The National Register. — London, England, 1808-12-25 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER'. DEC. 25. ► otther with those of the Patriots, is to make a great stand in the South.. Considering the native intrepidity, and the cool, steady discipline of our troops, together with the ex renie irritation of the Spaniards against the invaders, very little apprehension ought to be entertained, that their united pressure will not bear down any resistance the enemy may he able to make. We have frequently insisted, and still repeat the observation that very little credit ought to be attached to the-French statements of their own armies; and after the most minute attention to the operations ,of lie strongest conviction, that their this campaign, we feel arms• in the Peninsula does not amount to 130,000 men. A retrospective view of the military occurrences since the iurival of BONAPARTE, giVes a strong appearance of truth SO this supposition. Whilst the army under Biome was pressed by the enemy, their force on the Ebro remained perfectly inactive; and no attempt was made to force the passes of the Somo Sierra, till part of the troops could be detached, which acted agaiosi CasTasros: when we reflect on the extreme vigour and impetuosity with which the operations of BONAPARTE had been uniformly conducted, we arc convinced that had his army been so considerable, as the Moniicur represents it, the tyrant would not have remained, from the 1 lin to the 27th, statiuhary at Burgos; hut would have immediately pushed forward to the ca pital, in order to crush at once the means of resistance the :iiupreine Junta was busied in orgamsiug. It is a subject of the highest gratification that government feels at last a similar conviction, and has conie to the noble determina tion of opposing a force to the enemy capable, without ...ven the assistance of the Spaniards, of expelling them front spill. It is an excess of drivelling to maintain, that we have not the means of assembling an army of 120,000 711(1 in that country ; it is in our power to collect a much iarg-er force, if • *we wished to try the utmost extent of our resources. If Minister's ,repose so much con, tideiicc in the patriotism of the public, and the bravery of our army, as to make - this great • ef foil, whilst they ' secure the political preponderance of great Britain, and the independence of Spain, they will establish a permanent memorial of their t . ilents as Statesmen. We are sincerely happy to hear that rutin Wvi,tEst.RY is to have a distinguished com mand on the occasion ; and General VERL:usoN, and a 'mintier of other meritorious Officers, have received orders to proceel on a similar destination. The appointment of sir Awritv't Wt.1.1.r.5i.w4 will meet with the approbation of eke,- ) . man, ‘%ho recollects the brilliant result of the battle of Vimiera, and his prudence and delicacy-during the-sit ting of the Court of Enquiry. A considerable portion at the public indignation, in consequence of the Convention, of (Mtn:, fell to his share ; and he submitted with dignity to this unincrite in a censure, sooner than' clear his cha racter the ahience of the Officer who was the real causf, of that unfortnnate transaction. We bestowed on it our measure of abhorrence, and having seen the 52 nction ilernnie.s umne to w repulsive an act we thought it our-duty, as it unquestionably was, to give our disappruhation to every one Concerned in N m'i":l it. We now feel a degree of pleasure, propor t • t t4 tin^repngaance we felt in crnsurinm hint, in' '7 having it in our power ; t9 , acquit him of any share in the odious measure; .dalseessictsot a more promising officer iu Out set's ice;' and itt afford triumph, as well as joy, that the country, in 'Sittig 'important crisis, *can eujny tti6 full extent of his servifes and talents. A tioittnburgh Mail, which arrived on Tuesduy last, brought the intelligence of a Convention and Armistice having been concluaed:lpetween the Swedes and 'Russians in Finland. The greipi'aCcession of force which the enetny had received sometime precious to the Armistice, rendered st indispensably necessary *on the part of our allies. They had suffered besides so dutch from the scarcity of provision* and the inclemency of the weather, that their effective force was reducod, through sickness and the above-men tioned causes, to about. 7000 men. Under these disadvanta ges, howe'ver,'diitinguisbod the bravery of the Swedes may he, it was impossible for thrill to oppose an etFectnal re sistance to the enemy. howev er the season was so far ad vanced, that had those causes, not intervened, a cessation of hostilities must have taken place. From the excessive cold, which sets in about the lieginuint of Novembor, in North Finland, no military operations can be carried ou after that month . ; and this circumstance will accoailt for the readiness of the enemy to accede to the Armistice. it was to continue for a month ; and notice of the cessation is to be given fifteen da)s before hostilities are recom menced. It is said that Sir Arthur 'Wellesley, roes out in corn: 'nand of all the reinforcements goi n g to Spain. With him g o— Major-Geoeral SPEN can, Major-General DiroTT, NiURRAY, • TH EI.WCS, FERGUSON, Brig-General jLw es, PAY NE, Man cm, COTTON, - Derv. Sir John Moore has very urgently pressed Government is expedite the return of the General Officers attached to the army under his command now in this;country ; and sevnal of them. among whom is Sir Arthur Wellesley, are making preparations to proceed to Spain immediately. Speculation and fancy have been at work, and romours of various descriptions have been circulated during the last few days.—A massacre of the French at Nlafirid, who were attacked in a moment of consTqueut of their gaining the Spanish capital, and a defeat of the French by the British army, were among the prevalent reports; but for which there can be no foundation, slime no adviceS sufficiently recent have come to this country. The Members of the Board of Inquiry, - met on Friday at the house of Mr. Ryder, the Judge-Advocate-General , .or the pnrpose of affixing their signatures to the report wh. h was prepared for that purpose. When the report shell have received the signatures, it will he forwarded by the .Judge-Advocate-General to his Royal Highueis the Com mander in Chia, for the purpose of being laid before his Maier, ; when, if his Majesty shall approve of the infer ences drawn by the Board from the evidence, the report will ae communicatNl to the parties and made public. The Commander-An-Chief had an interview with Ws Majesir yesterday at Windsor, on Military business. The rapers eontaining the opinions of the Members of the Court of En quiry, were laid before his 'Majesty, and the Fovereign's •ileasnre will be male known in a few days. A plan for qualifying the Spailiards to risr must, is handing . about in the political circles Tie prilc . idc of clot eonrhat is chiefly urged, and it ;4 propofiat, that :1; «in verted time, the whole population shall ass-r:Me ttiree or four strong positions conveniently sito:in.,!, and With the Spaiiish troops and the Roglish Army cottlei fo. Aql la (•, but. I force•. !ensi‘e [la rgetl e, and subp -0441 of Ind the ain the !onteit, men to I be al.' ny, to 1 g V• ier, i itu 111. g, 1011- cii'? that csui can liiPt' , hen ,11%0,- lilt- r !I:k. ;tied, r s be 'S ill i~hi~r, stain, 11111:S - o!itt•r nce. , )t the h.~~~s ale at I Iona( he• rt.— cerelY sonw