The Virginian

RIEGO.

The dying memorial of Riego to his wife, with some particulars of his last hours.

The following well authenticated particulars of the last hours of General Riego are exceedingly interesting, as they speak volumes, as to the treatment of that unfortunate patriot while in prison, and completely refute the calumnies with which his memory was attempted to be sullied by the propagation of his pretended recantation and confession. Indeed, the document which appeared in some of the French papers, purporting to be the confession of General Riego, needed no evidence to convince the world of its want of authenticity. the bungling fabricator of it having made the General sign it two days after his execution!

General Roche, who lately arrived in England, was the bearer of a small parcel addressed to a Mr. Binder, an Italian gentleman, now in London. The General was quite ignorant of the contents of this parcel. On its reaching its destination, however, it was found to contain a black and a white handkerchief, enclosed in an envelope, with a letter, from which it appeared, that they had been transmitted to the Duchess de Frias, by General Riego, a few hours previous to his death. On the 5th of October, two days before the execution of the unfortunate patriot, a Confessor, whom Riego had sent for by the most pressing means, waited upon the Duchess to ascertain whether she would receive a memorial from him to transmit to his wife. It appears that this lady is related by marriage to the Riegos; Gen. Valdes, a cousin of the late Gen. Riego, having married her sister. The Duchess immediately consented to receive the memorial. The Confessor went away, and a few hours afterwards returned with a black handkerchief, which Riego was desirous should be forwarded to his wife. The next day, that is the day before the execution, the same Priest brought a white handkerchief to be transmitted to General Valdes. The man positively refused to enter into any explanation. He was deaf to all entreaties. In fact, he was evidently afraid to answer questions, apparently the most indifferent. He had no doubt been prevailed upon, out of compassion to the victim, to undertake the charitable commission of delivering these memorials of love. The manner in which it was undertaken and executed clearly proves that it was contrary to the orders of those who had the superintendence of Riego's imprisonment; and the affair altogether is confirmatory of his having had opiates administered to him to prevent him from speaking at the place of execution. Had his gaolers not been convinced that he could have written in such a manner to his wife, that would have completely falsified their tales of his confession, he would not have been prevented from writing; or had he been inclined to have recanted, they would no doubt have permitted him to send letters to any part of the world, provided such a recantation made a part of them. But Riego could not be prevailed upon to disgrace himself—therefore was he cut off from all intercourse, either by message or letter, with the world, to which he was doomed so shortly to bid an everlasting farewell. The story, too, of his having written a letter, to solicit a pardon, is completely falsified by this anecdote. The handkerchiefs are both at present in the hands of the Canon Riego, General Valdes not having arrived in England.