The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1809-01-07 00:00:00

i- FOREIGN FROM THE SPANISH PAPERS. • Ludo, Inc. 24. The latest accounts from head-quarters state it to be the intention of Sir John Moore to advance with all possible expedition to Burgos, with a view of getting into the rear of t h e enemy; but as we are here completely ignorant as ei ell of the strength of the.latter, as of the force declined to attack him, if Let, it is impossible to decide on the propr i ety of hismvveinent; every confidence is, however, justly placed in the acknowledged talents of the General. Of Madrid, we have no certain information, though t here is ranch reason to suppose it in possriedon of he French. Our cavalry have had some lirilliant *Alin neat Benevente, where 400 of our brave fel lewe have defeitedcloub!e their number of the *me t and made near 300 prisoners; in all, not less sit 700 have bred taken. The snow has fallen in mmense quantities, which has rendered the roads ;,ear!y impassable ; notwithstanding which, and other die.:ulties, the troops have borne the fatigues of a long march with their usual perseverance, ar.d have behaved well. IFENtritlfTE, DEC. 24. The brave corps of English c*vtlry which disem barked at Corunua, and from its splendid aadjnilitary appearance, wit* the admiration of all who beheld it, has, under the orders of Lord Paget. coveted itself with g:ory. On the 20th instant, 400 British attacked, at Sahagan, goo French cavalry, part of a corps of from 13 to 13,000 men,which were at Saldanha. The English fought with such va lour, that they put the eiieniy to flight, •makiisg -260 prisoners, besides 30 killed and several wounded.—(Carunna Diary, Dee. 29.) CORVN7A. DEC. 21. We look with much anliety to the nest accounts from the army, as, Gum its approaching the vicinity of the enemy, a battle may soon be expected to take place. The whole force under Sir J. Moore con sists of 4b,000 me.f. 10,000 are Spanish, detached from the army of the Marquis de la Romania; at least such is the report of the day. Our troops ure represented as.heing in the highest spirits, and de sirous of meeting the eifelay ; the 7th Dragoons have had initch skirmishing with the French caintry, and in one affair defeated a body of 900, of which they made 300 prisoners. Our loss was trifling.— We akoolutely know nothing positive respect Mg Madrid, or of the enemy's force• in that quarter...- Various letters aunomicn, that the French were in posses:4mi of El Retiro, and had placed guards in different parts of the city, but that they could not compel the inhabitants to give up their arms. Other accounts suit., tint it has capitulated. Bar celona is reported to have surrendered to tlic Eng lish and Spaniards, after a most destructive bom bardment. Letters from Gikin, of the iSth ir.st. state, that the French had no more than 2,30 troops in Santo:Are, and as General llolu►tiaos was advanc ing with SOOO men, it was expe;:ted that the enemy would evimuste the place. MIMI. ADVICE TO THE Prstac Since the lust advice the Superior Junta received various and discordant information relative to the state of the capital. notwithstanding they spared 'wither trouble nor expense to obtain an theistic iotelligance, until an repress arrived with I tiers filial Carolina, elated last night, which N soively state, that last Thursday, Madrid was still deleuding itself with the utmost vigour ; that a di vision of the army of Castenos was in the neigh bourhood of that capital, and that Don Pena was also directing his march to that point ; and that the French are earnestly desiring the cupi. t .latinn of the inhabitants of Madrid. As to the :Sierra Morena, our lie:ld-quarters are established at that point ; our army in that quarter is hourly reinforced by the troops, who were dis persed by the canny, and the armed peasantry ; that the Junta of DtiVIICP, formed there, of the deputies of the four kingdoms of An dalusia, and of the ether two of La Mancha, is alines; 'constantly assembled, making th^ utmost exertioeis, iu concert with the CoMinautling Gene ral, to secure that important point against any successful attack on the pail of the enemy. The Junta has also received orders immediately to march alt the prisoilors who are iu this kingdom to by small divisions, escorted by armed peasants. to be nut at the disposal of the ilovoroor of that city. * The Junta has likewise got a letter from his Excellency the Deputy of the. Central Junta, Rated Triiv;'llo, Dec. 8, stating, that the liepoties of Catalonia have received intelligence that we have rentleced oursatves masters of Duce lona. By Command of the Junta, • ANTONIO C.lit COLOME JASAR A. 4.,e4ubs, I)ee. ia, loos. Priaciyat Ste.egary. (Corwana Diary. Dec ‘29.) Letters (ruin Valencia state the fullnsving net of the most heroic valour, 00 tf,e 1)111tVi a boy td of age, which (kerne, to he recorded in the mili tary annuls of this c try : During the last enlistment at Saragossa, the Fo'irl was reje.cted no unfit for service. Bnt animated the must fervent patriotism, raid ancsons to snare in the gloty of the gallant di:fent - tern tit the country, he contrived to mix with the truolio Alto attacked the French, and behaved with sa ant aJt Intrepidity and valour, that he took a stand of co. liolo b ohiett, in light of the nosy, be carried to the Climea of Pilar—placed them on the high altar, and rejoined the troops, who were still closely en gaged with the enensy.--{/bid. Dec. 30.) PROM THE SPANISH PAPERS. WILLEM?: of the ARMY of SPAIN. " MADRID. DEC. 10. "His Majesty reviewed, yesterday, on the Prado, the Duke of Dantzit's corps, which arrived the day before yesterday at Madrid—He expressed his satis faction at these brave troops. " To-day he reviewed the troops of the Confede ration of the Rhine, forming the division command ed by General Laval. The regiments of Nassau and Baden behaved well—the regiment of Hesse Darmstadt did not sustain the reputation of the troops of that country ; the Colonel arid Major ap pear to be men of moderate talents. " T•ke Duke of Istria set nn the Gth for Gua dalaxara. Ile scoured the whole road from Sara gossa and Valencia, made 500 prisoners, and took a great deal of baggage. At Basuto, a battalion of SOO men, summoned by the cavalry, were broken in upon. " The enemy'. army, beaten at Tudela and Cala taytid,abandoned by it , Generals, and a great aunt ber of aoldiers, was reduced to 6000 num. " On the Bth, at midnight. the Duke of Istria attacked. at Santa Cruz. a corps which covered the flight of the enemy's army. That corps was closely pursned, and a thousand prisonews.t.ken. It wish ed to throw itself into Andalusia by ileladridego. It appears to have been forced to disperse in the mountains of Cuenqa."_ EIGHTEENTH BULLETIN of the ARMY of SPAIN. XADILID, DLC. " The Central Junta of Spain had hut little power; the greater part of the provinces paid it little submiasiou, lust all of them deprived it of the administration of die finances. It was under the influence of the lowest clan Hof the people : it was governed by the minority. Florida Blauca was w:thout any credit. The Junta was under the con trout of two men, the one named Lorenzo Cal• o, a grocer of Saragossa, who had in a few months oh taMed the title of Ercelkney. He is one of those violent men aho appear in revolutions, his honesty was more than suspected. The other is called Til ly, formerly condemned to the gallies as a thief: the youtiger brother of a man of the name of Gm.- man, who formerly played a part under Robeapierre the reign of Terror. As soon as any of the Illetalsers of tke Junta opposed the violent measares that were proimsed, these two wretches immediately called out treacon. and immediately a mob was col lected under the windows of Araisjitez. The ex travagance and wickedness of these danerons men were manifested upon all occasions. As soon as they learnt that the Emperor was at. Burgos, and he would soon be at Madrid, they published it de. claration of war against France, replete with insults , and folly. "On the 11th, when the General of Division Lasalle, who was pursuing the enemy, arrived at ' Talavera de la Reyna, where the English had passed triumphantly, ten days before, buying they were going to relieve the capital, a frightful spec tacle met the eves of the Freed'. A body, clothed in the uniform of a Spaniah General, was sus— pended front a gallows, and pierced with a theissend bullets. It was the General Benito San Juan, whom his soldiers, in their terror, and as an excuse for their Commander, cruelly sacrificed. The Bishop of Lenn and Astorga, and a greet tinntbia of k:eclesiasties, distiiiguished themselves by their good conduct and their apostolic virtues ; the ge neral pardon offered by the Emperor has produced a great effeet. The destruction of the duties, edions to the people, and contrary to the prosperity of the State, and the measures which lease the numerous class of Mioullo, no longer any uncertainty respecting their lot, produced a good effect. " The general unimadversion is against the Eng lish—The peasants say, in their language, that at the approach of the French the Englisht wen away to mount the wooden horses (ships.)" MNETEF.NTH B?LLETIY. " MADIBID, DEC. 13. " ROARS surrendered on the 6ils by capitulation. Two thousand meta have been mule prisoner's. A f!eueitlerabl e quantity of artillery was found in the place. Six English hips of the line, which we re at anchor in the harbour, would uut carry away the ictirri,Gii. The Liiiperor. this "lay. reviewstd the whole of the sittite.l troops of the Dul.e of Dautzic. by )osid the bridge of Segovia. •' SeitaAiani's diviviou hav marched for Talavera tic la Iteytia. 66 The breaking up of the Spanish troops is observed on every shit.. The uea• levir., %%inch were .n tempted to lie riti,etl, di►perse on all .ides, and !return to homes. Tice detail. which we Irarn from the Sp uisiards respecting the Ceattal J nista, are all of a nature to phtce tlu •n in a most ridiculous point of view.— 'rant A.... nail is already become an object of cosi tcaipt with all Europe. Its ItleanberA, to the ii tirtilier of NG. have !widowed upon tliemselres tiles and ribbons of every sort, and an annual al lowance of 60,0d0 livres. Florida Blanca was a .real was of Spaio ; he is uow *shinned of the dis . bottom he has brought upon his old age. A 3 usually happens in such assemblies, two or three persons domineer over all the rest, and these two or three persona were is the pay of England. the opinion held by the city of Madrid, respecting the Junta, is notorious : they *re as much the object of the mockery stiil derision, its they are of the de testation, of the inhabitants of the capital. " Never was there so fines December—lt is like the beginning of Spring. The Emperor avails himself of the fine weather to remain in the coun try one league from Madrid." THE BRITISH PRESS. LOX 1)ON, SATURDAY, JANUARY 7. MORE FRENCH BULLETINS. We have received the 17th, ISth, and 19th lil !Kiwi of the French army in Spain. They were eo.iveyed to this country in the seine manner as the three ;,receding Bulletin-, untiouneing the cu. pital..:ion of Nladeid. An empty butt having been towed wit to . Boulogne, as far as the French sailor enn!el salei ‘ y venture, advantage was taken of the innaient when the tide was beginning to set iii for the "English coast. The Bulletins were then put l;iie the empti Lout, winch, being set nil. ift, tattle ashore near Folkwciie, where it we,: picked up, on Thursday, awl the Bulletins ware n it, and transmitted to Government. If these Bulletin* be not fabricated for the express purpose of deceiving and misleading our Ministers, they ertabliali the fact of the actual entrance of the French into the city of Madrid. It is stated that BONAPARTE reviewed the corps of the Duke of DANTNIC, oo the 9th, upon the Prado. Now dui Prado is the great public walk in the easter. quarter of Madrid, about three quarters of a league in length, traversing it from the gate Re collet° to that of Atoelia, and having its alleys crossed by live of the principal street. That the French were in cosnplete posseasioa of the town, upon the 9th, there cannot then be a doubt, pro vided the Bulletin speaks the troth. It is a cu rious fact, however, that although' the two succeed ing Bulletins are slated Madrid, the 14th and 1301, this review on the 9th is the only circumstance re lated in them of what pausal within the city during that interval. This suppression of the many iu teresting scenes that must have taken place, wears a very sisepiriotts appearance. We find, too, from the 19th Bulletin, that BONAPARTE resided, at that date, in the couutry, a full league from Madrid. There appears to be something is the air at that city uufriendly to the constitution of the family. Don Jossen found it too hut for him, and sought cooler climate." Naroismstr now tin& that it is December in Madrid, but spring at a league distaaee, and wishes to enjoy the mild air of the country. Yes, no doubt, Madrid pre muted to his view a cold, dreary, end cheerless aspert. It exhibited a stormy and boisterous scene, in wh ch uproar ruled far and wide. He found the hearts of the people frozen against him, and if any fire glistened in their eyes, it was not that of joy and !dadness, hut thelightnire that illumines the tempest, and the flashes of indignation flint markid the path of vengeance. Yes, in every loyai Spaniard, NAPOLEON dreaded an execii timier, and in the coantry he Lesed to be safe from the stiletto. We wish that in this suppres sion of the passing scenes is Madrid, we could see any corroboration of the reports of an insurrec tion against the French, and of their expelsiuu, with great slaughter, 114 stated in the Spsoisli letters and papers. Bit although from this silence we may fairly presutne that many things have happened which NAPOLEON is desirous to conceal, we mum* flatter ourselves that such has been the result...-. The corps of Won, which he pushed forward along the Tagus, arrived at Talavera on the 11th. On the 13th, SEBARTIANI** division marched on the same route. The Duke of Iszaia has been em ployed in scouring the country on the side of Gus dalaxara, and on the 13th, NAPOLEON reviewed setae troops on the road from Madrid leading to Segovia. These movements aid proceediug% are inconsistent with the idea of the rout and expulsion of the French, with the lose of one-third of their force, from that capital, at least up to the I sth last. The Bulletins announce no military event of any importance. except the fall of Rosin, which is said to have surrendered by capitulation upon the Gth last. In every other respect these reports are made up of mere common place and heterogeneous matter.— The I sth Bulletin is a curious model of this species of compositiva, and deserves notice only for the spirit which it betrays. The oldest and most legi timate government that ever existed could nut soeak with more contempt and abhorrence of no volut• and upstarts titan this most atrocious of upstarts and revolutionists, speaks of two of the leading Members of the .'Jpretne Junta of Spain. Annexed to the Bulletins are several Imperial Decrees east intercepted Correspoodence. One Decree grants a general pardon to all except a few persons. The Members of the Council of Castile are branded as cowards, and unworthy of being Magistrates of a brave nation. The Inquisition is abolialotd-osad the number of cuuvauts reduced to owe-third—feudal rights are also aboh.hed. The whole cldses with A PROCLAMATION, Signed by BONAPARTE on the 7th. In it he l.ays. I shall soon drive the English from the Penns sula."—And he concludes with the following re niarkable expressions 4 , But if all my efforts be useless, and you do not merit my confidence, it will only remain for torte to treat you as coaquemd provinces. and to place my brother on another Throne.-4 will then place the Throne of Spain on my own head. and I will cause it to be respected by the wicked, for God hay given me strength and will to surmount all obstacle*. " Wren in our Imperial Camp at Madrid, Dee. 7 i (Signed) " NAPOLEON." Now, upon this Proclamation we must observe, that it is a volume of evidence to skew that N APO-. /. iiON has met with great difficulties, and is in a must embarrassed situation. It is uotoriolll/ that tie has exerted ell his stieugth, 31141 dru..l out nll his resources, to establish JOSEPH upon the Throne of Spain. Failing iu that, we desire to know by what weans be can succeed for lum :II We suppose he thinks that the Spania►ds consider JUSEPII a Log, and that by threatening them with a Stork, they may be intimidated and induced to accept King Log. A Mail from Cantonal is arrived, with Letters and Papers from that city to the :grill lust. In one instance they corroborate the rumours brought by the Joseph hired cutter. We mean the rencontre between a British regiment of cavalry, and a supe rior French force of the same description, in which the latter were defeated with the less of 300 men taken prisoners. The English regiment which thus distinguished itself is,however,said to have been no the 15th, but the 7th Dragoons, mlti. Lord GET. With respect to the reported massacre of the French nt Madrid, and the state of that ca pital, the Corunna paper of the 29th contains an article, entitled, "OlicialAdvice to the Priblic." This article will he seen in our extracts. We fear that it is unworthy of credit. The late Portuguese Papers sated, that the Supreme Junta were at Trusillo ou the 10th. From this article it ap pears, that they were on the south of the Sierra Morena, at Cordova, on the hrth. The latest accounts received at Lugo, up to the 24th, from the army, state, that Sir Joule Moose had determincd to advance to Burgos.— His whole force, we are concerned to thud, is esti mated at only 46,000 men, iucludiug a division of 10,000 from Romans's tinny. •We havcreceived letters from Bartsidoes to the ltitti 'of October, from which it appears that the yellow fever rages there with great violence:. Delany persons have fallen victims to tt. Not less than twenty surgeons, or assistant surgeons, in His M 41.• JLSTY'II service, have died in a short time of this dreadful disorder. It is in the Speech of the Minister of the In terior, addressed to the Legislative Cody, fat more than in ally other counnuuiration or state paper, issued by the Corsica!' Emperor, that we must seek for the rest iutentions of that subtle, deep, and artful tyrant.• His " Bulletins." fabricated in haste, and intended to serve a temporary purpose, by spreading in every direction his own fallacious, or exaggerated picture of advantages and victories. gained in the field, are only to be regarded as the efiiisions of a camp. The Speech pronounced on the 2d of November, at Paris, bears all the marks of laboured composition in its style, as well as in its contents. It is a cubinet production, which un qnestionahly had been submitted to the rye of the Master before it was produced in public, and which probably received its finishing touches from his own hand. It unveils, as far as his oracular and Ma chiavelli'', policy permits investigution or inspec tion, the arcane by which he means to regenerate Europe, to excite animosity against Great Britain, as the pretended Tyrant of the Seas, and to jus tify, or to palliate his own atrocious vi.lations of treaties, and of every political or moral compact. " The object of this war," says the Minister of a Foreign Usurper. whose ambition and whose crimes have alreutly ted by turns every por tion of the Coidinent, 5. is the *level of the world. by the exclusive possession of the seas. There is no doubt, that, by subscribing treaties of bondage, dis guised under the holy name of peace, nations nisy obtain repose; but thin shameful repose would be death." A h mg arid severe exposition of our asserted. system " to humble or destroy France, by keeping the people ofthe Continent constantly under arms," prepares the way for a panegyric on this worthy native of Ajaceio. who was sent by Providence, in its bounty, like another TITUS or TRCIAN, to Close the wounds inflicted on mankind by Geuaei• the TIIIRD, and his restless Ministers or subject,. —" It is impossible to foresee wf.at might have been the consequence of se much audacity" cola. tinues the Minister, " had not Faunae, on our part, raised up a snail of a superior order, destined to repel the evils with which England threatens the world." That BORAPARTR, more than any other individual, lies greet and almost immeasur able oldigations to Follow. his return from Alex andria to Frejus in 1799. his victory at Morello, and the history of his whole life. onflieieutly evince. But unless moderation impose some baits to aos. C . 40 *. .11 t. O O e it IY cr, C. 1