The National Register. — London, England, 1809-09-03 00:00:00

SEPT. 3. say that the great advantage to be derived from it was the I opportunity it a ff orded of retreating from the Peninsula with greater safety. We ridiculed the account which his Lordship gave us of the disposition of the Spaniards to af ford assistance, and we were almost satisfied of what we are now perfectly convinced, that we cannot save Spain from the Tyrant of the Continent. The last dispatches from that country satisfy us, that inaugre all the reinforcements that can be sent, we must abandon the Peninsula. If the account of the Spanish General's conduct be true, he is a coward or a blockhead, and we risk every thing by co operating with him. If it be not true, there is a disunion between the Generals, which but for the promptitude of his Lordship would have already been fatal to our army. We cannot here avoid noticing the accounts that have been pub lisaed in France of the battle of Talavera. We are sorry that events have contributed so much to their plausibility, and given them a resemblance to truth. InterflUrn fucala falsitas (says Lord Coke) in multis.'est probabilior, et stepe rationibus vincit nudain verilatem."— And it is an observation, which if we recolleet right, is made by Isocitalcs in one of his Orations against the Sophists That it is much easier to maintain a wrong cause to the satisfaction of the multitude than to establish a 'doubtful truth." The French Journalists seem to be well aware of tits, and act accordingly. We can account for their conduct, but how shall we account for the invariable success of this artifice upon minds which have been again and again deceived.—This is a sort of fairy land in reason ing. is this success owing to the circumstance of men growing doubtful of their own judgment and reason, when they find something can be said in favour of what they had considered indefensible? Is it that they run along with the writers if they find a plentiful harvest of imaginary facts and reasoning, where all seemed barren and unpromis ing ? There is, we know, a sort of gloss upon ingenious false_ hood, that dazzles and pleases the imagination, but which neither belongs to, nor becomes the sober aspect of truths. What we regret is, that the tyrant's purpose is answered for the moment; • and this is not all, the impressions made upon the Imagination, subsist and produce their effect even after the understanding has been satisfied of their unsub stantial and delusive nature. We never wholly relinguish the belief of what we have been pleased in believing. Although the affairs of the continent present nothing new to the politician, they arc pregnant with materials for .he philosoper. They present a scene of gigantic plunder, extending itself by degrees, till every thing is swallowed up, equally successful in the rduou% toi:s of war, and the intrigues of the cabinet. The indecision of Austria is ruinous ; peace with the tyrant is impossible ; will satisfy his revenge; his insatiable ambition ; but :tbject prostration. And yet we find in this land of comparitive Leedom, writers who venture to defend this man, asid al most to advocate his cause, In what respect does Iho .ia nimdation of ktoolvAPAßTE's troops upon the continent dit.rer from that of the Goths, the Viwdals, and the !inns, Is hen they cabled destruction before them as they. advauc into Gaul, Italy, Spain, Greece, and Africa. " Vastum übique s Silentium, secreti cones, fornanaia procul tecta ; nemo eXploratoribus obvius," is what Tad tus calls the " faries victoria." In what respect, we ask, %Wes this dcscr;ption diticr from time effects which have beep r produced by that torrent of modern tarbarians,who, excited by the same ambition, and encouraged by the same success, pour out fom Life South, ravage the remotest parts of Ger many, and extend their devouring eyes to Persia and Indos. tan. Is it possible, we would ask, that their can exist in this Country a slave so passive, a bigot so blind, an enthusiast so headlong, a politician so hardened as to stand up in defence of a system and of a conduct calculated for a curse to man kind. A curse under which (though we are as Jet happily exempt), so many of the Nations of Europe smart and groan without thoroughly understanding the nature of the disease, and wanting energy and courage to apply the remedy. But the ways of Providence are inscrutable, they baffle ingenuity, and bid defiance to conjecture ; evea those circumstances which are most to be deplored, and which most afflict our sensibility, are those which are most inexplicable. When we see a man raised upon the shoulders of the multitude, become a tyrant in defence of liberty, a plun derer for the support of Government, au oppressor for the sake of humanity, and a vindictive persecutor of his species for the pretended and imaginary glory of his-God, we cease to wonder that such a being is a ferocious savage in the bosom of society; but it requires all. the aids of reason and religion " to justify the ways of God to man." We are infinitely more vexed than surprised at the infer. ration contained in the Gazette of last night, from Lord CHATHAm,that the " ulterior objects of t he Expedition" must be abandoned. His Lordship is supported in this determina tion by the opinion of a Councilor War. The time which has been afforded to theenemy by the neglect ()four commanders in not occupying Cadsand, and the absurdity of paralyzing our attack upon Antwerp till Flushing was actually reduced, are now obvious. It will be seen by a reference to the co lumns of this paper, that we have had but one opinion, and that our minds were very early made up on tie subject ; and we do sincerely think, that our Command rs owe it to the Ministers by whom they were appointed, they owe it to the KING, i 4 above all they owe to the wounded ho. nour of their country, to place beyond all possibility of doubt, that the delay or neglect which .has enabled the enemy to collect a . force sufficient to defeat our enterprize, was owing to circumstances over which they had uo con ' trout, and which they could neither forsee or prevent.— They are bound to prove, that the obstacles now opposed are insurmountable, and that nothing on their part has been done, or left undone, to justify the ridicule of the whole Continent; the eyes of which had been directed to this great armament as the Messiah, that was coming to save them. The anxiety of the Public has been at length relieved by the arrival of dispatches from Lord WELLtNotoN, which will be found in the Gazette of last night, dated Deley toga the Bth inst,—These dispatches iulorm us, that his Lordship proceeded on the 3d inst. from Talavera in °Merle attack SOUL-r, leaving the Spanish army under CUeSTA I to keep Vicroa in check, and if necessary to defend Talavera from his attack, where the sick and wounded were left under Cu EsTA's care.--It appears that Cuzii-rA having received information that the army of SOULT was more considerable than had been supposed when Lord WELLiseTes left Ta lavera, nod unwillia;; V.:44. his Lordship should bear the ' m i m i c 'moil of the righting iu.this unequal conflict,. he set ou t imitit:diately to join the British army, leavin4 the wounded behind him. When the Spanish General. had overtaken the British army, his Lordship plainly saw that nothing could prevent the junction or at least the co-opera tion of Soorr and Victors, the ,latter of whom had im mediately proceeded to take advantage of Cverres move. THE NATIONAL REGISTER.