Newspaper Page Text
No. 49. Vol. IV.
Chronological.
- SPAIN—THREE YEARS.
From llie Portsmouth Journal, April 12.
I As the publick attention is directed so much at
■ireseut towards Spain, we have prepared a brief
■limnological account of the principal events in
■hat country, during the last three years. Im
fterfect as it is, it may be of some use—for her
■.resent situation can hardly be understood with-
Kut some knowledge of her recent historv.
■Though very incomplete, we think it may be de
■iendt(d upon as accurate, so far as it goes.
■ 18110, Jan. I.—The Revolution commen
|cp9 with an insurrection among the troops
■near Cadiz. It tvas planned by Cols. Riego
land Quiroga. They place themselves at
■the head of different detachments of the
■army, and proclaim the constitution of 1812.
I Feb. I.—Riego enters Algesiras—is pur
■ued by Gen. O’Donnel. 18th, enters Mal
aga—maintains his ground till he retreats
Io the mountains of Ronda; where his
■roops, being reduced to 300 men, he dis-
Bbands them on the 11th March.
I The rumour of this insurrection spreads
Bihrough Spain, and produces similar insur-
Bjections. with various success, at Corunna,
Vigo, Pentevedra, and Navarre.
March 3.—Gen. O’Donnel himself revolts
and proclaims the Constitution.
9. Gen. Freyre revolts at Cadiz. Fer
dinand submits; promises to restore the
Constitution ; issues a decree abolishing the
Inquisition. •
10. —Publishes a decree, restoring the
Constitution of 1812.
11. —Summonses the Cortes to assemble,
under that Constitution.
21. —Quiroga and Riego made Field Mar
shals of the array.
July 9.—The Cortes assemble ; declare
the press dissolve all convents and
monasteries except eight; appropriate the
ecclesiastical revenues to the payment of
the national debt, and grant salaries to the
Clergy in lieu of their church lands; abol
ish entails.
Nov. 9.—Sitting of the Cortes concluded.
16.—Disturbances at Madrid ; King com
piled to leave the Escurial, and come to
[he city.
21.—Riego appointed Captain-General
of Arragon. The Archbishop of Valencia,
ivho had opposed the revolution, banished.
Gen. Morales, who had attempted a coun
!er-revolution, flies to Pourtogal.
Dec.—The King issues a proclamation
o restrain the excesses of the Revolutiona
y Clubs.
1821,.Tan. 28.—Mathias Vinueas, one of
Ihe King’s Chaplains, arrested for having
written proclamations and caused them to
be distributed about Madrid, in which the
people were told that a foreign army was
cn its march, to compel them to return to their
duty, io their God, and their King.
Feb. 6.—The King complains that he
had been insulted by the populace, and de
mands the assistance of the municipal au
thorities of Madrid to preserve order;
which is granted.
25.—A Deputation, at the head of which
is tfe Bishop of Majorca, waits upon the
requests him to attend, in person,
at the opening of the Cortes.
March I.—The King meets the Cortes,
and'delivers a speech proposed by his Min
isters ;\at the close of which he complains,
with much bitterness, of the personal in
sults, to which he is exposed; and ascribes
it to the want of firmness in the constituted
authorities. This part of the speech caus
es great excitement in the Cortes. In
the evening all the Ministers resign.
4.—The Cortes declare themselves per
manent, on the ground that there are no
responsible Minisiers.
In their answer to the Speech, the Cortes
declare that they have heard his complaints
of personal insults, with grief and surprise,
thfy remind him, that he is himself charged
wffft the execulion of the laws, and they
promise him their concurrence and support.
New Ministers are appointed
luiiurection of Merino at Burgos in fa
vour of the King.
April 3.—The junta at Barcelona banish
a large number of respectable persons to
Majorca, on suspicion of their favouring
the Austrians, who were then at Naples.
May 3.—Vinuesu tried at Madrid, and
condemned to 10 years hard labour at the
galleys.
4.—The mob break into the prison, in
the middle of the afternoon, aod murder
Vimiesa.
Morillo appointed Captain General of
Castile.
28.—General Elio tried for treason in as
sisting to overturn the constitution in 1814 —
sentenced to be strangled [but the sentence
was not then executed.]
June 19.—M. Zea, agent for the Repub
lick of Colombia, arrives at Madrid, and is
received with respect.
30.—Ends the second session of the Cor
tes.
July.—Much disorder, and many assassi
nations at Madrid; doubts entertained of
the King’s sincerity.
Aug. 20—A mob, in front of one of the
prisons, prevented fom assassinating the
prisoners by the firmness of Gen. Morillo.
21.—10,000 men assemble near the Club
de la Fontana , and are clamorous for the
it head of Morillo.
the MISSION 4nv
Morillo tenders his resignation to the
King, but it is not not accepted. The Min
ister of War resigns.
Sept.—Morillo tried by a council of war,
and honourably acquitted.
Sept. I.—Riego superseded in his com
mand; which causes great tumults at Mad
nJj o Th .*/ are l uelled hy General Morillo
ality an Mar,,D ’ the head of ,he Municip
-26. The Cortes meet on an extraordi
nary session. Petitions from many provin
ces for a removal of the Ministry— some of
them accompanied with threats of rebel
lion. \
[During the greater part of this and the
following month, the yellow fever raged in
all the easlern and southern provinces of
Spain ]
Oct. 18.—The inhabitants of Cadiz re
fuse to submit to the Marquis de la Reunion,
a Governour appointed by the King; and
the inhabitants of Seville send back Gener
al Moreno, their Governour.
Nov. 25.—The King makes a communi
cation to the Cortes complaining of these
events.
Dec. 9.—-The Cortes adopt an answer,
[l3O to 48) in which they censure the pro
ceedings both at Cadiz and Seville, as un
justifiable—but they consider the offence
of the inhabitants of Cadiz as palliated by
many circumstances which they enumer
ate ; and they decline to inflict any punish
ment. 1
is.—The Cortes present an address to
the King, requesting a change io the Min
istry,
1822, Feb. 12.—The Cortes annul the
Cordova convention between Gen. G’Dono
jn and the Mexican leader Iturbide; and
declare that they will consider an acknowl
edgment of the independence of any of the
American Provinces by any nation, as a
violation of existing treaties.
14.—The King closes the extraordinary
session of the Cortes, with a speec.bdft
which he declares bimself perfectly saleffi
ed with their proceedings.
March I.—The new Cortes, chosen for
1822 and 1823, meet. Gen. Riego is chos
en President
Anew ministry appointed by the King.
May 20.—An alliance concluded between
Spain and Portugal.
26-—The Cortes address a message to
the King, in which they complain in direct
terms, of the spirit of his government.
They say that the admiuistririon of the
provinces has been confined to worthless
men, who are disliked by the people, and
who sanction the impunity ol criminals;
and that the clergy abu-e the functions of
their office, to sow superstition and disobe
dience.
June 26.—The Cortes adopt measures
tor conciliating the American Provinces.
30.—Close ol the session ot thp Cortes.
July 2.—The Constitutional Ministry
finding that no dependence could be placed
upon the King’s Guards, call out the Nation
al Militia; upon which ihe Guards imme
diately revolt: and 2000 of them take pos.
session of the Pardo, and demand rations of
the Alcade. They are encouraged by the
party of Serviles.
3.—lneffectual negotiations with the re
volted Guards.
7.—The Guards attempt to seize the
city. They are met by the militia and
some of the inhabitants of Madrid under
Riego, Murillo, and others, and a battle en
sues, in which the Guards are defeated,
with the loss of 400 men. The Duke del
Infantado finds it necessary to conceal him
self, and is afterwards banished, as well as
the Archbishop of Saragossa.
10.—A meeting ot Foreign Ministers is
held at Madrid, to sign a declaration rela
tive to the events in the capital. Mr. For
•9yth,the American minister, refuses to sign
it, allegingit to he entirely untrue, and as
sorting that the real enemies of Ferdinand
ate the Serviles and ultra-royalists.
17.—Tranquillity pe-estahlished, and the
National Militia dismissed from their en
campment.
Aug 7.—A change in the ministry, fa
vourable to the Liberates.
28.—Tbe King signs a decree for a con
vocation of the Extraordinary Cortes on
the 7th October—much against his will.
The Defenders of the Faith guiity of great
excesses in tbe provinces.
Oct. 7—The session of the extraordina
ry Cortes commences.
Nov.—Disturbances in the north of
Spain, and frequent skirmishes. The Roy
alists are generally victorious.
Gen. Mina obtains advantages over the
Royalists in Catalonia.
Dec. 25.—The ultimatum of the Franck
government presented; in substance, that
tbe King shall be restored to bis sovereign
rights—that the Nobles shall be reinstated
iu their privileges, and security -given
against future insurrections.
1823, Jan. 12 —The Cortes deliberate
upon the note received from the Allied
Powers, and vote to prepare for war. Ar
guelles, one of the Deputies of the moder
ate party, having made a speech in favour
of war, is earned through the streets in
triumph.
30.—The French Ambassador leaves
Madrid; and bis arms are removed from
the front of his hotel.
MOUNT ZION. (HANCOCK
OP TS INTO AU.THX WORLD A, PREACH THE GOSPEL TO EVERY CREATURE.
Feb. 15.—/oted in the Cortes that the
King should repair toCorunna.
19. The extraordinary session of the
Cortes closei with a speech from the King.
He assures hem of his firm and constant
union with hem, and of his determination
ooppose ‘the antisocial principles” of
the King ofFrance.
The Minsters wait on the King, and
urge him tcremove frot* the city. He re
fuses, and tley all resign,
At a quater past 10 at night, compelled
hy the popilace who had collected in vast
numbers romd the palace, he restores the
Ministers totheir offices.
descriptive.
Frtm the National Gazette.
SKETCHES OF HO JANEIRO IN 1822.
Extracts from a retnt letter of a gentleman
f“" eiro > frazil) to his friend in
Philadelphia.
As I know that ure and undefiled reli
gion before God, i.< what you especially es
teem, 1 am persuad and that you will be pleas
ed to hear from tip some account of the
® ,at ® religion iathis country, even tho’
it should not correspond with your own
views on the subject.
rhis country, you know, is catholick;
and you may of coutse conclude, that all
the Brazilians and here profess
that religion.
To describe the splendour and magnifi
conce ot some of the churches here, would
require a knowledge of rchilectore which
Ido not possess. Suffice it to say, that they
are ot great size, having their inside walls
most richly covered with carved work and
gilding, with a number of niches for the tu
telary saints, and having their altars deco
rated with magnificent and costly furniture.
Most, perhaps all, of these edifices have
turrets cupolas or steeples furnished with
bells of various notes, from a small to a stu
pendous size, of which great use i9 made,
•i< you will see by the sequel. These
churches are opened every morning at day
light, and kept open till about 10 o’clock in
the forenoon, for the free admission of all
pet sons, yellow and black, who are disposed
to pay their adorations, or to make their
confession?; for which latter purpose, a
seat is placed near the chancel for the
priest, close by a screen which has a grs>\*
in it and which separates him from the
kneeling penitent. A* daylight and even
before, the devotees, and heavy burtbened
sinners, male and female, begin to flock to
church at Ihe sound of the bell, and contin
ue to do so, until the hour of its closing,
each one walking in, and staying there as
many minutes as his loaded conscience de
mands, which with some does not exceed
the length of a shop prayer. On Sundays
and holy days, whicl occur every few days,
regular service is |so performed at 11 o’-
clock, but even in tais case, it is not tncum
b- nt on a worshipper to stay all the time,
tor 1 understand (hit a zealous devotee will
appear in three or r our chinches of a mor
ning. The women appear to be the more
religious sex. They are very constant in
their attendance, and as it is unlawful for
any one to wear a hat in the church, and as
there are no pews or benches, they appear
with their heads nicely arranged with
combs, flowers and ribbons, and kneel or
sit down jpon the floor, all colours and ages
together, at the hazard of ruining the splen
did and shewy dresses, with which they
adorn themselves when they go to church.
This, to an inhabitant of the U. States, has
indeed a truly singular appearance, but it
may perhaps be intended to cultivate the
practice of humility.
During the service of the churches, and
at particular parts of it, rockets are let off
from the front door, or from the top of the
building. Some of these explode with the
uoise ol a small cannon, others resemble a
feu de joie of musketry, or a sharp engage
ment ol infantry, there being as many set
off at a time, as will give 50 or a hundred
reports in rapid succession. One day when
I was at the English church, there was such
a brisk fire kept up by a neighbouring
convent, that we could not hear the minis
ter for a long time, and as my lodgings are
in the vicinity of 9 or 10 chapels, we are
sometimes stunned with the noise of the
rockets. This singular ceremony of reli
gion is not confined to Sundays and holydays.
There is something of it almist every day,
and 1 understand that a part of the rockets
are let off at the expense of devotees, who
wish to appease some saint.
Some of the churches here are very rich
in estates, others are poor. It is a common
thing to see persons dressed in a sort of loose
pink coloured silk gowo, bare-headed, car
rying a sort of wand, and a silver plate or
dish, through the streets, and begging for
money to buy candles to born for the Virgin,
or for some saint. Religious processions
are frequent, and sometimes exceedingly
splendid, but I have yet seen none, except
what were of an ordinary kind. It appears,
that when a person is so ill us to be given
up by bis physicians, iiformation is given to
the priest of the parish (the city being divi
ded into parishes) who thereupon convenes,
in the evening or night, from 20 to 100 or
more, men and boys, who arrayed io red
loose gowns, and farnished with lighted
wax candles, proceed from the church in
double file, escorting a priest carrying the
host, under a canopy, supported by four or
six bearers, to the residence of the sick
man. ‘1 hey are either accompanied by a
band of musick, or sing as they march along,
some sacred chant, in the chorus of which
they are assisted by a considerable con
course of negroes, young and old, who fol
low io the rear. In this order and making
a stupendous noise, they arrive at the house
of the patient, who is then, for the first time
perhaps, given to know that his life is des
paired of. Ihe priest and a number of
others then enter, admioister the sacrament
to the dying man, and endeavour to per
suade him to make a bequest to the church.
After this the procession returns to the
chapel, or goes to alarm some fresh victim.
These processions 1 have seen often at night,
and 1 can assure you that if they produce
upon the mind of the sick man, the impres
sions made upon mine, he could scarcely ev
er recover.
At the corners of many of the streets,
boxes are placed high up against the walls
in which images ol particular saints are
placed, adorned with rich silk and spangled
dresses, and flowers, and concealed at times
from view by curtains hanging before them.
In the church of the convent of St. Bento,
which is the most magnificent one here, I
saw, the other day, a number of small wax
hands, arms, legs, £r,. which I understand
are sent there by persons having diseases
in those limbs, under the impression that
they would thereby be healed: 1 also saw
hanging up within the chancel, the green
hat of the pope’s Nuncio, who died here 2
or 3 years ago, and who, I presume, was
buried under it.
There are here no funeral processions
in the day time. When a grown person
dies, his body is conveyed by night in a
coach to his parish church, attended by his
friends carrying torches, where it is expos
ed to view for a short time, and after the
performance of the service, the friends re
tire. It is then deposited in a pit under the
church, oy in a sort of receptacle built in
the wall of some adjoining apartment,
where there are rows of graves arranged
like pigeon holes in a desk, when the lids of
the coffin are opened and the body is cover
ed with quick lime. The corpse of an in
fant, is placed on a sort of shallow oblong
base, having four short points to it like a
bedstead with railing on the top, the wood
work of which is entirely covered with silk,
ribbons and artificial flowers. The bodv
itself is arrayed in very gaudy apparel, fuii
dressed, with its haads clasped on its breast,
and is sometimes painted and decorated with
wing* made of silk. In this state, withou l
any covering over its face, it is pul into >.
carriage with the priest, who conveys it to
the church, where it is exposed to any onp
who wishes to see it, and is afterwards plac
ed in the receptacle or pit and covered wiili
lime. Women never attend the corpse at
the church, and the interment is left to the
priest and his assistants. The poor, who
cannot afford the expense of a coach, and of
decorations, do without them, and are hu
ried without a coffin. Some are carried bv
their friends in an open box, with two or
three handles on each side, or in a ham
mock slung on the shoulders of a couple of
men—and this very day, there passed un
der my window, the body of a black child
in a white petticoat and black short gown,
with iis head powdered, upon a simple
board wholly exposed to view upon the
head of a negro woman, who was, as { sup
posed carrying it to the place of interment
of the poor, which is a publick charitable
establishment called Misericordia. Per
sons of wealth and rank are sometimes bu
ried in full dress, with heads powdered, or
with wigs, and have their coffins covered
with cloth of lively colours and trimmed
with gold lace. The coffios here are sim
ple oblong boxes, with two lids, which
meet in the form of the roof of n house.
Sunday is not regarded here, in the light
in which it is viewed in the United States.
Stores and shops are open during a part or
the whole of the day—markets are field
houses are illuminated—the theatre, which
is called after St. John, is opened, and is
usually more crowded than on any other
night; and 1 heard a Brazilian lady, who
was told that a North American lady would
not on any consideration visit the theatre on
Sunday, express her utter astonishment, at
what she thought, no doubf, was a super
stitious notion. Loaded carts are seen in
the streets—scarcely a minute passes that
something is not cried for sale, carried
about by the blacks—pianos, violins, clario
netts and guitars may be heard—negroes
may be seen working, or daociog to the mu
sick of some of their simp> instruments;
and in fine, any thing that is done on a week
day. may be seen performed on the Lord's
day, (except publick business.)
The church bells are very numerous and
of nil sizes. They are mot alway rung as
with us, but are generally struck with ham
mers, and such (inharmonious sounds as are
produced by beating several at the same ,
time, are quite annoying. They begin eve
ry day at day-light, and ring at particular I
hours until midnight, sometimes being i
struck with a rapid motion like an alarm i
for fire, and at others, emitting a medley of i
tones, which is altogether void of th har- I
mony of our chiming, or ringing of peals.
It is said here, that there is ooe particular
day in the year, upon which not a single
bell is struck ; and that there is another,
upon which every one sounds the whole
day.
Protestant strangers are buried in the
ground of the English church, whither
their bodies are conveyed in a carriage or
a boat, and the friends of the deceased as
semble at the grave to witness the inter
ment without moving in a procession.
The expenses, however, are very great.
To bry some sailors from an American
ship of war that stopped here cost S7O each;
and a man of ability to pay, could not be
buried here for less than $250. * *
From the London Jewish Expositor.
PASSAGE OF THE RED SEA.
Extracts from a Letter on the passage of tho
Red Sea, by the Children of Israel , in their
route from Egypt to Mount Sinai.
[The Letter from which these extracts are
made is thus introduced in the Jewish Expositor:
“ Having some time ago, in the voluminous
works of the Jesuit Missionaries , met with many
curious essays ol the learned and indefatigable
Father Sicard, written during his long resi
dence in Egypt, with a view to the intended work
on the Antiquities of Egypt, which he did not
live to finish: 1 was particularly pleased with his
letter on the Passage of the Red Sea; and thought
much of the substance of it might be interesting
to Protestant readers. 1 therefore drew up the
following account, still retaining the form of a
letter ; and where any information peculiarly ap
posite occurred from other sources, I occasionally
introduced it.” The original letter is dated
“ Grand Cairo, April, 1720.” “ I felt a double
interest in Father Sicard’s account from the high
terms in which Denon speaks of his geographi
cal accuracy ; and from the frequent use of the
learned Jesuit's charts and observations to (he
celebrated geographer d’Anville. I am &c.
“ Marx Anne Schimmelfenninck.
Bristol, {Eng.) Feb. 9, 1818.”]
I myself in company with Mr. Fronton,
took the very same joorney as that pnrsued
by the children of .Israel in their departure *
from Egypt. My object being to trace
their route, we determined as much as pos
sible, to choose a similar season of the year.
We sat out from Cario in March, and iike
the Israelites, precisely at the tune of Hie
lull moon. Like them too we encamped at
Rameses, Succolh, Ethatn, and Piii Hahi
roth,and accomplished (he whole of our ex
cursion with the greaest ease io three short
day’s journey. Judging- by the number of
hours in which we performed it, we conclu
ded the whole distance to be about twenty
six French leagues. And we concluded
that (lie Israelites might with perfect ease
march every day nine leagues. This
would be by no means difficult to a people
habitually inured !o the hardest labour, and
already accustomed to huuger, thirst, and
•all the rigors of a hard and oppressive ser
vitude; especially when animated with the
hope of recovering their liberty. The
road too is perfectly easy and commodious,
and the time of year as favourable as possi
ble; the air soft aod the heat temperate.
And in their case, being moreover led by
ihe pillar of a cloud which went before
and shaded them.
The first station of the Hebrews was in
the plain of Gendeli, near a small but abun
dant spring- of fresh water. Gndeii is the
Succoth of Scripture. Besides the circum
stance of its being situated precisely at one
third of the way, viz. between eight and
nine leagues from Ramesses, and close by a
spring of fresh water, the word Gendeli in
Arab signifies a military encampment, and
Succoth, in Hebrew, means the place of
pitching soldiers’ tents. Here they halted
for the night, and baked their uofeavened
bread on the little portable hearths ur non
plates, which form a constant appendage to
the baggage of oriental travellers.
The second station of the children of Is
rael must have been the plain ofßamlie;
which is distant nine leagues from Succolh,
and eignt from the Red Sea. It is the an
cient Etham ; a beautiful plain forming an
ampitheatre of six miles wide, and bordered
with rising hills. The body of the army
pitched their tents in the plain, whilst their
leaders might be commodiously stationed
on the eminences. The 9acred text asserts
expressly, that Etham was at the extremity
of the desert; and this exactly corresponds
with the situation of Ramlie. In truth, on
quitting Etham you enter a narrow defile,
which continues without interruption for
two leagues, aod then opens into the plain
of Bede; which may rather be called the
environs of the Red Sea, than the continua
tion of the desert.
The sacred text then proceeds to say that
in the third day’* march the Israelites turn
ed back to encamp by Migdol. The fact
is this. Etham is situated at the bottom of
a deep sort of bay (if I m*? use ucfi an ex
pression) which the plain forms in the bo
som of the chain of the Torah mountains;
and which leaves no exit from Etham to the
plain of Bede, but by a narrow defile,
through which a dozen men could scarcely
march abreast. This defile is to the at,
and goes straight on to the Red Sea. No*r
it would have been the height of impru*
dence in the army of Israel, to have en
tangled themselves in this narrow pass;
besides, one whole day would not have su£>
ficed them to dear it. By the divine com*
mand, Moses then directed (he army to
turn its back on the defile; and to retrac*
their steps from the bosom of what I have