The National Register. — London, England, 1809-12-03 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER. 762 toe preceding . Austrian war; the stun:hilation of the P sian army ; the ineffectual- efforts of Russia, and the hu miliating peace of Tilsit, together with the unavailing ex ertions which had been previously mad by all the powers in Europe against France, tOrved to establish as a general axiom, that BUONAPARTE was virtually master of the Continent ; and that he had no further opposition at least for a number of years, to the execution of any projects . he might have formed, hostile to British trade and independ ence. Our own government seemed, at the time, to have adopted the same. opinion ; and, •in their language. and meaiures, to evince an intention of adopting a conforma ble line of policy. Our exertions were to be purely de • Pensive. Our resources were to be carefully bukanded for the protection of our .own shores; and the nations of Bo :rope, so far from having been looked to as future allies, were cunsidered as indissolubly leagued with the enemy for the destruction of this country. Such was the.general 4entiment, which prevailed towards the conclusion of the year 1807, and at the commencement of the following. It was a melancholy interval. The most ardent spirits began to despond—the most enlightened saw only a suc cession of revolving years of slavery, distress and abase ment, as the unavoidable lot of our former allies; on our 93vn part, they apprehended an interminable war, with its multiplying sacrifices of blood and money, or, what was •till more terrific, a peace, without confidence and secu rity. The state of the world, at that time, afforded a fa rvorable .field fur the gloomy anticipations ofthe weak and Superstitious ; and religion was introduced to explain and justify their. enfortunate predictions. Reason, and super stition; the authority of precedent, and the impressions of the _moment, contributed to eacrease the gloom and ter rors of that unfortunate period. . Sod), Gentlemen, were our situation .and presentiments in the beginning of the year 1808. There was not a -single, state in Europe, which had not, from .compulsion, or choice, joined in the confederacy against us. What was more painful, some, who, for more than a century, were United with our government by the ties of consanguinity and reciprocal benefits, became most rancorously hostile; lend a complete oblivion of former obligations, a total re yolutitin in thinking and feeling, as far as we were con, Oerned, seemed to have then prevailed on the Continent, with the solitary exception of Sweden.. Such, Gentlemen, was the gloomy state of our affairs at the commeocement of last year. But the gloom was •uddenly converted into a meridian splendour, we thottOt banished, at least, during the life of the present4ctiera- Lion, from our hemisphere. It is painful and useless to re capitulate the impressions, the hopes, the excessive joy, ihefirst intelligence, and the early events of the Spanish insurrection, diffused amongst every class of British subjects. It is useless, because not one expectation Sias been verified. It is painful, lcause the disappointment is to be traced exclusively to the mismanagement, tardiness, and vaciliaf )irit of our Government. What an op. France in inextricable difficulties, at spirits of the Continent, did that offer I Had Mr. PITT lived at that •resided over our Councils ; how-lif 'Europe, the situation of the enemy, own affairs, be at this moment I But,. the propitious opportunity, were de g DEC: 3, - . . . livered to the managemeat of a senseless, blustering, petty. fogging Junto ; and their touch and breath blasted it ! scrutable Providence ! how shall we reconcile the occur rences of our age with thy benignity and . wisdom ? An op portunity was offered for securing the freedom and happi. ness of mankind . ; and., what is inexplicable, it was marred by the casual existence of an Administration, the most Unfitted in its views, and the mnst..cnntracted in its feelings, that ever directed, or will probably conduct, the affairs of this coun try. That they, in that particular time, should have the will, or the power t of ilp!itroying_plip..t the most favourable incident, the must partial fortune could have presented, is, in my opinion, a difficulty, ,whielineither reason, religion, nor feeling, arc capable of solving. 13,u,t . the foregoing, Gent,leinen, is insignificant, corn pared to what immediately followed. Even the cold suf focating views of our Government were incapable of to , tally extinguishing the flame of patriotism in Spain, and the inhabitants continued in arms, though partially, after our army was obliged .to abandon them to their own efforts, and to the rage of a ferocious enemy. •But the cause was considered desperate; and the humanity of the people of thil country deplored the unavailing efforts, which the Spaniards continued i to make, as it was appre headed, they might provoke greater atrocities on the . part of the • enemy, without a reasonable prospect of success. I need not dwell on a state of things, which existed eight months ago. I will, therefore, hasten to the subject of this letter. Whilst freedom was expiring in the West of Europe, it suddenly burit out with a new force and splendour in the East ; and served to revive and warm the courage of the Spanish Patriots, whilst it afforded the British Government an opportunity of retrieving its late errors.. 'Austria, by an unprecedented combination of vigour and unanimily, had, in the short space of thretvears, raised a! more numerous and better organised army, than she possessed at any former period; and, with this formidable forcei took the field against the common enemy. She evinced, at the same time, the des perate resolution of recovering her former power, or perishing iu the attempt. How did our vigilant Govern medt avail itself of this new advantage ? It seemed suddenly to awake from its apathy. Orders were issued for the embarkation of .a fUrmidable army ;—a general bustle prevailed in the naval and military departments, and in all the harbours in the Channel ; and, from the extent of the preparations; the ardour with which they were car ried on ; the co-operation of a• great naval force ; the quantity and quality of the stores that were embarked, the most sanguine hopes were entertained that the expe ditioa would retrieve the honour of the country, and ren'der the most important service to the allies. Days, week, and months elapsed, but the preparations still contiaued ; and it was hoped that- what was lost in point of time, would be tnade.up by the magnitude of thefotice. The destination of this formidable Armada next engaged our attention ; but the .general opinion was balanced between Spain•and the North of Germany. Both points • seemed to offer equal advan tages; and at bcith places a most tremendous blow might have been struck the enemy. In the latter the intrepid SCHILL had raised the standard of Independence ; and thousands were flying to it. Wcstnkttia, Hanover, Pome rania, and Mecklenburgh were in a state of insurrection; and it was ardently desired that a vision of our artpa••• and vficiiiating spirit of , .rtuniti for involving . 77-••: : -. . • • .441 . 3 ,1 the dormar .._ . . . %1 1 - ilk ~" ~, . rrence c ,s • .., - . . ir„,, - i1 .,.- . - ienms pt i --. f"?.. ) 14 ", tii ,‘ . r ace o f 1 si; pi' - .,' 4 .4 '- . - _ .. ! :- , . put om , E . - tr, ~ : .. use, the -... . _... , • • • 04,... . . • - ...Jur i. ).?, i ..; ti.v- ~