The insurgents in Biscay, Navarre, Arragon, and Valencia, are again
appearing in considerable force. The Queen's troops have been defeated in some skirmishes; and the rebels were sufficiently strong to make a formidable attack upon Tolosa, on the 26th of December ; but were successfully resisted. ZAVALLO, the General of the Franciscans, who was mentioned a fortnight ago in our sketch of the state of parties in Spain, translated from the Rivue Militaire of Brussels, as the real leader of the Monkish party, has been negotiating with General VALDEZ ; but he assumes too high a tone to make it probable that an accommodation will be the result of their communication. The Madrid correspondent of the Times says- " It is known that Zavallo was at Bilboa at the time of the death of King Ferdinand ; and it was there that, as soon as the intelligence arrived, the insur rection broke out into a sudden flood of mutiny.' Judging of the rest of Spain by what he had observed in his own immoliate neighbourhood, Zavallo had ex- pected that the rising would be general ; and it would undoubtedly have been much more general than it has proved, had the Pretender only ventured, when the title turned in his favour, to show himself in the country. But the time has now gone by ; and the cause of Don Carlos is not to be saved by all the skill of Za - vallo, nor by the high tone he assumes in his correspondence with General Valdez."
In fact, there seems no reason to apprehend serious danger to the Queen's throne from the insurrection ; though, from the nature of the support it receives, and the miserable state of the Government fi- nances, it may be extremely troublesome for some time to come. In Madrid, ZEA BERMUDEZ is more unpopular than ever; and the new Minister at War, ZARCO DEL VALLE, is not in much better odour.
Previous page
