The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1809-02-25 00:00:00

,! tat e 1.3 s 1, so eroban at was made. , Alit bear the of ala , took place. it was Utebia uelt 11. strut ' We fiver, quid footing, ✓ GUI teilol I ty. oil of Eg.) Pt, orld, of the these ova wiry to know I:eiamlvelo iu tu know oi, rceckil iu e► much hope, eocte•t iu . retie.{ owns log the lig. ✓ing Europe ivr have these ly bare our ertionr, and whole tra!:,a it not nectsr potird to dan with's% that ti sit ry ? The to dir in his ,that Uri tail; with that aftrrrei that hem to dam: to bring ruin the nation ? , have beeu r twine mere ;teat sucetss; oups of Eng ' suite of the particularly primate not but I believe benefit. The At Cadiz id at I ha% c e report, tiasi le ago, rept fitted to molar I an authority continue to 1 ask the lot the poi , . the motives force of the and now so ::Id to the birs. erata. I Call airy, in order dung'crr, soldiers have s struggle. Is wen the rxer. rem ? Is there f Scotland, or not proud oC itiog their ex ige and intre sr me energy II are equally and employ use, and the aivinecd that, ud prudently ;ratitinie yogi Illy sacrifices( to their Maw nee, and able nd to be eta- you by tkie yet ri iniun to t they may misconduct * tar Ikarl glory of our eputation, as it can excite lie this, naves- The pmposi • this •r that you de it by wousittee of ill satisfy me, :etatitly . tritikt e (;entlermsia ressive state. e should ap causes, con . in Spain." shortly as he !lotion of the House would lus to spread r, or to keep :w ; he could e Gentleman int grace that mice of the a reason for noved for the ) was willing, produce, ha with a morn Is motion metier, man, admitted i) the face of t 1..• t for inquire prime /aria , V e had acted in that great Nrss or failure it power, ai,d, le was Of bren called 114 parliament oconeenienca justify their :laird more clearly hat on which in tins eon ssisio bee 1 4 1.1 10:t11 dared in. lie Mojesty% Beech' at the clone of the last scrams. that Imielmeni was to be afforded without arse other *hied . ars our parts than the relief of the country which it was sent. The iforionrable Gentleman bad stated, that Ministers suffered themselves to be deceived as to the state of Spain ; that they had nut taken pro per measures to satisfy themselves of the eitsie tion of the country, of its enthusiasm for liber ty. and its military strength. As to what processehe Hon. Gentleman meld recommend fur the inirpose of . artivittg at satisfactory information upon those pones hr had no means of ascertaining, but .what ever it was, he thought he would find some difficulty in reconciling it with that principle Po often in culeated by his side of the House, the necessity of avoiding delay. He asked whether it was possible for any man going to Gallieia, or any of the other provinces, to pronounce an opinion upon those etsbject's previous to the constitution of some Government with whom to commenicate.— The only question in his mind was, whether Spain was capable of making such a military t Joie as afforded rational grounds of success? If this could be proved to the satisfaction of the House, be felt that it would be un easy matter Co utitife the conduct of tie Government in the case before them. It had been held by massy, that the seferts of a people themselves were equel to any efforts of regular military force. and cettaiely there never was a more energetic effort made by any peo ple, than by thaw of Spain ; if they had not ac complished every tingle to which the holdaus of , the attempt, and the justice of the cause entitled them ; 3et they had borne up against the enemy better thau regular armies had clone, and he thought it very little became that House to censure them in the hour of their diffieulties, mei descend to the injustice of reproaching the national character. He did not, perhaps, at tach all that weight to mere popular eilort which some g entlema were willing to ascribe to it, yet he thought that there were many eircamotances iii the CAM of Spain to inspire a hope of its succors.— It Wil • k emu that it was the aunultaneous effort of the whole country. It was not one province call ing upon another and procuring assistance and co operation by degrees, brit the whole country using at the same moment, to assert its rights and contend for its independence : in. he believed, the space of five or site daps, all the provinces 114 risen. But it was not barely this circumetasee Riff afforded hope; it also appeared. that is the oolkor of a very few months, they had collected llaronoy in Andalusia, and obtained a distinct vie mover the French. He could also states& the se, as a circemstance that proved the eon. fidence of the Spaniards in their own strength, that when General Spencer applied to them to know whether he should come to their as sistance. they stated that they confided in their emu stretigth, and recommended his 'perching to the relief of Portugal. Nor was it merely to Anda lusia they were to look ; Saragossa presented also a picture of encoaragetnut in the battle of Rio •iilles; the Spaniards had obtained decisive advati itips. mid would have effeetually subdued the .E . if they had had the benefit of caviery to up their successes ( Hear ! Clear! from Opposition benches.) 'Ministers were not to look with a philosophieal view to the constitution oi4=. but were to consider the army it could What that army might be expecte:l to ale, was easily inferred from what they had done. when in the course of two month, it succeeded in driving 100.000 men from the provieees they had weepier!, and confined them to the left bank of the Ebro. As to whether the nature of the co operation adopted he Ills Majesty's Ministers wet the best that could be resorted to under all the circumstances, he was now to tonsider. There were two extreme opinions upon this subject, to which he would shortly allude, while he professed himself an advocate fur the middle 'line. An opi nion had been thrown nut, that if Spain wrs in earnest, she had the elements of leer owe defence. within herself; and that it was the policy of Bri tian, being an iusular power. to abstains from tacking any part in the contest. He knew nothing that would go more itniuteliatelY to strip England of all her honours than such • course of separate policy, or one that could have so manifest' a ten dency to wok her reputation with the world. There was another extreme more congenial to the feelings of thiecoantry, though not its his opinion' more re -1 imaciliable with wand policy; it was, thee there woo . 1 M medium between a great effort, *ad the whole effort, arid recommended that not a soldier should be kept at home. Without taking any notice of the effects that such • measure might pro em& at home. if it felled, there was another "sew of objection to it. which was, that it was epolly impracticable. With a view to the convey ing of troops abroad, there was • limitation tn.the •Ibeans, even of this country ; the elevation, there. Soo. of the syetem, being impossible, he thought 'had simple jostification for not adopting it. kilo the extent of the effort. in addition to ten thedentrl Spanish troop., we had sent from forty-five to fifty thousand, and had also dispatched orders to one forces in the Mediterranean, to contribute what assistaece they could ; if then the forty-five thou s:sal troops were seat. the nest question was, whe ther Government had given them a good direction. The honourable Gentleman bad said that the Yortls of Spain was the beet part to have sent them to, anl hail 'raked why they were not sent to St. .A.niceo ? His Lont•hip would cbuceive a man in his stems seeding theta to St. Assdero ; but he could not coarsely, a man in his senses ordering them to the Pyrenees. The Honourable Gentle men had asked why the army was detained so long, but if he had only applied for the information which he (Lord Castlereagh) had °Here': him, he world at least have been able to answer his owa question. Though St. Anders might have been a gruel piece to have sent theta to in the summer, no entlitert man would think of advising it after Sep.. :ember was past : the fact was, that it was a vary litasted port. and es there were 40 or Komi French troops mum the roast, it would have liven a very expeswi situation for an unequip p ed army ; there were no Spanish soldiers to the East of As torga on the sOth of October, to hold any coin muaication with the port. If a Committee were appointed to inquire whether Government had taken that course without delay, they would fled In iaetructious to the British Commander, to envier with Geiser.' Cestanos, and the letter cow lasing these imitructiotre dated as far hack al the 4d September, ins day or two after he received a letter beta the gallant General, rneotioning that he had opened a communication with Gen. Ces tames, eacardies to his directions. The Central Joust* was formed on the 24th September; end Lord W. Bantinek arrived the very day of its este blishineot at Madrid. The victory of Vitnerra was on the 21st of Sept. and his letter of orders arrived upon the 22d. Sir David Baird's first letter to bun was dated the etath September ; it mentioned that he had applied to know first, whether they wished the assistance of the British army, and se condly, in what manner they would wish that army to act ; to the first, it was replied, that the fate of Spain depended upon their immediate presence, stud to the second, that they wished the army to be concootrateel, and to act to one body. The House, he said, would soon be in possession of the proposal to. Lord William &mimic, in which Bourbon was mentioned as the point to which the force should be directed. He stated, thatalie army was put in motion two days previous to the arrival of his peremptory orders from this country. He said that after evading away the French 'tinny. II transports remained, and that Sir John Moore had. declared it was not the want of transports iodated him to the march he had undertaken ; had tiir John Moore not determined as he had done, be would not have equipped his army ; the House would also find that this decision wail not taken barely. upon the authority of Generals Oedema, Moore. kc. hut bad tins additional reeonimends- 800, that while it was diseusiiing in Madrid, it was discussing in London, and the Marquis De La Romans had stated a similar judgment, which should be laid with the other papers before the House. It had beers asked why our army did not embark till the iad of the mouth. He had heard of the Convention of Cintra, and sent in structions to Portugal, dated the 45th of Decem ber. General Sir David Baird sailed on the 9th, and he (Lord Castlereagh) wrote on the 25th to General Broderick, stating, that Sir John Moore was advaneing, and desiring him to apply to die Junta of Gallic's, respecting the coarse they should adopt. On the 30th, he wrote to Lord William Bentinck ; that officer arrived at Aran jues on the eeth of September, and Vapected the arrival of the British force from Corunna, bet from some strange cause the Junta of Gallica' thought themselves not justified in per mitting the troops to land. if then any incon venience did result from the circumstance of their not landing earlier ; that ince was *wing to themselves, and was not • to the Bri tish officers, nor to the Minister*. isf .ffse ffieitish Government. The Spanish army . immeshed of 100,400. It was proposed to General Casting* to join Blake's army, and the junction being heard, the army consisted of from 0,000 to 50,00111aeti. General Castanos hiasseif had stated, that there was no support for his troops in that q•uslar, of course it would not have been advisable to onbil any - addition to the number already there. Tb• Has, Gentleman had expressed his scarpriae that the British army was so long completing its march' in comparison with the French; but any one who considered the differeace between an army equip ped and an .army not equipped, who also coma dared that the French made no scruple to supuly t henssel Yes in a ny rnanner.and who reflected that they had to march through the beat roads in France, far different from the roads io Portugal. through which we were to proceed : to any one taking these circum stances iota coasideretion, this difference would be eerily explained. When the army arrived at Sala manes', it was perfect in every respect. The Ho nourable Gentleman had stated. ankstated truly, that the army under General Blake had received a' shock, as also that tinder General Casten°, ; but these were misfortunes which the government had no right to anticipate. Nothing, his Lordship stated, would be more unfair than deciding on the military measures of a couutry without the weans of know ing all the circumstances by which such measures were influenced and directed. Military rigour had been exhibited by the Spanish people, to as great en extent as any people upon earth ; but there was one thing in their military po licy, which he must always lament, and that was their not having put one person at the head of the army, hot neglecting to concen trate it, by such a measure had left it to set under different persons, and in differeet ways, Irarould, he thought, he too much for any one to state, that even after Gen. Moore Ind left Salamanca, the cause was without hope; it had been known from the reportsof ' Officers, that their expectations were still sanguine, though unfortunately in the end they were disap pointed. The British army of itself could do stri ating against the whole power of France. The French Emperor had brunght a great force to Ma drid, and the spirit, of the people was great, as our troops, under General Hope would testify, that at Madrid or Saragossa, in the South .1 Spain, there was not any want of energy; no one could aver that it woo deficient in the North. he must admit, espe cially when he had so high an authority as that of General Moore; but then he should observe that Castile was always mote 'deficient in national spirit then any other province. He had ton great nn opinion of General Moore to supprne that he would make say movement by . any direction that did not appear to himself to be right, he could do nothing with fifty thousand MCI, but create a diversion. He hail made a wise and proper decision to march to Sag:thee, as by that semi* he had compell ed Bonaparte to withdraw his army from the South of Spain, and give them six weeks to re cover themselves. General Moore had not form ed this decision upon bare abstract grounds; he was decided by an intercepted letter of Marshal Bertheir. The lion. Gentlemen had observed that if the troops had remninel a day longer at Sarregoesa, they would have been ovortaiten by the enemy, bet (*old it be concluded, that hesaisse an linily delay would have expeeed them, wes it thorn= an impropriety in going there at all a—. Geseval Moore had distinctly stated ie his letter, that his. retreat lay through Gallicia ; the army was intended to be sent to Portugal, bat the stnte ' of its eeeipment rendered it necessary that it should be 'osight home first. The Honour able Gentleness had 'tinted that our looses Nh S pa i n were, in his opinion. far greattr than had bees mated by • sellout (knoll sow nights ago. ll^ (Lord Castlereagh) could not yet speak conlideallly tip* the Milieet, but wise its hopes that it wool& .Mo be amertuined diet that statement wow not ettoneous. With respect to artillery, he could aseure the Haase that not a i piece was taken from them ; 60111 e, intended for General Calamine. and hooded at Coruna, were takeu ander a feeble escort, but he had the satis faction to state that part of them were destroyed. After there had been hut one feeling as to the con duct of the army, sifter it had been tried in prospe rity and in advenaty--after it had proved itself such, that any General Might say, " I can conquer with that army ;" it may require to be better fed, it may not endure the privations which others can submit to, but, after it hid proved itself superior to any army in Europe, he thought it surprising that nay one should assert, the military character of the country was tarnished, that the disgraf.es of Vimeira and Corunne had east a shir upon the re putation of the British name. He appealed to the House, whether any case had been made out by the Hon. Gentleman, to call for inquiry ; he asked, whether they would decide upon such a measure, merely because the Hon. Gentleman had said, that iy was Necessary, and resolve upon going into a Committee upon such grounds, out erwhich, per haps, they would out get for three months He was confident the House would consider well be- fore they took such it step: there was no necessity for it, and the result would only be inconvenience without adriuttsge.. Mr. Tntaerr addressed the House in a very brilliant and able speech. He was surprised the ' Noble Lord should have laid it down so forcibly, that there was no prime facie evidence against Ad ministration, so as to constitute any reason for in quiry. But after sending fifty-three thousand and swine odd hundred men into the very heart of Spain, where they were placed in such a situation, that they were obliged to retreat, obliged to return to this country, under the tire of the Freneli cannon ; he conceived there never were more urgent reasons for inquiry. At the same tune he had no inclination to cast any blame or imputation whatever on the military characters employed upon that occasion. If he possessed the greaten elo quence, he never could employ it better than in ex tolling the meritorious conduct of Sir Arthur Wellesley. After all which had been said by the Noble Lord, respecting the couduct of Administra tion, he mill left us with a prima facie little case. When he (Mr. Tierney,) spoke of the army, he spoke of it with the most enthusiastic applause, but when lie spoke of our military Councils, he did so with Indignation and contempt. — (Hem ! hear ! hear !)—There appeared a vein of humour in the Noble Lord's speech to-night inconsistent with his usual character, particularly in the expressibns used by him relative to our forces, and then very readily asserted there was an ground .for iuquiry. Could inquiry he wrong?— Could it be wrong in that House to act agreeably tothe disposition of the country? Although the Noble had said there was no prima facie ground Tacotnation against Ministers, and that • the die notion of this night ought to have been postponed till satisfactory information was laid be fore the House, still there was no prism. fatie like lihood of that information being produced. It was not this or that document, called for and given se- Pomba), shielt setald ever give sialleieut Worms. ale warted rive awe information. Me could wish to see the Commanders and Qthcers empl add in that disastrous campaign, examined at the of the House. From them we might laird Sir John Moore himself said upon these p ings; from them we might gain information ther the Commissariat purposely employed sent out with the army, were not gravely ign of ail which circumstances no document furni the desired information. Was it not extraordin that in the end of September Sir David Baird shot not ba ready ; why he was not. had not been accounts , ' ed for, by the Noble Lord ; but the Noble Lied; while he laughs and talks of his transports, might be., disposed to say it would have been better if he bad been ready sooner. There was certainly no tweets. sity to wait the annunciation of the Central Junta, but the Noble Lord and his colleagues appeared to have been guided by the sole advice of General Raman'. At length it was dew-mined Coruna* should be the place where General Baird should land. and looking at the result of the measures adapted upon this event, it was not improbable but Don Mork had been also assisting iu the ad vice. It was also strange that General Baird had no instructions what to do when he got to Commis. General Sir John Moore was afterwards placed in an awkward and most distressing situation till the sth or Bth of December, and fortunately for him lie was assisted by General Hope, one of the bee; officers in the King's service. With respect to the difference between the rapid movements of the French army, and the slow progress of that of the English, the Noble Lord has thought proper to unriddle the mystery, by stating the mammy in which the French had marched to Spoils; they were furnished with every thing necessary for the under taking, with bullocks. with mules, and carria.,-es, and then the Noble Lord adds, they were else enabled to have every requisite supplied on their niarctf, which could not be effected (or the conveMenct ul oar own forces. Bonaparte, is an enemy's coun try. had thus every advantage in his march through it to usurp its government, while the English were deprived of every necessary is their march throngh an enthusiastic friendly coni.try, for the purpose of assisting her to rey,ain her inde pendence. Indeed. there had been stories told us down to last December, which exceeded the most confounded lies ever related. A great ifeui h a ul been laid respecting the event of the campaign. and that it would eventually prove the *unction of the French nation. But llo:iaparte has since then got possession of &Intim', and drove his enemies before him and whatever appeti laden was thought worthy of his character, *A of ,riellan ' or any other inhasons title [lmmersible' Onestlestsen chose to give him, still be was a clever shae, all most allow; and, therefore, he would ed. Oleg the Noble Lord. however he might be (livered to please himself, not to put his own military ta le he competition with those of Bonaparte.- - had been a Considerable proportion of the irnew of Ministers employed in embark dleembarking. Not so the coodset iK the he took Cafe to bate is feedlot:ls three . t; to gavedone, teo'dsaVoisod old* toted* Weer ' alt onions, for the porpoieof essiitithr sieJohli Moore, probably thit gollert Onitend pietid. here dow been living.. Bon,aparte's prim* !keit'. nese was, he undertook to to btildfirl and hair Ids brother /meth crowsed tliere. He hiss done : he undertoo to delve the English into the sta. making use of his own exprevuou. Now. this he- did not literally, but he obliged them .to a, be fore his troops, and to set sail ;read the coast under the fire of his own cannon, very different from the conduct of the Noble Lord, who undertook a great deal, but failed in every thing ; and th gh him and his colleag ue;, the affairs of Spain had blasted the Councilseif this nation. The Adininistnitioa had deserted the cause of Spain themselves. and cell might the Spaniards say, what have you done for us ? Shew us one drop of blood which you spilled in our behalf;" for oot any had bent shed hut that which necessarily the army shed in its ' own defeneo. If the coupe of Sarin was to be served, wh r did out our forces fall hack to Portugal ? (Leok to Sir John hloore's letter front the Ministerial side.) If he did, he should obs.rve in this, as iis other .cases, that whatever was determined upon abroad, there was a conVant &tete:Aloe( of cotta ge' and measure every twelve hours at home. He could not help pitynig, avid every matt of feeling most pity the situation of Sir John Moore, who knew he was employed under an administration not very-fricsolly to him. (Hear, hear, hear !) ' General Moore was placed m a most awkw.srii satiation, and when he was obliged to retrea., and letters coannunicating this adverse *no of his affairs ; many expression* had been beard, which were meant to east an odium on that valuable commander. He was persuaded, if we could' liar? air inquiry instituted, we should dnd that Congeal Moor. had declared his sentiments on the mai lmen of Government, and that he had slid their measures io Spain were no b. tter than the efforts of complete madness. Ministers had sufficient time to consider their best mode of operation ; there was nothing to counteract them is the sea son." the seasons had been as formerly, the man shoo; in summer, there was rain in September. and snow in winter ; Moore'e Almannck 'would have furnished all the wisdom necessary for/M -oisten against these difficithies. The Noble Lord had - mentioned in the course of his speech; they had to contend against the moat foresidalder engines of destruction. To be sure, horse sad taut **Wiers were, engines of destruction ; but they were the coalmen eogiaes of war—they were ea ticipated in d 1 was. sad they Were dip onty en gines of destruction its that war wbiefi we wen now discussing. Still if an inquiry be celled for into these ineeshres, the Noble Lord asks isa to 'hew a precedent. I must Acknowledge this Hone would look in vain' fort precedent of an inquiry into such kind of conduct. He trusted the Home would odor the motion oh' his Right Hon. Friend, for they would bear in mind it may requested in. qoiry, itexpressed Da blame. Whatever had been stated by a Noble General on a former occasion, with respect to the exaggerated account of our losses in Spain. he believed it would be ascertained that the statement of our haring lost from eight to 10,000 men, was correct. The issue a the cam ps* bed blob disastrous to a osearlftieetdaten extent. It could ant be matradieted that the guns of the second Brigade bad been left behind. Oii theieth of December we first beer from Ge neral Moore—lie mys he has no time to Wee to 'Se cure his retreat. This retreut was attended with unparalleled distresses-'.the army was drivels to the greatest privations and nekeasities--they were forced to blow op their ammunition, and eves to throw down precipices their tasks of dollar", and were lastly eompellcd to spill their blood in vain for their country and for the Spaniards, for the purpose of saving themselves. Hid the Noble - Lord sent a proper force to Corunnal, all these disasters would have been prevented. It might be truly said, be bad abandoned both Spain and Portugal ; and at the time Ministers are withdrawing their troops from the latter country, they say to the Portu guese, Now's the time, my lads. to defend your selves." The House would not thick this a light motion, noesolightly treat it as the Noble Lord had ddne. It was fir from being emotion of interior con sequence. The times might soon' arrive, when we would have to look to our army for our self preservation. But we could expect little from its exertions, if justice was not done to the misconduct of those who unnecessarily exposed it to danger.— The House ought to revenge its wrongs. •it wa, there thoartuy ought to find protection. From all he had heard upon this subject, there was but ono opinion amongst military men employed in the late campaign. There was not a single oificer who had arrived in this coontre, with whom he had held soy conservation, who did not execrate the conduct ol those who loorplaced them io Koch a sittiation.— /Hear! Hear! from the Ministers) Io lookir4 to the other side of the House, he could net h*IF tioticing the gesture of a Bight Hon. Gentlemoi. (Mr. Canning) whose countioiaitice, though ewes sive of great escrows. of tetaper, declared this storm of eloquence that was ready to burs upon his advereeries. On former occasions w had been desired to place confidence in A.! nionstration. but there was no strong incitemes to lodge confidence with the present Ministers, Oos of the reasons assigned for not omitting 11, Spaniards had hero, that they Mid no heed, an the mine reason might lie assigned for piecing confidence in the present Administration ; whatever they might be besides, they certain. were iii Administration without a heed—(a rash The Dole of Portland could net be thought. far ass bad been known of him. the possessor such a satiation, nor the Bight Hon. Gaulle* oppopite (Mr. Calming). nor the Noble Loot hit self, and as to Lod Ilaokeobury. we had it sap record be was act tit fee foreiau affairs. Llosseve he trusted the finest would accede to the anti of his Right Ib is. Friend, dal recollect diet object of that motion was ouly• to imeine., dot eh might have _informatics's, epos whiele,orrog sourabie Member wmild betide ego • *AOC t future lisle of coadim t he should Shalillietelott adopt. Geared Scrwa stated. ear' when I Jobe Moors and lip at ltty matches& iftdoerel.• she friuml she *solitude re; if. sad Asp mem to S z