The National Register. — London, England, 1809-01-08 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER, 18 head the disapprobation was general. Nevertheless, with the exception of one distinguished officer, who has, for the future, the justest claim to the esteem and confidence of his Country and Sovereign, all the Members of the Board have approved of the _Armistice. This is a most extraor dinary circumstance ! and, when contrasted with the uni versal abhorrence it excited in Portugal, Spain, and Great Britain, we can account for it in no other manner, than that of fellow-feeling. on the part of those who approved. Opinion is almost every thing, in war. That of the con tinent in favour of our military superiority and discipline had considerably abated since the conclusion of the campaign of 1793. Some uufortunate Expeditions, since that time, did not contribute to dispel this prepossession ; and the brav est army upon earth sank low iu the estimation of Europe. , This was a subject of equal indignation and regret to those `• who were• acquainted with our army ; and, whilst every part of the Continent resounded with-the crash of Thrones, or writhed under the scorpion lash of the most abomiaable I.vrant, our assistance, always successfully invoked by the weak and oppressed, was declined as useless. We were the only people capable and wilting to stop the alarming evil; and, the descendants of those very men, who opposed a bar to the overwhelming ambition of Pnittr 11. and, who arrested LEWIS XIV. in t h e tide of his fortunes and the torrent of his conquest, were considered to have so - much degenerated - from the spirit of their forefathers, that their interference, in a much more alarming period than either of the above-mentioned, was rejected and scorned. This deplorable misunderstanding sealed the doom of European independence ; and the detestable people and their ruffian chieftains, who waded in the blood of nations, and gorged in their plunder, exhausted abuse, raisrepre• sentatioli and intrigue, to keep up the fatal prejudice. Our own Government seemed, for a time, to have imbibed monething of the delusion; and, whilst Austria was strug gling, in the apparently last stage of her existence ; whilst Prussia, Naples, Portugal, llP.nover, Ilesse Cassel, and Brunswick, were making desperate efforts to av , :rt the impending destruction, the British people, whose voice and sword had formerly so much weight in the transactions of Europe, stood aloof, and were restrained from taking a part in the mighty conflict. Such as felt the injustice, and were sensible to the dis advantages of the erroneous opinion entertained of our army, ardently wished an opportunity might offer, when our soldiers could recover their ancient reputation. It came, auspicious as Fortune could give or patriotism wish : and, whilst the feelings of the country came in aid of the combinations of policy, a British army was transported to the continent to secure this desideratum of the Statesman and Patriot. Our army lauded in Portugal, inferior to the enemy in number; and the gallant officer who eom• tuanded them, and who proved himself so worthy of con. ducting British soldiers, proceeded immediately, though labouring under this apparent disadvantage, to give JIINOT battle. He acted right, and in perfect conformity to the soundest principles of political calculation : for it was not sufficient to beat the enemy—Europe and our allieS were to he convinced, that our troops were superior, in every requisite of the soldier, to the vaunted legions of France.— The battle of Vitneira attested this superiority ; and we considered it, in consideration of its consequences, as one Of the most important occurrences in our history. The JAN. ft public at large seemed to feel 'as we did; every tongue was profuse of applause; and every countenance glistened with unspeakable pleasure, at the first account of this splendid victory. A defeat of 11,000 Frenchmen was not capable of producing this universal sensation ; but, whilst our hearts had cause to exult, our understandings and principles were satisfied, that the affair of Vimiera was not a useless scene of blood and carnage, it offered to Europe* certainty of emancipation, might have torn from its pedestal the Colossus of French preponderance, destroyed that system of rapine, itamorality, and carnage, which had prevailed for nineteen years, and raised our beloved country to the summit of earthly grandeur and happiness. These were the consequences the .public expected, and, had a right to expect from the victory of. Vimiera. Any individual, therefore, however high his rank, or pre-emi nent his former aervices, or distinguished his " zeal and. firmness," who, by his incapacity or pusillanimity, marred these expectations, deserves a measure of censure propor tionate to the injury he has occasioned. We abhor that political indifference or faint heartedness, which. is afraid or unwilling to offend private feelings, when the dearest interests of their country require this sacrifice. We thank Heaven, we are also not without humanity, and feel as much reluctance as any of our brethren to' contribute tq the distresses or afflictions of others. But shall we be base enough, from motives of interest, weakness or fear, to be silent, or even approve, what we know to be a national disaster as well as disgrace, and has already been produCtive of such signal disadvantage to our allies. We abhor and loudly disclaim every party feeling on the occasion; and eau boldly appeal to our readers, if a single sentiment ever appeared in the NATIONA L REOISTEZ t which did not breather an ardent desire to see the honour as well as interests of the country promoted. Unwilling, therefore, to have the honour of our arms, or the reputation of the country degraded, we abominate, and will never cease to condemn, every measure which may, in the slightest sense of the word, contribute to either. The public, in their addresses to the Throne, have been unani mous in their condemnation of the Armistice and Conven tion of Cintra on this very principle; and the Sovereign has himself declared, that they disappointed the wishes and expectations of the country : We trust, therefore, that a more competent tribunal, than that of the Board of Inquiry, will still examine the merits of the Armistice and Convention. FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE. FROM THE FRENCU PAPERS. SEVENTEENTH BULLETIN OF THE ARMY OF' Minato, Dtc. 10.—His Majesty reviewed yesterday on the Prado, the Duke of Dantzic's corps, which arrived the day be fore yesterday at Madrid. He expressed his satisfaction at these brave troops. To.day he reviewed the troops of the Confederation of the Rhine, forming the division commanded by General Leval. The regiments of Nassau and Baden behaved well. The regiment of Hesse Darnutadt did not sustain the reputntiimn of the troops of that country.. The Colonel and Major appear to be men of moderate talents. The Duke of Istria set off on the sth for Guadalexera. fie scoured the whole road from Saragossa and Valencia— made 500 prisoners, and took a great deal of ba4;ga.r a e. At Bastoa a bat— talion of,sooolen, s um moned by the cav alry, were broken id upon. t 1 . _tt wha 0 A 4 • it...• 0 • I I 1111 1 1 • • . 4 !• f