LIII. 1808. negotiation that terminated in the unconditional surrender CHAP. of the whole fleet five days afterwards. Thus was the last remnant of that proud armament, which was intended to convey the invincible legions of Napoleon to the British shores, finally reft from the arms of France, and that, too, by the forces of the very allies who were then ranged by their side for the subjugation of England, but had since been alienated by his treacherous aggression. 46. in Asturias, Catalonia, In the northern provinces the insurrection spread with much fewer circumstances of atrocity, but an almost equal Insurrection degree of enthusiasm. Excepting Barcelona, Figueras, Galicia, San Sebastian, and a few other places, where the pre- and Aragon. sence of the French garrisons overawed the people, they everywhere rose in arms against their oppressors. A junta for the Asturias was formed before the end of May at Oviedo, the capital of that province-the first which was organised in Spain, and which thus gave to its inhabitants a second time the honour of having taken the May 24. lead in the deliverance of the Peninsula. The first step of this body was to despatch deputies to England, soliciting arms, ammunition, and money, whose arrival produced an extraordinary impression, as will immediately be shown, it combating like brave men. Let all, therefore, unite: the wisest and ablest, in refuting the falsehoods propagated by the enemy; the church, in imploring the assistance of the God of hosts; the young and active in marching against the enemy. The Almighty will vouchsafe his protection to so just a cause; Europe will applaud our efforts, and hasten to our assistance; Italy, Germany, the North, suffering under the despotism of France, will eagerly avail themselves of the example set them by Spain to shake off the yoke, and recover their liberty, their laws, their independence, of which they have been robbed by that nation." Special and prudent instructions were at the same time given for the conduct of the war. “All general actions are to be avoided as perfectly hopeless and Prudent inhighly dangerous: a war of partisans is what suits both our national character structions to their troops. and physical circumstances. Each province should have its junta, its generals, its local government, but there should be three generals-in-chief; one for Andalusia, Murcia, and Lower Estremadura; one for Galicia, Leon, the Castiles, and Asturias; one for Valencia, Aragon, and Catalonia. France has never domineered over us, nor set foot with impunity in our territory. We have often mastered her, not by deceit, but by force of arms; we have made her kings prisoners, and the nation tremble. We are the same Spaniards, and France and Europe and the world shall see we have not degenerated from our ancestors."-Proclamation of the Junta of Seville, June 6, 1808; SOUTHEY, i. 389, 393. LIII. 1808. May 29. CHAP. in the British isles. The junta of Galicia, secure behind their almost inaccessible mountains, took the most vigorous measures to organise the insurrection; and not only arrayed all the regular soldiers at Ferrol and Corunna under its standard, but summoned the Spanish troops in Portugal, ten thousand strong, to join them without delay -a summons which was immediately obeyed by the whole body, who set out for Galicia by the route of Tras-os-Montes, and thus laid the foundation of a powerful force on the flank and rear of the invaders' communications. A junta was formed at Lerida, which assumed the general direction of the affairs of Catalonia, and soon arrayed thirty thousand hardy mountaineers under the national colours; while, nothing daunted by the proximity to France, and the alarming vicinity of powerful French corps, the Aragonese proclaimed Ferdinand VII. at Saragossa; and after choosing for their commander the 1 South. i. young and gallant Palafox, who had attended Ferdinand to Bayonne, and escaped from that fortress, issued a proclamation, in which they declared their resolution, should the royal family be detained in captivity or destroyed by Napoleon, of exercising their right of election in favour of the Archduke Charles, as grandson of Charles III., and one of the imperial branch of the Spanish family.1 June 2. 337, 341, 372, 378. Foy, iii. 190, 192. 195, 245, Na Thiers, ix. 13, 20, and 39, 42. 47. Napoleon in insurrec tion. From the outset Napoleon was fully impressed with Measures of the importance and danger of this contest, and in an regard to the especial manner alive to the vital consequences of preserving entire the communications of the army, which had been pushed forward into the very heart of the kingdom, with the French frontier. Murat, after the catastrophe of 2d May, had been taken ill and withdrawn from Madrid, and was on his route to take possession of the throne destined for him on the shores of Naples. He had been succeeded in the general direction of the affairs at Madrid by Savary. Napoleon, on the departure of the latter from Bayonne, spoke to him in such a way as sufficiently LIII. 1808. demonstrated his growing anxiety for the issue of the CHAP. contest, as well as the sagacity with which he had already discerned in what way it was most likely to be brought to a successful issue.* Reinforcements were poured into Spain with all possible expedition; Burgos, Vitoria, and all the principal towns along the great road to Madrid from Bayonne, were strongly occupied ; General Dupont, with his corps, was moved from La Mancha towards the Sierra Morena and Andalusia, in order to overawe Seville and Cordova, and if possible disengage the French squadron at Cadiz; and Marshal Moncey detached into Valencia, with instructions to put down, at all hazards, the violent and bloodthirsty insurrection which had burst forth in that province.1 1 Sav. iii. 247, 249. p. i. 59. Thiers, ix. 44, 48. 48. of the No even tables assubju- Bayonne. The June 15. sembled at But while making every preparation for military operations, the French Emperor, at the same time, actively Proceedings pursued at Bayonne those civil changes to which, more than the terror of his arms, he trusted for gating the minds of men in the Spanish peninsula. Assembly of Notables met at that fortress on the 15th June, agreeably to the summons which they had received; and they comprised the principal nobility and a large proportion of the leading characters in Spain. Having been selected by the junta of government at Madrid, without the form even of any election by the people, they were entirely in the French interest, and the mere creatures of the Emperor's will. Their proceedings formed a singular and instructive contrast to the generous and fearless burst of indignant hostility with which the resig "The essential point," said he, "at this moment, is to occupy as many places as possible, in order to have the means of diffusing the principles which we wish to inculcate upon the people; but, to avoid the dangers of such a dispersion of force, you must be wise, moderate, and observe the strictest discipline. For God's sake, permit no pillage. I have heard nothing of the line which Castanos, who commands at the camp of St Roque, will take; Murat has promised much on that head, but you know what reliance is to to be placed on his assurances. Neglect nothing which can secure the rapidity and exactness of your communications-that is the cardinal point; and spare nothing which can secure you good information. Above all, take care to avoid any misfortune; its consequences would be incalculable."-SAVARY, iii. 247, 251. LIII. 1808. June 8. CHAP. nations at Bayonne had been received by the middle and lower orders through the whole of Spain. Even before the Assembly had formally met, such of them as had arrived at Bayonne published an address to their countrymen, in which they indulged in the usual vein of 395, 399. flattery to the astonishing abilities and power of the august Emperor, and strongly advised them to accept his brother for their sovereign.1* 1 Nell. ii. 214, 219. Thib. vi. South. i. 400. 49. General recognition by the Spanish Notables. The levees of Joseph were attended by all the chief grandees of Spain; every day appeared to add to the of Joseph Strength of the party who were inclined to support his elevation to the throne. All the principal counsellors of Ferdinand, Cevallos, Escoiquiz, and others, not only took the oath of allegiance to the new monarch, but petitioned to be allowed to retain their honours and employments under the French dynasty.+ The Spanish corps in Holstein took the oath of allegiance to Joseph; but under a reservation that his appointment was ratified by a free Cortes, convened in Spain according to the fundamental customs of the monarchy. A proclamation was issued by the new king, in which he accepted the cession of the June 17. June 10. Proclamation of the grandees of Spain to their coun trymen. * "An irresistible sense of duty, an object as sacred as it is important, has made us quit our homes, and led us to the invincible Emperor of the French. We admit it-the sight of his glory, of his power, was fitted to dazzle us; but we arrived here already determined to address to him our reiterated supplications for the prosperity of a monarchy of which the fate is inseparably united with our own. But judge of our surprise, when we were received by his imperial and royal Majesty with a degree of kindness and humanity not less admirable than his power. He has no other desire but that of our preservation and happiness. If he gives us a sovereign to govern us, it is his august brother Joseph, whose virtues are the admiration of his subjects. If he is engaged in modifying and correcting our institutions, it is in order that we may live in peace and happiness. If he is desirous that our finances should receive a new organisation, it is in order to render our navy and army powerful and formidable to our enemies. Spaniards! worthy of a better lot, avoid the terrible anarchy which threatens you. What benefit can you derive from the troubles fomented by malevolence or folly? Anarchy is the greatest curse which God can inflict upon mankind: during its reign unbridled license sacks, destroys, burns everything: worthy citizens, men of property are invariably the first victims, and an abyss of horror follows its triumps.”—Proclamation of the Grandees of Spain to their Countrymen, dated Bayonne, 8th June 1808; NELLERTO, ii. 214, No. 70. "The subscribers have given the strongest proofs of their fidelity to the LIII. 1808. crown of Spain, made to him by his august brother Napo- CHAP. leon I., and appointed Murat his lieutenant-general. It is a curious circumstance that Joseph and Murat were equally averse to the thrones thus forced upon them; for the former was most anxious to retain that of Naples, and the latter coveted nothing so much as that of Madrid. But the great powers of the Continent were already prepared for the change, and did not venture to utter even a whisper against it. The consent of Russia was already secured to all the changes in the Peninsula, by the promise of acquiescence in her conquests in Finland and Turkey; and, in order to reconcile the other courts in Europe to them, an elaborate circular note was addressed to their respective cabinets, in which it was announced that "the occupation of the kingdoms of Spain and Portugal, the regeneration of these fine nations, the creation of the fleets of Cadiz and the Tagus, would be a mortal stroke to the power of England, and put the finishing hand to the triumph of the maritime system, in 1 Thib. vi. which all the Continental powers were so warmly inte- 395, 401. rested." Finally, on the 15th June, ninety-two deputies, 400, 409. out of the one hundred and fifty summoned, assembled at 224, 223. Thiers, viii. Bayonne, and formally accepted the constitution pre- 652. pared for them by the Emperor Napoleon.1 By this constitution it was provided that the crown was to be vested in Joseph and his heirs-male; whom failing, in the Emperor and his heirs-male; and in South. i. Nell, ii. 214, sellors to former government; they trust it will be considered as the surest pledge of the sincerity of the oath which they now take of obedience to the new consti- Degrading tution of their country, and fidelity to the King of Spain, Joseph I. The letter of Escoiquiz generosity of your Catholic Majesty, your goodness and humanity, induce them and Ferdito hope that, considering the need which these princes have of a continuation nand's counof their services in the situations which they respectively held under the old dynasty, Joseph. the magnanimity of your august Majesty will induce you to continue them in the enjoyment of the estates and offices which they formerly held. Assured thus of the continuance of the posts which they have hitherto enjoyed, they will ever prove faithful subjects to your Majesty, and true Spaniards, ready to obey blindly even the smallest wish which your Majesty may express." (Signed) SAN CARLOS, JUAN ESCOIQUIZ, MARQUIS AYERLEE, and others, 22d June 1808. -NELLERTO, i. 250, 251. |