The National Register. — London, England, 1809-04-16 00:00:00

lIE NATIONAL itEttStElt. nut 1 Urgent in order to give more effect to negociations which 11,g0NAPARTi continues to carry on with Austria ; tc, conLrai at the same time; accounts, so artfully circulated through the medium of the French papers,--4hat our government, disheartened by the reveries sustained during the Spanish Campaign; has abandoned every future eTort, in fa vour of the Peninhuln;—and above all to try to im- Preso efts the Spaniards the inefficacy of our assistance. which is insufficient to prbtect Portugal against it small par' of the enemy's force'. That this is the object of the expedition ig apparent ; for as soon as we take Into consi deration the fermentation which exists in Gallicia, the cap ture-of Vigg o, the movements and success of RoisANS., the unsubdued spirit of the Astnrians, the force organised by Dlarstial BERESFORD; and the position maintained by Sir lioniaT Witgoiv—it is impossible, then; to deny, that the plan of operation:: pursued by SOULT is hazardous in the extreme. Should CUESTA be able to keep Vic Tort in bheck, and prevent him from advancing on the side of stremadura, the Situation Of SOULT becomci oncom monly dangerous; and a retreat doubtful. Whatever be the event of CUESTA'S efforts, assisted by the detachment kvhich General BERESieRD, has already sent him, the force under Viciva must suffer coniiide6bly from any engagement which may take place litween him and the Spanish General. General BERESFORO will, we arc Convinced, omit nothing, "Lich distingniOied professional talents, great zeal And enterprize can effect, order to annoy Vietdii; and to impede his march. The Portu guese, when welt conducted, as we have Seen in the in stance of Sir 110iiEitT WiLSON'S legion, are good soldiers ; and we lee no reason; why they should. deny that charac ter, when they are organized, and directed by so intelligent an officer as General lkitasponoi We are, therefore, far from Suhicrihing to the deipondent anticipations of our Cotemporariest and are very far from abandoning the ex pectation, that the _British force near Lisbon, though amounting to only rl,OOO men, will be able to maintain their grimnd, until the expected reinforcements arrive from this country. The expedition vs hich sailed from Cove, must have reached Lisbon long before SOULT COU:d have approached that city ; and, joined to the force already there, was more than _adennatc to give Vltava a warm re ception, in case he advanced. We regret; and so does every man whose sentiments we Q 44 interesting fact—that in Portugal, as well as in Spaid and several other cocutries, they have evinced a steady loyalty, and unalter►►blc attachment to their country ; whilst the conduct of the higher classes has been infa►nous for its indifference, or revolting for its perfidy. The for mer, who have co►nparatively little to lose, whose situa tion, apparently, is not much altered by a change of mas ters, have Willingly shed their blood for this little, and ob stivately dung to instructions, which betrayed a step. motherly severity to them. The rich, and the noble, on the contrary, who possess so many exclusive advantages, besides the preponderating influence arising from the move able and immoveable property of the country, have run to meet the yoke which was prepared for them; and dis gusted even the invaders, by their servility; cowardice, and baseness. The Dispatches from Spain,which have likeivise beep pub= Lshed in an ExtraordinarN Gazelle, contain an account of a ;;ullant attack made by the Spanish Patriots, supported by two British frigates, upon the French garrison in Vigo. The enemy, amounting to 1,500 men and 50 Officers, were compelled to surrender prisoners of war, to be con veyed to England, where - they are to remain until duly exchanged. The military chest and 450 horses fell into the hands of the assailants; which, together with the arms and ammunition found in the place, were delivered by Capt. MACKISLAY to the Officer Commanding the Spanish Pa= [riots. Whilst the French were embarking, in pursuance of the Capitulation, information was received that a rein= fin-cement was approaching from Tuy, detached for the purpose of relieving the garrison; they were attacked with the greatest gallantry by the Patriots; and totally routed. This intelligence is of the highestjmportance in the prey sent state of Portugal, and is a new proof that the spirit of the Spaniards is not broken down, as has been foolishly and maliciously imagined; and we expect to hear in a very short time, that the Gallicians . alone will have organised a force sufficiently numero4 to contend successfully with the ease my, and expel them from that important province... The success which the Marquis ROMANA has obtained in Leon, will encrease the energy of the Patriots; and, though his late movement appears extremely hazardous, we antici pate the most beneficial result from his co-operatioa and junction with the Asturians. Surrounded as he is on every side by the enemy, the mountains and fastnesses of Astu -fiord h; shy id he be forced act I i 6' rb je t _ , rias afford him a sure retreat, should he be forced to act • -, have heard on the occasion, that the departure of Sir AR- on the defensive . But his presence at the head of a very . ifteß WiLLESLET has been so lona deferred. The presence ry considerable force Must ronse every particle of patriotism laf that General-, and the force accompanying him, would which exists in the Northern part o f the Peninsula. The , tugal, with far greater precipitation than they entered it. riot only secure Lisbon, but expel the enemy from Por- French are placed ,once more in a predicament which proved so fatal. to them last Summer. They are divided hlowever, the affairs of that kingdom are far from being into small corps, surrounded by an infuriated population, desperate, and if Ministers display prudence and proMpti- i. acquiring more and more the habits of discipline; and wb I - : fade, the greater part of the enemy's army', which has pc- predict it the linemy adhere to their present divided plan .! netrated into Po4ugali may have the honour of Visiting of operations, they will sustain a repetition of the disasters the British shores. and disgraces which followed their firia a ggression. No:- We are reduced to the painful necessity of recording another est, desultory and detestable example of treachery to the many which have of thing can be so deStructive to them as the des irregular attacks they are now exposed to. Their strap=• I .1 late dishonoured the conduct of those to whom the defence Of their country was enti:usted. Gen. B. FnEftE D'ANDPAD, 1 filers will be cut to pieces; their pests will be overpowered . ' - ' :Id put to the sword, and their nninhers, formidable ai '4,vlio commanded the Portuguese troops stationed on the , i hey may he at present, will be soon thinned by uninters ,-,,! . t frontiers of Callicia, had been detected of an infamous milted and harrassing ' , 'comp racy to facilitate the entrance of the enemy into Por- service. ..., tugal, The enraged people tore him literally to pieces, --,...--- 1 We h a v e received further i n t elligence from Americai iis soon as his treasonable project had been discovered. through the medium of the A mer i can papers which have • t .' -' 4 :everal Generals were complicated in this diabolical con- • 1 .. arrived. They contain Mr. MADISON'S first Speech, as-• iap:racy, aud such as escaped the just fury of the people, cessor to Mr. JEFFERSON in the Presidency. This Speech •, have been sent prisoners to Lisbon. That brave and meri- has no other particular trait, than a whining, methodistical . .., . .4r. torious officer, .General Bra ESFORD, has been appointed, cant, which has, in fact, distinguished for some years the ....' by the PituicE R EGENT, Field-Marshal and Commander in - 1 Chief of the Portuguese for-es. o ffi cial documents publ)shed in that country. It is, there- • ' The private letters descrihr, we are sorry to slate,' fore, not very particular, as referring to America; but, . . contrasted with the patical morality of Europe, cannot 'not in the Most flattering colours, the state of the fail to occasion a stare at its afflicted and extras a,ane 1 popular feelings, o r the organization of the public P , . 3 . garb. , . . . . . force. We must do, however, the juslite to the great . the lowei . .. The American Embargo was repealed on the Ist of body, or as they are commonly denominated, Mara: This intelligence is communicated iti letters frOin .., cN.;;; of the iieuple, Ity inentioritng the ittSttlittive aiid • 4: ii