Page images
PDF
EPUB

XIL

1823. May 9.

May 17.

May 15.

CHAP. The guards and first corps entered Burgos on the 9th May, where they were received with the utmost enthusiasm, and thence proceeded in two columns towards Madrid, the first, under the generalissimo in person, by Aranda and Buytrago; the latter by Valladolid, where the reception of the troops was if possible still more flattering. At the latter place, where headquarters arrived on the 17th May, a flag of truce arrived from the Conde d'Abisbal, who had been left in command at Madrid by the Cortes, they having retired towards Seville, taking the king a prisoner with them. In vain had the monarch declared he would not abandon his capital; the imperious Cortes forced him away, and he set out accordingly under an escort or guard of 6000 men, leaving Madrid to make the best terms it could with the conqueror. Saragossa, Tolosa, and all the towns occupied by the French in the course of their advance, instantly, on their approach, overturned the pillar of the Constitution, reinstated the Royalist authorities, and received the invaders as deliverers. Literally speaking, the Duke d'Angoulême advanced from Irun to Madrid amidst the acclamations of the people, and under triumphal arches. Nor was the success of the French less decisive in Upper Catalonia, where the retreat of Mina and the Constitutional troops was so rapid that Moncey in vain attempted to bring them to action; and within a month after the frontiers had been crossed, nearly all the vi. 384, 387; fortified 'places in the province, except Barcelona and Lerida, had opened their gates and received the French with transports.1

1 Ann. Hist.

Lam. vii.

225, 226.

75,

the French

May 24.

Nothing could be more agreeable to the Duke d'AnAdvance of goulême than the offer on the part of the Conde d'Abisbal to Madrid. and the municipality of Madrid to capitulate on favourable terms, and accordingly he at once agreed to everything requested by them. It was agreed that General Zayas should remain with a few squadrons to preserve order in the capital till it was occupied by the French

XII.

1823.

troops, which was arranged to take place on the 24th CHAP. May. The guard left, however, proved inadequate to the task; the revolutionists, who were much stronger in Madrid than in any other town the French had yet entered, rose in insurrection, and d'Abisbal only saved his life by flying in disguise, and taking refuge with Marshal Oudinot. The moment was critical, for Madrid was in a state of great excitement, and a spark might have lighted a flame which, by rousing the national feelings of the Spaniards, might, as in 1808, have involved the whole Peninsula in conflagration. But at this decisive moment the wisdom of the Duke d'Angoulême and his military counsellors solved the difficulty, and at once detached the extreme revolutionary from the patriotic party. M. DE MARTI- Lam. vii. GNAC, a young advocate of Bordeaux, destined to cele- Moniteur, brity in future times, drew up a proclamation, which 1823. the prince signed, which soothed the pride of the Cas

1

"Espagnols! Avant que l'armée française franchît les Pyrénées, j'ai déclaré à votre généreuse nation que nous n'étions pas en guerre avec elle. Je lui ai annoncé que nous venions comme amis et auxiliaires l'aider à relever ses autels, à délivrer son roi, à rétablir dans son sein la justice, l'ordre, et la paix. J'ai promis respect aux propriétés, sûreté aux personnes, protection aux hommes paisibles. L'Espagne a ajouté foi à mes paroles. Les provinces que j'ai parcourues ont reçu les soldats français comme des frères, et la voix publique vous aura appris s'ils ont justifié cet accueil, et si j'ai tenu mes engagements. Espagnols! si votre roi était encore dans la capitale, la noble mission que le roi mon oncle m'a confiée, et que vous connaissez tout entière, serait déjà prête à s'accomplir. Je n'aurais plus, après avoir rendu le monarque à la liberté, qu'à'appeler sa paternelle sollicitude sur les maux qu'a soufferts son peuple, sur le besoin qu'il a de repos pour le présent, et de sécurité pour l'avenir. L'absence du roi m'impose d'autres devoirs. Dans ces conjonctures difficiles, et pour lesquelles le passé n'offre pas d'exemple à suivre, j'ai pensé que le moyen le plus convenable et le plus agréable au roi, serait de convoquer l'antique conseil suprême de la Castille, et le conseil suprême des Indes, dont les hautes et diverses attributions embrassent le royaume et ses possessions d'outre-mer, et de confier aux grands corps indépendants par leur élévation, et par la position politique de ceux qui les composent, le soin de désigner, eux-mêmes, les membres de la régence." And on the day after his entrance, as the two councils did not conceive themselves authorised by the laws to appoint a regency, but only to recommend one to the French commanderin-chief, to act during the captivity of Ferdinand VII., he nominated, on their recommendation, as members of the regency, the Duke del Infantado, the Duke de Montemart, the Baron d'Erolles, the Bishop of Orma, and Don Antonio Gomez Calderon, who on 4th June issued a proclamation as the Council of Regency to the Spanish nation.—Annuaire Historique, vi. 721, 722, Appendix.

1 Ann. Hist.

vi. 389,392;

226, 227;

June 1, 2,

CHAP. tilians, gratified the feelings of the Royalists, and disarmed XII. the wrath of the revolutionists. Everything was accord1823. ingly arranged in concord for the entry of the prince generalissimo and his army on the morning of the 24th.

76. Entry of the Duke

d'Angoulême into

Madrid.

.

Early on the morning of that day an immense crowd issued from the gate by which it was understood the prince was to make his entry, with boughs of trees and garlands of flowers in their hands, and every preparation as for a day of festivity and rejoicing. The windows were all hung with tapestry or rich carpeting; the handsomest women in their gala-dresses were there, and beautiful forms adorned with chaplets of flowers graced the spectacle. Precisely at nine, the Duke d'Angoulême, surrounded by a brilliant staff, made his appearance at the gate of Recolletts, where a triumphal arch had been erected, at the head of the guards and reserve; while Marshal Oudinot at the same time entered by the gate of Segovia, from which side he had approached at the head of his corps. Both were received with the loudest demonstrations of joy, amidst the acclamations of the people, the ringing of bells, and the heart-stirring strains of military music. The general enthusiasm was increased by the splendid appearance of the troops, their martial air, the exact discipline and perfect order they everywhere maintained. They were saluted with loud acclamations in all the streets through which they passed, and in the evening a general illumination gave vent to the universal joy. Never was seen so clear a proof that revolutions are brought about by bold and turbulent minorities overriding supine and timorous majorities. 1 Ann. Hist. The universal joy equalled that of the Parisians, when Moniteur, their Revolution was closed by the entrance of the Emperor Alexander and allied sovereigns on 31st March 1814.1

vi. 392,393;

June 2, 1823.

Well aware of the importance of following up with all possible rapidity the important advantages thus gained, the Duke d'Angoulême did not repose on his laurels. Two

columns, one commanded by General Bordesoult, the CHAP.

XII.

the French

lusia.

other by General Bourmont, set out immediately in pur- 1823. suit of the revolutionary forces, which, taking the king 77. a prisoner along with them, were hastening by forced Advance of marches towards Seville. So rapid was their flight, that into Andathe French troops endeavoured in vain to come up with them. Bordesoult, who with eight thousand men followed the direct road from Madrid by Aranjuez to Seville, never got sight of their retiring columns; and although a show of resistance was made to Bourmont, who with an equal force took the road to Badajoz, at Talavera de la Reyna, yet it was but a show. The enemy retreated as soon as the French troops, aided by the Spanish Royalists, appeared in sight. A corps of fifteen hundred men was attacked and routed near Santa June 9. Cruz by General Dino; another of equal size dispersed near the mountains of Villiers the next day by the same June 10. general, and three hundred prisoners taken; the bridge of Arzobisbo was seized two days after and on the same June 11. day General Bordesoult, who had never fired a shot, arrived at Cordova, beyond the Sierra-Morena, where, the moment the revolutionary troops withdrew, a vehement Moniteur, demonstration, accompanied with the most enthusiastic 1823; Ann. ebullition of joy, took place in support of the Royalist 396, 398. cause.1

June 24,

Hist. vi.

of the Cor

position of

Meanwhile the Cortes, whose sole power consisted, as 78. often was the case in the days of feudal anarchy, in the Proceedings possession of the person of the sovereign, had established tes, and dethemselves at Seville, where a show of respectability was Ferdinand still thrown over their proceedings by the presence of the VII. English ambassador, who followed the captive monarch in his forced peregrinations. This circumstance, joined to the presence of a considerable English squadron in the bay of Cadiz, led for some time to the belief that the English government, which had evinced so warm a sympathy for the cause of the revolution, would at length give it some more effectual support than by eloquent declamations in

VOL. II.

2 x

XII.

1823.

June 10.

CHAP. Parliament. But these hopes soon proved illusory. It was no part of the policy of the English Cabinet to go beyond the bounds of astrict neutrality; and even the liberal ardour of Mr Canning had been sensibly cooled by the sight of the unresisted march of the French troops to Madrid, and the decisive demonstrations afforded that the cause of the revolution was hateful to nine-tenths of the Spanish people. Even if he had been otherwise inclined, the violence of the Cortes themselves, which increased rather than diminished with the disasters which were accumulating round them, ere long rendered any further alliance impossible. On hearing of the approach of the French forces, they proposed to the king to move with them to Cadiz, so as to be beyond the reach of the French troops and the Royalist reaction. The king, however, who foresaw the approaching downfall of the revolutionary government, and had heard of the rapid approach of his deliverers, positively refused, after repeated summonses, to leave Seville.* Upon this the Cortes held an extraJune 11. ordinary meeting, in which, on the motion of M. Galliano, they declared the king deposed, appointed a provisional regency to act in his stead, and, now no longer attempting to disguise his captivity, forced him and the royal family into carriages, which set out attended by 1 Ann. Hist. eight thousand men for Cadiz, where they arrived three vi. 410,411; days afterwards.1+ Only six members of the Cortes had 298, 299. courage enough to vote against the motion for deposing the king: Señor Arguelles, and all the influential mem

June 12.

Lam. vii.

"La députation des Cortès a représenté de nouveau à sa Majesté, que sa conscience ne pouvait être compromise ou blessée en cette matière; que s'il pouvait errer en qualité d'homme, il n'était comme roi constitutionnel sujet à aucune responsabilité; qu'il ne fallait que se ranger à l'avis de ses conseillers et des représentants du peuple, sur qui reposait le fardeau de la responsabilité pour le salut du pays. Le roi ayant signifié à la députation qu'il avait sa réponse, et la mission donnée à celle-ci étant remplie, il ne lui restait qu'à déclarer aux Cortès qu'il ne jugeait pas la translation convenable."-Procès Verbal des Cortès, 10th June 1823; Annuaire Historique, vi. 409, 410.

"Je prie les Cortès, qu'en conséquence du refus de sa Majesté de mettre sa personne royale et sa famille en sûreté à l'approche de l'invasion de l'ennemi, il soit déclaré que le cas est arrivé de regarder sa Majesté comme étant dans

« PreviousContinue »