The National Register. — London, England, 1808-09-26 00:00:00

610 ~# . ,~ ~ . _ THE NATIONAL RE,GISTER. -6 _ _ "_ w SYrl ' n and we were happy to see that several Papers copied our observation. We should be far from being surprised, on the contrary, we foresee that Bonaparte will find some pre text fur detaining the transports which will convey the . third and last division of his troops. Even the very stipu lation conveys a proof that such an event was apprehended by our Commanders ; and.they had still the infamy to sign it. "Vow comes The fourteenth. " Should there arise doubts " as to the meaning of any article, it will be explained, jiwourably.to the French army." We will not make single comment on this article. There it is staring us in the face ;. while our checks glow with indignation, and our eyes swell with tears of rage. We will leave to our Readers to explain and comment on it as they please. Never shall: we defile our pages with another word on this worthless eoncessioa. 11.0. 17. " No native of Portugal shall be " rendered accountable for his political couduct,,during the •6 period of the occupation of this country by the French army." A complete act of grace, a bill of indeinuity in favour of the traitors, who had sold their country and be trayed their Soveroito. What right had our officers to screen those criminals from the justice of their offended country. If motives of hamanity induced them to do so, in order to prevent the sanguinary effects of popular re sentment, why had they the imbecility to consent that ac knowledged traitors should remain in the country. What security is there fur the public tranquillity, when such a swarm of disaffected individuals, together with the French domieiliated in Portugal, arc at large, and at full liberty to intrigue Did they reflect what responsibility, invective, and future reproach they exposed themselves to, in conse quence of this article ! Not a FrencLman, not a Portu guese of this kind, that will happen to fall a sacrifice to private %engoance or public animosity, but his death will be imputed to our connkance or instigation. We recollect what a cry of disapprobation was uttered when lapper Tandy was liberated on the recoininendation of Otto ; and %cry justly. Nye will now ask if our coodnct in Portugal has not been equally weak, degrailinA - , and far more politic. It i, impossible we can submit to the painful drudgery e , f going through the remaining. Articloo. Sincerely do we regret that we are cor.denmed to the mortifying duty of being forced Its register our national dishonour. This precedent is of the most dangerous t e nden c y ; it, i s th e second which has been afforded in the short space of one ear. flow far they may nectimuinte. flow far the evil has nlniady spread we shudder to exam Me. When a man,' like Sir Arthur Wellesley, Is stood so high iu the esteem 44 the army and nation, has gisen cause to accuse him of misconduct, luliewanneess, lolly, and to suspect him of something which we even feel a horror in supposing. Good Heavens! Where vv, .s his spirit, his sense of honour, and the remembrance of his past services ? We wished him sa well ! entertained sad) sanguine expectations from his talents and fritriotism We sincerely congratu lated our country that so prem:sing an officer was sent to command the expedition : the sietory of Vimiera justified our hopes ; and this very man, who was already in posses sion of so mach popularity, who had still more before him, had the imbecility, or the infatuation, or the .... (what expression shall we use?) to submit to the pretended orders of an old woman, who, forsooth, absolutely forced him to F i gu. a Cuoventiva the most dishonourable on the - records of our army. That 01.40.ir General 1v imelocke was a trifle iu comparison. If Le knew what pain the proofs, the irresistible. the glaring proofs of his baseness have caused us in common with the mass of our coun trymen, if there were only a particle of the soldier or citizen in his character, he would, in the very first engage. meat, obliterate for ever the acute sense of his dishonour. Sincerely and warmly do we pity him ; and regret the honours he has lost, and the reputation he has forfeited. Only twenty days ago there was not a native of the conntrs who was not proud to recognise iu hilu a fellow-citizen , who did not make him the object of his pauegyrick ; painful, mortifying change ! Ikere is not one of our lowest artisans who does not at present look &mu with sonic deg-me of contempt on the hero of Vimiera. We will not pros this distressing subject further. W,i lingly would we abandon it for ever; but the interests et our country, the crisis we arc placed in, the fortunes ot seventeen millions of inhabitants, our reputation, our indepeudance, the fate of the universe, extinguish in our bosoms any latent consideration for an individual. Any relaxation of justice in the prescut instance would be, per haps, the death-warrant of our national independence. Circumstances of this kind, trivial as they may appear in the eyes of the multitude, arc the surest symptoms of the decline of empires. And should our country have the mistOrtune to fall in the present contest, the future histo rian will, infallibly, pronounce that the Convention 01 Portugal was a sure prognostic of our fate. We have declined till now animadverting on the conduct of Sir Hew Dalrymple, or of Sir Barry Burrard. We hale not done it from lenity ; but from motives of the most so cre;gti contempt. Indignation we cannot feel against No such ',Usual& individuals : their conduct, their callous instusibility have secured them against our enmity. 'flies have dug the gulph of infamy—if they have not the vir tue of a Homan, let them have the courage; perhaps a voluntary plunge may close it up for ever. The country si.!emed to have a fatal presentiment of disgrace, as soon as it. heard of the nomination of the former. Whoever has proposed that unfortunate man, if he be out as callous as his probe, must bewail, with tears of blood, the he makes of his power and influence. We are afraid there is much to investigate. _ _ sonic persons may be I►erhaps inclined to think these strictures too severe. If they knew our real sentiments or, the subject they were acquainted with the ell its are obliged to make in order to restrain our indignation if they only saw the allitir in the light we do ; they would be astonished at the calmness of our style, and the lenity of our strictures. Woe to the people, who remain lawn siblo to national dishonour ! Woe to the statesmen who, from motis es of interest or favour, foster so dangerous a ce!axation of national ►norality ! With what horror do ►e read of similar circumstances, when they occur in other countries. flow did we reprobate the conduct of Mack ! %%hat execrations did we bestow on the traitors who delivered up the. Prussian fortresses! Did we wait until a court-martial bad pronounced them guilty ? It was the weakness of the Prussian cabinet, the encoura;T inent they gave to cowards and blockheads, and mist:lkea principles of humanity, to which the overthrow of the monarchy should be -attributed. 11 e s%i{! uoty s'►_y a few• worth as to the policy or justice SEPTEMBER 26. ..ssa=