The French In Spain.
The Times, 1824-09-29T00:00:00

The following proclarnations are said to be secretly, but extensively circulated in Spain. We have received printed copies of them firm Gibraltar, awd have given a literal version of one of them. It is proper to state, howevcr, that they are without date"br signiature. If the sentiments they express become general, the French oceupation of Spain wvill soon be no sinocure:- "TO THE SPANIARDS. " A year of mournful experience is sufficicent to make known to;| tus the true objcct which broughit the Frenchl into Spain. WVithout having offended them, thiey invaded our soil under the pretext of re- storing tranquillity to tle nation andlibety to the King. tlle were tranquil and happy, till they sowed the seeds of discord with their I corrupting gold and their fallrcious and malicious offers. The King was always free when among Spaniards, anl rnever experlenced imn- prisonment. till it was imposed upon him by the Frenebl. [hose Frenclhmen who, on the memorable day of May 2, 1808, ciragged him off from Madrid,hedewing the streets with the blooil and tears of' Itg Inhabitants, are the very same wio il September, 1823, dre him out of Cadiz by deceit and perfidy, after having bombarded its walls aild covered whole provinices of this wretched nation with sorrow and imisery. Wha.t liberty is that witicil Ferdinantd has sice enjoyed ?' WVhat tranquillity do the Spaniards enjoy ? Yout Spaniards see and! lament ih. lYou see your Mlonarch continually surrounded by French- men-guartled byFrenclmen even in the interior of hisPalace--escort- | ed by Frenchimen in his rides-and leprived ofevery other atte.dance, or guardianship, without even the permission of being spoken to by hitt oldest servants. Since thiat time, you see thousands and thousanrts of fariilier, the most illustrious and venerated, proscribed and ba- nished, or suffering the horrors of a dlungeon, wiitbout dIeclaration of I the cause of' their banishment. " Your fortremses haTe been frorn that time in the power of the etertlal enemies of Spain_your armies are disbanded, and ike brave mren wlhO composed thenm are pining in hunger and nakedness; your; navy is ruined; your artillery is pillaged and carried off to France; your public prosperity is annihilated in all its brancles, and you yourselves are borne down with contributions to pamper your oppressors,and loaded with debts which will avail as little as the fer- tile soil watered with the sweat o1 your brow to procure a support of which your enemies deprive you. From that time you have seen your external commerce ruined by corsairs, whom the whole abso.- lute power of thir monarchv and the vaunted protection of' the Frencbh could not drive from your coasts. VYou see your internal trade attaciced with itupunity on the highways, loaded with shackles and imposts which raise the prices of articles of the lirst necessity to double their value, at the same time that you see all youir money carried ofl' to France by means of the robberies and impositions; which the Arny of Occupation protects; whilc at the satme time Atnerica, now independent, deprives us of our silver, prohibits our commercee refuses all communication wsitlt us, and carries on a war against us even on our coasts, in coirt(quence cf the change(d situa- tion into wltich we have fallen. To what must we at last come, if we endurefor a longer tern sucit tyranny and oppression ? It ex- I cites our horror to think of oPr situation; but it is necessary to know the evil in order to apply the remedy. The French-the Frencih- the eternal enemies of the Spanish name-are the ageuts who Move this nmachine of suffering, till they overwhelm us with suchl despair as to induce us to accept of their sway as the only relief from cala- mity. The throue of' Ferdinand is wot-'o ! it is tnot-the object I of their care, but of tlteirconiquest. Those who kepthiin torsix yearsa prisoner at ValenSay are the sentinels whonowwguard him;andthose who en(tleavoured to force upon us Joseph Buoiaparte as King are niow pointing out to uS the Duke of' Angouleme. Ye blintded alid misled Spaniards ! who, perhaps, hoped For good where you have met withl calamity, compare with the present epoch the titete which have just passed, and which it is wished toblot from vour memory. You then saw the throne of your Kings shine with) imposing splen. dour and m-ajesty. Your conmmerce, free anti protected, spread its ttag on all seas-the precious metala attracted to the Peninsula circulated and niultiplied within them-the productions of our coun- try were exported with security to foreign nations-entire provinces of America were reconciled to us,and otlters offered its many milliomF in exchange for peace ; inany far-ilies coming from otlier coun- tries, and bringing us their property atnd indiustry, increased our 1o- pulationt. The arts advanced, all branches ot' tie public prosperity were encouraged, and all announced a happy futurity, in wvhicil the Spanish na!ne would become respected and feared asmong the nations. For the equitable order ot' tlie contributions there have iow been substitutetl new und exorbitant inulosts, and the old arbitrary systein of passports, police exactions, licences to fish, ro hunt, and to use arms, which for personal defence had becti always permitte, is renevwed. For the personal security which you enjoyed, have been substituted the most ttrocioit~ oppression, exile, and irmprisonments ; for your donsestic tran- quillity, thtat discord which fanaticism introdtlces into the bosom of families. In litie, to prosperity Itas succeeded inisery, to knowledge ignorance, to justice tyranny, to virtue crimes, to teason force, and to liberty slavery. Behold the sad pic- ture which your disbanded ArMy presents ! fotced to rob or to beg their bread, while the nation it delivered ove-,nmiserable and (le- fenceless, to its greatest etieniles, wvho m ake use of the King's narne as a pretext for their oppressions, anil employ his absolhte will thalt we may be placed untder the aubsolute sway of Frenciineni. Spaniards awake! open your eyes. consult your honour-your independence,-your trtie ititerestw. The French are your sole op- pressors: they alone have prepared for yotU a new King. Thiose who. from 1808 to 1814, kept your Kitig a captive, sacketl your towns. and set fire io your lhouscs, profane.t your temples, ai:d caeorcd your lanid witli desolation-tlhose are tile same whio now endeavour to keep you in subjection by deceitful trickeries. 'I'Tiey pretend to respect the religion which ihey detest-they pretenid to respect tEie King, while they ate preparing his death. In propoitiott as titey | ecqitire thte mastery Over Spainl, they Cnd-avoltr to cot) it. thtat they nmay return to F-lance witit their booty. Already hat their Government comipelled the pretentdedt autiorities of Matdrid to recogt.ize a debt of 800 mtillions, as the expenses ot an un- just invasion ; and It will Soout demamidd tore for the lal,our oi op- pressing andi pluntlering us. In proof of the infamous intentions of i the French, behold theAfrantesadao, whio, in the tnuma ot Naapoleont, were traitors to their country, anti declaret eneinies of' religion and the King, occupying now the cimiefposts in the state; behold thlem i, the councils, in the lninistry, ill tie t ttunals, il the police,to avenge thetiselyes now on the loyalty and patriotibm whlich thent Iruisrratcei theirdesigns. Do you then wish to live miserable and oppressed, and to etdure the ignominious dominion oftiteFrenel ? Wi'ill your abase- inent atid your infamy reach this point ? Remenmber wlhat vot have been-blush for what you are-and break the infatnous yoke 01' thoFe who areunable to contend with you when you putforti your strctgtih. i To arms! people of Spain, to arms ! Inundate the plains with yourgueril]as-pursue to death your oppressors-bedew with their blood your fields, rendered barren by their oppression. Avenge yourselves for the scarcity which they have occasioned, by fattening witlh their carcasses the soil which heaven has parched to chastise your submission to tile enemies of the altarl The French and tile Afrancesados have drawn down upon us the wrath of God. Let us make peace with God and our country, by exterminating the ene- mies of both. God and justice are on our side: let not courage be wanting, and victory will be easy. Our triumph is in our resolution. WVar, war, war, till we obtain peace by recoveriltig our independence -our liberty-our honour." The address to' the Spanish military is of similar import, l and filled with-lsimilar incentives to rise against the French oppressors of their country.. It wouli therefore be super- fAuous to transcribe it. Tlhe folidwing is its first para- graph : - Spanish Soldiers i-Return to arms and to hotiour. Ysou have been deceived by false promises. Tite vwretches who dared not to fight you, stained your hottour by calling your cretiulity cowardice. You were credulous-you were n0et cowards. rtraitors deceived yon wsith false promises of peace and the public good; and, confiding in the capitulation miid the faith of Frenchmen, you surrenderecl the field withuut a eombat. Perjured Generals sold you for the vile price wlich tyrants ever offer, bitt never pay. 5imid and venal authorities involved you. ini conf(iion; and, being misled, you abandonetl the defence of the cause wbich you held so sacred." I _ THE FRENCH IN SPAINM