Star. — London, England, 1811-02-11 00:00:00

MANISTSTO i OF NS COITIIII GINERAL AND lITRADIMIVART TO Till SPANISH NATION. Seanuans--If the Cortes Extraordinary, assem bled by your free and deliberate choice , and which has been instal led solemnly in the Royal Isle of Leon, has not bef o r e this day regularly addressed you, it was from the conviction it felt that its character and objects should manifest themselves to you by its pro vident, just, and necessary decrees and regulations, ra ther than hy studied professions and declarations. To act and not to profess was its sacred duty, ap. plying itself with undivided heart and hand to the regeneration and well-being of the State. The Congress, declaring and acknowledging the Sove reignty of the nation, solemnly swearing ia the name of all the people to preserve the same for Ferdinand VII. King of Spim and the Indies ; sanctioning the constitutional division of the three estates—abolishing arbitrary and unjust rule. -re-establishing the free dom of thought in its original purity—restoring to the chicon one of the most sacred rights of political liberty, that of e free press —forming a new Govern ment on a compact and vigorous system—and endea vouring to strengthen the edifice of the state by con• stitutional laws, which they are engaged in framing. 1 " In these urgent and laudable occupations the Cortes were diligently engaged, when a novel and most extraordinary rumour, vague and hardly credi ted in its commencem ent, but soon, perhaps through the machinations of the common enemy, obtaining ettensive credit, resounded in all parts of Spain, as well as in many other quarters, and imperiously call ed for the most serious attention on the part of the , 1 s. National Congres " eßware, 0 Spaniards I that the Tyrant of Eu rope, panting to subjugate us, now adds treachery 1 . an d artifice to the unheard - of violence b y which he ' has goaded you into this defensive war ; and consi. dering the ardent force of your love and loyalty for I your adored Sovereign, he endeavours to contravene these sentiments, by Insidiously pretending to make restitution to the outraged Spaniards, and to compas sionate the state to which he has reduced them. " But think not, Spaniards, that tyrants ever are beneficent without some insidious motive ! Ferdi nand may be sent to Spain, but he will be surrounded by armed Frenchmen, and by Spaniards who suffer themselves to be seduced by the artifices, or intimi dated by the menaces of Bonaparte. He would come as one of the family of this monster, either by means of an union with a foreign Princess, or as an adopted son of Napoleon ; he would come to admi nister to the will of his execrable protector, by en aieavouring to obtain a peace of his dictation, or in other words, to effectuate the ruin and subjugation of the Peninsula. o Such is the substance of these rumours ; consi derations in which are at once compromised the ho nour and decorum of your King—the independence and sovereignty of the nation—and the dignity and salvation of the monarchy. The extravagant request of adoption, which is already said to have been made in the name of Ferdinand, and which is inserted in those public papers in the pay of Bonaparte, leaves , to room to doubt of the design of the usurper to de.; grade and vilify their lawful Sovereign in the eyes of Spaniards, for the purpose of forwarding his iniqui. tons designs. Thus you see the moment is arrived, or perhaps is not far distant, when the nation may be placed in a situation as p erilous and complicated as that which gave birth to its heroic insurrection, and in which it would have to display a similar grandeur and nobleness of character. " The Cortes, in considering this most important subject, are fully aware of the grand character of the people whom they represent—of the worthy and noble' example which they held forth to the rest. of Europe, and of the splendid hopes, opposed to the gloomy horrors which are involved in this terrible contest. They feel that Spaniards must be aware that the war into which the outrageous tyranny of the Gallic despot has goaded them, must be carried on without compromise or relation, and with accelerated force ! " What can be the object of such a species of con ciliation ? It will not, Spaniards, be for that of your happiness and repose, or to make reparation for these various insults and accumulated injuries inflicted up on you I—No, the souls of tyrants are never actuated by the impulses of virtue—Napoleon is instinctively malignant. This has been terribly exemplified with respect to us, already—He again seeks to enslave us, to render us the unhappy influence of his insatiable ambition I Your admirable patriotism, courage and constancy, have hitherto disconcerted his iniquitous projects. Spain has successfully resisted him to whose' triumphal car all the Kings of Europe succumb ! The subtle Tyrant has self-censulted a project for sabjugating Spain ; he feels the ruling virtue of ge nuine Spaniards is that of loyalty to their Sovereigns. He beholds the unpractised Ferdinand in •his power: he conceives the expedient of sending him to Spain in the insidious character of an adopted son ; but in ef fect as a degraded instrument. He knows his influ ence, and hopes to bring about a tranquil submission by his means. He sees that America already ac-' knowledges his sway. But should this illustrious and devoted Missionary be unsuccessful, he sees at least ; that the Spaniards will be divided, and the seeds sown of dissention and distrust ; and thinks that the wa vering and unprincipled among us will excuse their desertion, under the pretext of adhering to the for tunes of Ferdinand. " But, Spaniards, all these insidious machinations will vanish, like the mists before the sun of your ree l titude and true interests. Let us continue loyal on l Ferdinand. What nation has ever given such proorw l of loyalty to its Sovereign ? [Here a variety of signal instances are cited.] But suppose Bonaparte should prevail on the captive Prince to enter Spain ; will he be the same, the adored Monarch of our choice ? No, Ferdinand Napoleon can never be Ferdinand de Bour bon. No ! he would be the servile instrument of the Corsican Attila, encircled by atrocious Gauls and degraded Spaniards, instead of free aid generous subjects ! His identity would no longer exist. You ould never become the deceived victims of suck an illusion, and the Crown which the tyrant would ap parently restore, would form a new emblem of mock - and insult ! . ery and inst._ " Political independence, and social felicity v.. our objects when, at Aranjuez, we tried to seat on the Spanish Throne, a Prince idolized by us for his amiable and benevolent disposition. Such are still the objects of the Spaoirill People, for wilsb they have . already Sustained a tirs• feats' atagutaaly warfate. and have latterly coricssiod - thoreitraordinary Cortes of the Spanish Monarchy. To de&nd the Country against iti actual enrolls% ar.d to secure its future in dependence, is the universal wish of the people, and the sworn duty of their Representatives—they wish for a monarchical constitution, but one free and equit able, as now contemplated by those Representatives ! " Napoleon is deceived as to our real objects. — Spaniards combat not for vain glory, or for undefin ed or unjust objects—our political independence, do mestic tranquillity and freedom, and the integrity of L our territories, are our real and only objects. I 66 Let us announce to all Europe, that Spaniards Contemplate, with astonishment and admiration, the spirited and generous exertions of our Allies ! Let us express our gratitude to our brethren in America, who have with such enthusiastic loyalty asserted the cause of the Mother Country, and present such a striking contrast to the vile assassins of the crafty tyrant. Let us evince to the world that the immense power of our common enemy will not avail against the impregnable barrier of your heroic virtue, though I he should take advantage of the helpless situation of a young and unpractised Prince, and convert him perso trolly into the blind instrument of his atrocious projects. The Cortes, the legitimate interpreters of your wills in this terrible crisis, swear solemnly, in your name, before the Supreme Being, in presence of all the nations of the earth, and of the august and benefi cent Ally in particular, not to lay down their arms, nor afford the enemy a moment of repose, nor to en ter into any concert or agreement with him, until he shall have previously evacuated the territories of Spain and those of our neighbouring and illustrious Ally, Portugal ! Unite with us in this solemn oaths all you respectable clergy who wish to maintain the cause of our altars and our holy religion ; all you ennobled Spaniards, if you pretend in imitation of I your illustrious ancestors to defend the throne and the country ; and all you industrious and commercial -citizens, and proprietors of every description, repine not at any sacrifices you may make for objects so justly dear to you ; recollect and consider the barbarous and profane atrocities of your relentless enemy. If any amongst you prefer wearing the mark of inglorious slavery in your unmanly foreheads, let him fly the land of heroic freedom, and on him be the indignant curses of the Nation. " Given at the Royal lie of Lose, the Bth January, 1811. (Signed) 64 MANSE CANED°, President. 66 JOSE MARTINEZ,' Dep. Secretaries." 44 JOSS AZNASEZ, .NIYEIt 1L4714. LITTER /EOM THE GOVERNOR OF MONTE VIDEO TO ADMIRAL DE COURCY. 46 Most Excellent Seignor—After felicitating your Excellency upon your arrival upon these coasts; I am anxious to do myself the honour of sending to your Excellency herewith, copies of the two official letters which I had previously addressed to you. i 44 That of the earliest date was intended , by a 'simple and ingenuous statement, such as belongs to a Soldier who knows neither disguise nor passion, to ap prise your Excellency, at the moment of your arrival l in these countries, of the lamentable situation of 'affairs at Buenos Ayres, in consequence of the absurd prbject of a small number of criminals, who havej seized the reins of Government, with the intention of making themselves independent of the mother coun try. From the said letter your Excellency will per- ceive, not only that Monte Video, which acknowledges the National Government, should separate itself froal a party, who, under the sacred name of their Sove-j reign, conspire against the ends of that union which both your nation and mine have proposed to them selves ; but you will also perceive the determination with whick I am come, as the provisional chief in this country, to discharge all the just duties for which I am responsible, and which my patriotism requires of me, by imposing all the restrictions which my situ ation allows me to exercise upon the rebel flag, and also by applying to your Excellency to co-operate with your influence in sustaining my determination, by compelling the English merchant vessels entirely to withdraw from the harbour of Buenos Ayres, to prevent that encouragement and those excesses which would render my measures 44 The letter of the latest day, is the answer to that which your Excellency was pleased to direct to me from Maldonado a, and I entertain no doubt that the plain reasons by which I have pointed out to your Excellency, that the differences between the two Go vernments are not differences between Spaniard and Spaniard, but originate in that just indignation with which a man of honour should regard delinquents, will induce you to protect the cause which I defend, as being the cause of my country—that unfortunate country which generous England is at this moment protecting at the expence of her blood. 44 In both official letters, the grounds en which I feel myself authorised to claim the interposition of your justice are sufficiently stated. Being intimately persuaded that persons of your Excellency's rank, from their sense of the principles of equity, cannot decide in favour of any other cause than that which I support, I deem it improper to trouble your attention with additional proofs, which are as numerous as the heinous offences of Buenos I have only time to your Excellesenthat I am told there has been admitted on board the Eng lish schooner, a 'member of the seditious Junta of Buenos Ayres, commissioned by them to prejudice I the mind of your Excellency. Should this be true, I have nothing to fear from his representation ; but I have to complain that on board - the said vessel an act of hostility has been agreed upon against this place and. Government ; whilst nobody can bek ignorant, that its conduct has corresponded more than that of Buenos Ayres with the sentiments of the nation 46 Upon this ground I should be authorited to de mand of your . Excellency to deliver up to ette the said member of the Junta, as a criminal and traitor ; but I shall be satisfied with your Excellency's giving him a hearing in order that, weighing in the balance of your equity my arguments and those of the delin quent Emissary, you may perceive that Monte Video and its Government act with that zeal which springs from the attachment they owe to their King and country. May GOD, &c. (Signed) 44 GASPAR VIGODITZ. " Monte Vide*, October SO, 1510." • A letter from the Admiral of the Wk of Ostelkegamsesteclog ids arrival to the Government, widt the 400 e iviewadag, sad twinkle' the mei* Ode blockade. the FROM SATURDAY' NIGHT'S GAZETTE. CROWN-OFFICE, FEBRUARY O. 11111d1BIL RETURNED TO !RATS IN THIS PRISENT • PARLIAMENT. County of Gloucester. Sir Berkeley 'William Guise, Barymet, is the room of Lord Vis count Dursley, now Earl of Berkeley. DOWNING-STREET, FEB. 6. A dispatch, of which tbe,following is as extract, has been receiv ed at the 011ce.of sae Esti of Liverpool, addressed to his Lordsh p by Lieutenant-General Viseouut Well .1 I Cartaxo, Xeds of hull:l.y, 1611. Since the enemy obtained possession of the bridge over the Guadiana at Merida, the accounts of their progress have been so various and contradictory, that I am not enabled to form an opinion of their designs or numbers. When General Mendizabel retired across the Gua diana, he threw a small corps of about three thou sand infantry into Olivenza, which place was but ill supplied with provisions and stores. A body of in fantry, which at times have been stated to be four thousand, and at others seven thousand, with about one thousand five hundred cavalry, have blockaded Olivenza. There has been no alteration in the position of the enemy's troops in front of this army. I imagine that General Claparede has not receiv ed the orders from General Drouet to take up his position upon Guarda, of which I reported to your Lordihip in my last dispatch, that we had intercepted the duplicate. He attacked General Silveira with the advanced guard of his division near Trancoso, at the Ponte d'Albade, on the 30th ult. and obliged him to retire with some loss. Lieutenant-Colonel M'Bean, of the 24th regiment, was wounded in this affair. General Claperede attacked General Silveira again with the advanced guard of his division, at Villa du Ponte, on the 11th instant, and obliged him to retire, but without material loss, excepting that of Major Cooksey,of the24th Portuguese regiment; who was un fortunately killed, and the officer commanding the Ist brigade of Portuguese militia wounded. General Bacellar who commands in the North has moved the divisions commanded by General Miller, and Colonel Wilson upon the flank and -rear of the enemy, which it is expected will check this move ment, and oblige him to fall back again towards the frontier. A part of Claparede's division was still at Pinhell. DOWNING-STREET, FEB. 9. • A dispatch, of which the following Is a copy, has been this day received at the Earl of Liverpool's Office, addreued to his Lordship by Lieutenant-General Viscount Wellington, dated Caruso, 26th January, 1811. . . _ MY Loin—The enemy has continued the block ade of Olivenza, and obtained possession of that place either on the 22d or 23d inst. Notwithstanding the positive assertions that a large body had crossed the bridge of Merida on the 9th, it does not appear that the French have yet had any large body on the right of the Guadian a. They have a train of siz 24-poun ders, and other ordnance of large calibre, and a large quantity of stores and carriages, on the left of the Guadiana ; but it is not yet considered decided that they propose to attack Ba joz. lam concerned to ha report to your Lordship, that the Mqrquis de la Ana died in this town on the:Ord instant, after a short illuiss. His talents, his virties, and his iiatlicAitit;'*re well known to his Majesty's Government:.'lii' Sins the Spanish army have lost their brightest ornament; their country their most upright patriot ; and the world their most stre nuous and zealous defender of the cause in which we are engaged; and I shallialways acknowledge with gratitude the assistance which I received from him, as well by his operations as by his counsel, since he bad been joined with this army. Upon receiving accounts of the movements of the French troops in Estremadura, of the difficulties experienced in the relief of Olivenza, and of the pos sibility that Badajoz might be attacked, he ordered the Spanish troops which had been joined to us, to march towards the frontier, and they commenced their march on the 20th instant. General Menditabel has since ordered them to halt on the road. Since I addressed your Lordship on _ 1 inst. I have received the detailed accounts of General Sil veira's affairs with the enemy in Upper Beira. In the affair at the Ponte d'Albade on the 30th December,. which was the most serious, and in which the greatest loss was sustained, the General attacked the French and was repulsed. In the last, affair of the 11th instant, the French attacked General Silveira at Ville du Pont. and he was obliged to retire upon Lamego. He was fol lowed by the French division, and was obliged to evacuate Lamego, and to retire across the Douro on the 13th instant. General Bacellar then took up a position on the Pavia, on the enemy's left sank, while Colonel Wil -1 son was upon their rear at Castro Dairo, and General • Silveira prevented them from crossing the Douro. These positions appear to have induced General Claparede to retire again, as I have heard, from an other channel, of his arrival at Trancoso. The enemy have made no material alteration in their position in front of this army since I last ad dressed your Lordship. They appear still to enter tain a great jealousy of all our movements on the left of the Tagus, and they have recently removed some of the boats which vere in the Zezerp. They de tached a body of two thousand men from the rear of their army into Lower Beira, on the 22d inst. appa rently to escort a courier towards the frontier. They drove our picquets through the town of Rio Mayor on the 19th instant, with a strong body of cavalry and infantry ; but retired again immediately. llt is reported. that General Junot was wounded on 11tis occasion. . Our light detachments, under the Hotiontable Cap tain Cocks of the 16th Light Dragoons, and ethers, still continue their operations with success, and send in many prisoners. My last accounts from Cadiz are of the.lstli inst. I have the honour to be,. Ste. (Signed) WILLINGTON. 9th ADMIRALTY OFFICE, FIB. 9. Copy of a Letter flints Captain Rogers, of his Majesty's Ship the Kent, addressed to Admiral Sir Charles Cotton, Bart. Com mander in Chief of his Majesty's Ships an Vessels in the Me iliterranzap, and transmitted by the Admiral to John Wilson Crokar, Esq. 2 Kent, off Palarnos, Dec. Id. Sze.-.Just as shad closed my .letter to you of the nth instant, the Cambrian hove in sight, which im mediately determined me to attenspt the destruction of the tonvoy at Palamns. I had great reliance in Captain Fane's knowledge of the place, and as the reinforcement the French .had received in Ca alonai gave me no hope of assistance from General O'Don nell, who had full occupation for his troops, I telt that I should be deficient in my) duty if I did not em ploy the means in my power.with energy, to effect the important service of depriving Barcelona and t':e French army of the supplies which this convoy would convey to them. I gave it, Sir, every conideration, with the anxiety natural to responsibility, and the more I reflected the more my mind was fortified with hopes of success. I therefore formed my plan, and Captain Fane did me the favour to volunteer the command of 350 sea. men, 250 marines, and two field pieces, selected frivis the ships under my orders, and well appointed for this desirable' service. The enemy's vessels lair in the mole, and consisted of a very fine new national ketch, mounting fourteen guns, with sixty men, two xebecs of three guns 'each, and thirty men, and there were eight Merchant vessels under their.convoy, all lad'n with provisions for Barcelona ; they. were protected by two tweotylour pounders,nne in a battery which stood very high over the mole, and the other with thirteen inch mortar in a-battery on a very corn/stan ding height ; there were also, from the information I received, about two hundred and fifty soldiers in the town. From light winds it was near one o'clock in the afternoon of the 13th before the ships could get far enough into the Bay to put the men on shore, and they were soon after landed on the beach in the finest order under cover of the Sparrowhawke and Minstrel sloops, without harm, the enemy having posted them selves in the town, supposing we should be injudi. cious enough to go into the mole without dislodging them ; soon after our men moved forward to take the town and batteries in the rear • the enemy with. drew to a windmill on a hill, whete. they remained almost quiet spectators of our people taking poisession of the batteries and the vessels in the mole ' • the mor tar was spiked and the cannon thrown down the heights into the sea ; the magazine blown up ; the whole of the.vessels burnt and totally destroyed, save two which were brought oat'; in short the object had sncceededto admiration, end at this time with the loss of no more than four or five men from occasional skirmishing ; but I am sorry to relate, that in with drawing our post from a hill which we occupied to keep the enemy in check until the batteries and yes seas were destroyed, I fear that our people retired with some disorder, which encourage/ the enemy, who had-received a reinforcement from St. Felice, to advance upon them, and, by some unhappy fatality, instead of directing their retreat to the beach where the Cambrian, Sparrowhawke, and Minstrel lay to cover their embarkation, the brave but thoughtless and unfortunate men came through the town down to the mole ; the enemy immediately occupied the walls and houses, from which they kept up a severe fire upon the boats crowded with men, and dastardly fired upon and killed several who had been left on the mole, and were endeavouring to swim to the boats. Nothing could exceed the good conduct of Captain Pringle, of the Sparrowhawke, Capt. Camp bell, of the Minstrel, and Lieutenant Conolly, First of the Cambrian (who commanded that ship in the absence of Captain Fane), both in the landing and withdrawing the men, and the officers in the launches with carronades, and the taro mortars boats of the Cambrian ; indeed the officers and men of all the boats distinguished themselves beyond all praise in going to the mole to bring off the men who had been left behind. In performing this arduous service they suffered much, but I had the satisfaction to perceive the fire of their carronades and mortars upon the enemy very destructive. I feel a delicacy in noticing the exertions and gal lantry of an individual where most appear to have an equal claim, but it is due to Mr. George Godfrey, my first Lieutenant, whose exertions both on shore and in the boats bi inging off the men were conspi cuous. Unfortunately Captain Fane, as I am informed, was at the Mole giving directions to destroy the ves sels when our men were withdrawn from the post on the hill ; he remained there with firmness to the last, and is among the missing, but T have received a sa - account that he is well. tisfactory I feel, Sir, with unfeigned grief, that our lox bas 'seen severe, as you will see by the inclosed return ; but had it not been for the indiscretion of the people straggling from their post and coming into the town, contrary to my caution, the enemy would not have dared to approach them, and the loss would have been very inconsiderable, compared with the impor tance of the set vice performed. The French had en tered Catalonia with an army of ten thousand men with little means of subsistence, and as I was ordered to this coast for the express purpose of depriving the enemy of their expected supplies, I considered that some energy and enterprise was necessary to accom plish it ; the farce I employed was fully adequate to this service, aed I confided the execution of it to an Officer of repntation, I thererefore cannot reproach myself, as my conduct would have been censured if I had not undertaken it, although I mast ever deeply regret.the severe loss.-;--1 have, &c. (Signed) THOMAS ROGERS. Admiral Sir Charles Cotton, Bart. Commander in Chief, Etc. fitc..ficc. Abstract of the Returns of Officers, Seamen, and Marines, be longing to his Majesty's ships Kent, Ajax, Cambrian, Spar. rowhawke, and Minstrel, killed, wounded,' and missing, in destroying the enemy's conYpy at Palamos, lath December, 1810 : Xent-8 Seamen, 7 Marines, killed; 7 Officers, 12 Seamen, 19 Marines, wounded ; 1 Officer, 11 Seamen, 21 M.riLes, miss. ing ; 1 Seaman, deserted. Ajat-11 Seamen, 4 Marines, killed; s Officers, 12 Seamen, 6 Marines, wounded; 19 Seamen, is Marines, missing. CObbrian —4ollcers, S Seamen, 1 Marine, killed; s Officers, 12 Seamen, 7 Marines, wounded; 1 Officer, l i seamen, 4 Marines, missing. Speer° whawke —1 Seaman, killed; 1 Officer; 2 Seamen, wounded. Iliinstrel--1 Seaman killed; 1 Officer, 4 Seamen; wounded. Total--SS killed, 89 wounded, 86 missing, t deserted. (SigeI)THONLAS ROGERS. ADMIRA.TY.OFFICE, FEBRUARY 9. Arniral Lord GAMSIER has transmitted to Joni WILSON Caonxe, Esq. a letter from Captain BEMOAN Captain of the feet under his Lordship's command, reporting the capture, by his Majesty's ship Runt, of the Brocanteur French letter of marine, of 16 pins and 54 men. Vows nets •