Our extract of a private ...
The Times, 1824-01-13T00:00:00

Our extract of a private letter from MNadrid contains, matters of no small interest. A fatality seems to hang over Spain, the spell of which will never be broken without some horrible convulsion. No variety of circurnstaince-and she lhas experienced some- prorluces any change of action among her inhabitants; no crisis calls up, as in other countries, an increase of moral power to direct the course of accidents, or to providle against the most obviou% evils. 'rhe State appears to have gone on for so many ages like a piece of cumbrous and self-acting machinery, without impulse or exainihation from the eye or hand of man, that when at lenigth the worn-out wheels have stopped, tnO surviving artist has skill enough to repair thieir imperfections, or to renew their motions. Intelligence there existed among the Constitutional Spaniards, but it was an intelligence nursed by me(litation, an(l neither sharpenied by, nor fitted for, the management of great af- fairs. The Cortes fought their battles in the clouds; they converted abstract principles into playthings, and forgot that they were only valuable vhen made subservient to the good of society. These creatures who have succeeded the Cortes, make a far more effectual use of their passionis than the others did of their principles. No one can sty that ctpidity, hatred, ambition, and persecution, have slept since the return of the absolute King, as active patriotism did ttnder the Cortes; but still the machine of the State is motionless-there is no State-there is no Government, for the laws are not obeyed-there is an acknowledged au- thority only where there is a preponderating faction. All things are hastpning to anarehy, and there promises to be no redemption b4t in a deluge of blood. 'i'o show hew wretcbedly calculatedi beforehand were the means and consequences of lhe enterprise for FERDINAND'S restora- tion, let us only look at his condition now that he has been restored. Alreadiy he shares the disgust of the Ser- viles with their inortal enemnies of the Constitutional party, and with the French troops, whom the Spaniards of all factions invite eaeh other to externinate. While in the custody of the Cortes, FERDINAND enjoyed at least the forbearance and protection of his keepers, and the zeal- ous attachment of the partisans of the Faith. Now he has contrived to alienate the Serviles, anl has forfeited every shadow of claim to protectioni or forgiveness fromn the friends of the Constitution. It is, indeed, quite curious to retnark the tendency of each measure pursued by this un- happy despot since his restorationi, to destroy himself and hiis cause. Re threw himself inlto the aims of the Priest- hood, and how have they repaid this proof of his devotion? They have beggated him. Because the debts of the na- tion were secured upon the immense property of the Church, these Priests lhave persniaded FERDINAND, that it would be first a sacrilege, and secondly, a piece of radi- calism, to acknowvlcdge them. An indelible stigma being thlus thrown upon the public credit of Spain, a loan to relieve the ruined Tieasury becomes impossible. Then, when the same Priests are solicited to lend their Prince thle money which they have disabled him from borrowing elsewhere, that too is a shocking " sacri- " lege," and must never be thought of. Next, how are the lay friends of absolute monarchy disposed of ? With the exception of some half dozen ribands, not a man of the Servile cause has not suffered a provaking dissppointment. No promotion-no pay-no lucrative offices-no substan- tial favours. No wonder, then, that the whole Servile fac- tion, who never so much as assumed or pretended to a public principle, are in a state of open alienation from FERDINAND. In the tministerial departments not only is there a dearth of rewards, but a superfluity of provocation. The clerks, the Royalist clerks, are turned by scores out of office, withoutpay or compassion ; all officers wholhad served in the national militia un(ler the Cortes, whether comripelled or svontaneous, are dismissed. We havebefore observed on the mad impolicy of disbanding the whole Constitutional army, and thus alding to one host of discontt nted friends another of desperate and famished enemies. The effect of all this is coming fast upon FERDIN Nix. Frenclh troops, his protectors, are, it is said, assassinated every day; anid BoIJR- toxNT already presses the Government of France for rein- foreements. WVithout a miracle of sonie very extraordinary efficacy, Spunish (despotismn must tumble over the precipicc wlhich legitimiiaty in Spain, as well as in other quarters, ap- pears to be digently preparin for its own downfal.