The National Register. — London, England, 1808-10-02 00:00:00

TUE NATIONAL REGISTER. such sentiments every community is invincible ; and had Sir Hew Dalrymple and Sir Arthur Wellesley lost the whole of the English army in Portugal, half the horror would not have been felt, nor the co;e;equences been so disastrous as we have cause to appre`lend from this unpardonable Convention. These arc the motives, Sir, which induce us to continue these distressing reflections. It is not the present moment, portentous as it is, which terrifies us; but it is for the fu ture we tremble. Examples may accumulate ; and the traitor and eoward will find hereafter a justification for his conduct, in the example of a distinguished officer. When Nve reflect on the immense stake we have at present on the Continent, which the slightest mistake, or want of honour, might deprive us of for ever;—when we consider at the same time the abilities and vigilance of the enemy, we can not avoid recommending measures of precaution propor tionate to the exigency. Who stood so high in the esteem of the army and public, as Sir Arthur Wellesley ? and ne vertheless he allowed himself to be imposed on, to use even the language of his defenders, in the most notorious and scandalous manner we have ever read of in modern times. We will not here go through the nauseous recapitulation of proofs ; they are unfortunately too flagrant; and whether he acted in obedience to the orders of another, or from self-suggestion, his Convention of Cititra will be long cited as one of the most unaccountable and indefensible acts in our history. Let us now, Sir, direct your attention to the i►t►pression it will produce on the Continent, to the dissatisfaction, we are afraid, contempt, it may excite in the breasts of the Spaniards, and to the misrepresentations and invectives it will furnish the enemy. The more we reflect on it, the more we feel abashed and dejected. The efforts of the pa triotic and enlightened all over Europe, who would have held out to their countrymen the support they might ex pect from us, will be counteracted by this disastrous event, They will have no longer to combat the hacknied reproach or our involving. the Continent in confusion and misery, for our exclusive advantage ; they will be assailed with cries about the imbecility of our Generals, and the inutility of our assistance. Good heavens, Sir, when we take into consideration the favourable aspect of European politics, prior to this event, and the advantages that might have followed the battle of Viiniera, had the unconditional sur render of Junot and his army been insisted on ; we are then full) aware of the disgrace we have suffered, and the favourable opportunity we have lost, perhaps, fur ever.. FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE. FROM THE DUTCH PAPERS. FRANCE. PARTS, SEPT. 13.—Yesterday the Emperor and King re ceived the Senate at the Palace of St. (loud, when the following Address, voted in the Sitting of the sth, was presented to his Isirtjesty : Simx,—The Senate have listened with the liveliest emotions to the Message of your Imperial and Ito►yal Alajesty. They have also received with a profound and respectful gra titude the communication which nor !Maje , ty has been pleased to make respecting the attain. of Spain, the Constitution accept ed by the Junta, and the Report presented to your Majesty on the state of your armies in the several quarters of the globe. They have unanimously adopted the Stroutus Consultum which your Imperial and Royal Majesty has proposed, and One Linn- OCT. Q. deed and Sixty Thousand brave men shall participate in the im mortal fame of your numerous and formidable legions. You believe in the Peace of the Continent, Sire, but you will not suffer yourself to depend upon the errors and perverse calcu lations of Foreign Courts. Your Majesty desires to defend so. lemn and voluntarily concluded treaties—to maintain a Consti tution freely discussed, adopted, and sworn to, by ti Natirbval Junta—to suppress a barbarous anarchy, which now covers Spain with blood and mourning, and threatens our frontier;—tea rescue the true Spaniards from a shameful yoke by which they are oppressed—to assure to them the happiness of being govern ed by a brother of your Majesty—to annihilate the English troops, who unite their ora►aB with the dagt;ers of the banditti— to avenge the French blood, so basely shed—to put out of all doubt the security of France, and the peace of our po.teritv-- to restore and complete the work of Louis X 1 V. —to accornpli;h the wish of the most illustrious of your predecessors, and parti cularly of him who was by France most beloved—to extend your p,reat power, in order to diminish the miseries of war, and to compel the Enemy of the Continent to a general Peace, which is the sole object of all sour measures, and the only epoch for the repose and prosperity of our country. The will of the French people is, therefore, Sire, the same a, that of v our Majesty. The War with Spain is politic, just, and necessary. The French, who are penetrated with affection for the Here whom they admire—who display so much enthusiasm whenever they have the good fortune to behold you, will answer the call of your Majesty with zeal, and nothing shall shake the determina tion Of the Senate and the People to support your Majesty in every undertaking which you may judge necessary for the great interests of the Empire. May it therefore please your Majesty to accept this new tri bute of our respect, our attachment, and our fidelity. srvvrus coxstri.Tu!kre The SCltalUS riIIISMUUM referred to in the above Addrecc, and which is in conformity with the Minister of War's Report, is of the following tenor:— _ . _ Art. I. There are placed at the disposal of the Government 80,000 Comicripts, who are insuribed in the classes for 1806, 1801, 1808, 1809 ; 20,00(1 for each year. IL These 80,000 Conscripts may be immediately placed in active service. 111. The Conscripts of the year ISM, 1807, and MS, who were married before the publication of this decree, shall not he drawn for the above SO.OOO. 1 V. The Conscripts of the years Si, 9, 10, 11, 11, 13, and I-I, who have answered to their Conscription, and are not under orders for distribution in the arm), t•ball he now treed from ser vice ; and from these classes no new levy shall be made. V. Eighty thousand Conscripts from the classes of the year 1810, are afro placed at the disposal of the Government. VI. These Conscripts shall he allotted to the formation of corps for the defence of the coast, but shall not be called out be fore the Ist of January next, unless before that period some other Power shall be in a state of war with France. In this ease they may he immediately called into actual service. Vll. The present Scruaus Conxidlum shall be transmitted by a Message to the Emperor and Kiug. In the Sitting of the Senate on the 10th of this month, the Senator Count Lacepede, in the name of the Committee ap pointed to report on the object of the SenaNs Cons!'!turn, ts.e. made it report, which he introduced by a long speech, in flu• conclusion he thus expressed himself : " The 50,000 brave men, to ho march to fulfil the voice of their country, have already reached those years, in n hick it k unnecessary for them to prepare themselves for the fatigue; of %% a r. " N hat, when compared with the means of France, are 'how of such Otyernments, ns, spending in one year the revenue• a several sears, and wasting their most precious capitals, scarcely pay those soldiers raised with difficulty by the country, eeiih an imaginary coinage, the ideal value of which decreases every day, while the welfare of the State, the riches of private iudi• viduals, and, what is still worse, the good faith of all, are dragged into an abyss." All the great roads lending from Meata to the interior of France ate at present covered with troops, from the ; ;rand army, on their march towards Spain. As these troops follow each other so rapidly that they would ittemntnode each other, it they all took the same road, their march is directed in various columns, The first goes by Triers and Luseinherg, across the (26 r