, if the Almanac and
Vittoria are TO lie idle Bay Of Gibralari II APP
pears that the English Government has refused TO de-
liver the ships 70 the Madrid Government unless
900 men, al least are sent TO them and az yet the
naval officers charged with collecting this complement,
have only been able TO get 80 The Insurgent iron
cads the Tetuan ana NumHncia are moorcd $50 as 10
polr cross-hre into of the harbcr, and
also into the suburb OF Santa Lucia, which was rev
DAYS ago attacked by the besiegers. These ships am
told are preparing for sea- 70 assume offensive opera
tons, one Of them being destined Nor BARGE
Iona. but what TO do is kept a mystery
a mystery, because no one knows what she
can do there The object however is 20 obtain funds
for NAV safely say that the cash-bOx OF the Canton
does not contain dollar. whether the merchants ana
capitalgts OF Barcelona Will submit tamely to thls
forced contribution Is matter that may well De
doubted; but all the respectable inhabitants OF theSe
towns have shown themselves so puAlianimous When
rne exhibition OF pluck might have prevented all these
fr,r+ rstv mt he
that Barcelona viii pay for the sake OF peace and quiet
Those sbjps are manned by convcts most Of whom have
never been 70 sea fred gun, and they are now on
shore with TO procure whatever they require ID
the way OF tobacco aud other commodities and with
orders 20 return their ships Immediately on hearing
the signal gun fred they are not even exercised at
pun-drir or in getting the ship under Another dill
aultv exists in coang the vessels The only deposit OF
coals AZ Cartagena belongs to Engshman and few
DAYS ago some few hundred cOuvics began 70 cart II
away without obtaining permission or even giving no
tce Of what they were going TO do; they took away
great quantity before the English Consul could stop
them through the action of the Junta The Government
however says that Goals they must and will have, and
thew have offered to give in exchange public property
from the arsenal. This of course declined but II
they must and viii have Goals and yet cannot pay for
item the English Admiral who Is determined to make
them respect English property may have TO interfere
again.
No blOodshed has occurred YET, bnt lhe tine Is ap
proaching fast when real fighting must take place. and
II r. probable that by the end Of this week affairs will
heye assumed more serious aspect have just been
informed that not expected that the ships can
start for some days come the convcts are TO be en-
ployed IN nghting the troops outside The same ind
vidual an important parsonage here, also warns me
that the people" look upon all foreign correspondents
with the reverse OF amiOabe regards, and advises
to follow example of the only two other correspond
ens who were and decamp while things are pretty
ouiet mention these facts not that have any in
tenton taking the hint but 20 give correct idea OF
the excited Of the public feeling regards foreign
ers in general and correspondents OF newspapers IN par