CHAPTER XII. SPAIN in 1825.-Zea Bermudez-Political condition-Disturbances— Bessieres rebels-Party of Don Carlos-Death of el Empecinado and Iglesias Colombians-Infantado appointed minister-Algerine war -Spain in 1826-Disturbances-J. G. Salmon succeeds Infantado -Proceedings on the Portuguese frontier. PORTUGAL.-Brazil independent-John dies-Constitution and Regency-Incursion from Spain-Chaves-Aid from England. The mind is inevitably filled with sentiments of deep melancholy in contemplating the recent history of Spain, once so glorious, as well for the chivalrous character of her inhabitants, as for the splendor of her external possessions. She is now stripped of her empire in the new world, and involved in a state of anarchy and misrule, which her worst enemies may pity and deplore. Other countries in Europe, are either teeming with the refinements of modern improvement, and every where impressed with the march of mind; or else, if destitute of liberal institutions, repose in the tranquillity and order of despotism. But unhappy Spain is deprived of the blessings of a free government, without enjoying even the imperfect equivalent of a vigorous one. Her bravest sons have perished on the scaffold, the martyrs of their patriotism; her wisest are exiles in foreign lands; and the rest are sub ject to the oppression of a drivelling prince, and a bigoted priesthood. Our sketch of her affairs will, therefore, abound with monitory examples of the deplorable effects of bad political institutions. The commencement of the year found Spain as far removed from concord and good order, as it was when the French overthrew the constitution. The banishment of Mina, the execution of Riego, had intimidated, without tranquillizing the people.-England, by acknowledging the independence of the American states, appeared to have extinguished for ever the hopes of Spain to regain her empire. Sr. Zea Bermudez, who was placed at the head of the ministry, the last entered day of the preceding year, upon the discharge of his duty in most unpropitious circumstances. His appointment was attributed the interference of wholly to France, whose government were anxious to have Ferdinand try the experiment of a minister of abilities, moderation, liberality, and temper. But, unfortunately, the attempted remedy only aggravated the disease. Destitute of personal connections, or family influence, to bear him out in a course independent and upright; having no party to support him in such healing measures, as the distracted state of the kingdom required; his ministry was feeble, and terminated before the end of the year, leaving the country in a worse condition than before. The earliest accounts of the year, related only to the illness of the king, who was attacked by the gout, in January, but, to the misfortune of his subjects, soon recovered. The fanatical party were constantly busy throughout the kingdom, and exercised acts of authority, in the provinces, according to their discretion. Military tribunals were active and severe, in their persecution of all persons suspected, or accused of liberalism. For instance, a soldier in a company of grenadiers was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment at Ceuta, for having praised the abolished constitution. Arrests were frequent, for the most trivial causes of suspicion. In May, the prisons of Barcelona and Villafranca, contained one hundred and forty-four persons, awaiting their trial by the mi These facts litary commission. indicated the disposition of the government, and plainly foretold what was soon to follow. Fruitless attempts were made in France and elsewhere, to obtain a loan for the absolute necessities of the government, equally without money, as without credit. The ministry were driven to the desperate resource of compulsory contributions, to procure supplies for the troops, who impoverished the country which they were the instruments of enslaving. Nor was this ruinous practice followed by the general government alone. Many local authorities, forced to take advantage of the weakness of the government, arbitrarily imposed and exacted duties on various articles of consumption. The treasurergeneral declared, that he was subjected to continual insults, from the impossibility of meeting just demands, and could no longer support a charge superior to his strength. An exposition of the state of the national finances, given by the treasurer, represented the public credit as completely gone; the receipts hardly sufficient to cover half the expenditure, and no means existing to supply the deficiency. The revenue of America often amounted, formerly, to one hundred and sixty millions of reals, and it was now reduced to a trifling sum, occasionally received from Cuba. Add to this, a defalcation of another hundred millions of reals, from the general reduction of the customs, and of the duty on the sale of tobacco and salt. It will readily be perceived, that the greatest confusion and discontent must be the necessary consequence of such extreme national penury. Colombian privateers continued to cruise upon the Spanish coast, cutting off the little trade still remaining to the country, and demonstrating the absurdity of Ferdinand's pretensions to reconquer a people who were now strong enough to attack him at home. In consequence of all these accumulated public distresses, disturbances soon began to break out in the provinces. A serious one occurred at Seville, in April, 1825, where the soldiers, destitute of pay, provisions, and all needful appointments, and irritated by distresses which they ascribed to the influence of the clergy, forced open the doors of the latter, and lawlessly pillaged their houses. Amid all these crying evidences of misrule, Ferdinand issued a proclamation, whose positive and despotic tone, was but poorly in keeping with the actual imbecility of his government. The elevation of Zea Bermudez, had given rise to rumors that more lenient and rational principles of administration, were, about to be produced. To re move this idea, he declared his determination to preserve all the institutions of absolute government in full vigor, and without the slightIn est qualification whatsoever. pursuance of this declaration, he issued a decree, denouncing severe penalties against all persons who should attack the measures of the government; insult either of its agents; report any thing against the sovereign authority; possess, receive, or read pamphlets or letters of a revolutionary tendency; or hold public or private meetings to criticise in whatever way, the measures of the administration. In the spirit of these regulations, was a pastoral letter, circulated by the archbishop of Barcelona, for the establishment of an apostolic junta in Catalonia, consisting of three priests, of the order of St. Dominic. They were authorised and required to investigate and punish, canonically, all those transgressions which were formerly cognizable by "the Holy Tribunal of the inquisition." The minister Zea, finding all his designs thwarted by the ultra party, and hopeless of accomplishing any good, at last, early in the month of August, tendered his resignation. Ferdinand, however, refused to accept it; and thereby outraged the fanatics to such a degree, that they started the project of deposing him, and elevating the infant, Don Carlos, in his place. This led to numerous arrests, all over the kingdom; and especially in the principal towns of Andalusia. In three days, nearly two hundred persons were incarcerated in Seville, besides many others, mostly monks and canons, in Cordoba, Madrid and elsewhere; and a junta of public safety was created, with the duke del Infantado at its head, for the purpose of putting a stop to disaffection, by strong and decisive measures. Notwithstanding these acts of the government, disorders continued to increase, and evidently looked to some revolutionary move ment. A monk had the boldness to harangue a multitude assembled in a public square, and urge them to place Don Carlos on the throne; denouncing Ferdinand as a freemason. At length, the insurrection broke out, on the 16th of August, 1825, headed by Bessieres, a violent royalist, and formerly a zealous partizan of the king's, in opposition to the cortes. A small body of troops, stationed at Getafa, near Madrid, assembled under arms, and marched towards Alcala, announcing their design to be, to deliver the king,who,they said, was imprisoned by his ministers. Bessieres joined them at Torrija, on the 18th, assumed the command, and published a list of proscribed persons; at the beginning of which, was the name of Zea Bermudez. He was joined by many others; but the junta of public safety having had early intelligence of the insurrection, despatched the count d'Espagne, with a force competent to quell it. He overtook the rebels at Molina de Aragon, and at Zafrilla, arrested Bessieres, who was shot the next day, with his principal accomplices. Other insurrections, of a similar character, occurred in almost every part of Spain. Although it seemed that their object was the same, namely, to raise Don Carlos to the throne, yet their movements were so ill managed, that they ended in nothing. The risings consisted of disconnected efforts of individuals, who, acting without concert, were easily discomfited; and whose idle attempts only served to fill the kingdom with bloodshed, and augment its distresses. We shall not undertake to enumerate the disorders particularly, alike as they were in their origin, nature, and consequences. They chiefly proceeded from the fanatical royalists, who demanded the re-establishment of the inquisition, and by their insane and bigoted conduct, justly visited upon Ferdinand, his abandonment of the constitutional party, and preference for absolute government. During these disturbances, the king remained at St. Ildefonso, where every thing was tranquil, as well as at Madrid. The death of the fanatical Bessieres, we record without regret, because it was justly merited. But other executions took place, which must fill every honest heart with indignation. D. Juan Martin, called the Empecinado, one of the noblest of those patriotic Spaniards who adhered to the nation in all its reverses, perished bravely on the scaffold, after a long and cruel imprisonment. He made violent efforts to escape from the guards, who conducted him to execution, and succeeded in releasing his hands from their fetters, and seizing a sword. But he was overpowered by numbers, and died execrating the king and the priests. "What," he exclaimed; "is this my reward for a life devoted to the service of the king? Am I to be thus recompensed; I who was the first to raise the standard in his favor, and conduced more than any other, to place the crown on his head ?" The execution of an other eminent and virtuous citizen, Pablo Iglesias, excited a general sentiment of sympathy. He had been long known as one of the most flourishing citizens of the capital. His last words were, "Liberty or death!" A consultative junta was appointed at this time; but effected nothing. Zea had been continually forced into a vacillating policy, now moderate and now tyrannical, according as the furious factions around the court prevailed, or relaxed their intrigues. In October, he and his associates were suddenly dismissed; and the ecclesiastical faction assumed unlimited control of the administration. The duke del Infantado was placed at the head of the ministry, as the individual, whose character and connections with the fanatics, gave him the greatest authority. Great alarm was occasioned in December, by the numerous captures made by Colombian privateers. They burnt or scuttled ships not laden with valuable cargoes, captured others, and landed their crews on the coast. Their small boats sometimes entered the ports, and carried away vessels, which took refuge there; and thus proved destructive to the Spanish mercantile marine. Near the close of the year, a decree was issued, reorganizing the council of state, to be composed of the ministers, and others, for the purpose of passing upon all the measures of the government. Sanguine hopes were entertained of the firmness of the new administration, it being thought that the duke del Infantado, an absolutist, himself, might be able, in some degree. to control the ex |