The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1810-04-13 00:00:00

THE W.ILCHEREN EXPEDITION.

The following n Arica of the speech made by
Mr. Windham set the course of the. late adjourned
Debate. upon the Inquiry into the Expedition
to the Scheldt:

Mr. WINDHAM— I shall not occupy the time of
the House by commenting upon the theories and
sentiments to the lion. Baronet, (Sir F. Burdett),
the judicious argitioetits of the Hon. Gentleman
who spoke last but one, (Mr. -Bragge Bathurst),
having precluded the necessity of any observation
of upon the subject. I Ann therefore pro-
ceed, as shortly a. 1 can, to offer to the House my
sentiments upon the ilovistrous expedition to Wad-
cherea—thst monstrous child of presumption and
folly—and in order to present to the House a full
and clear view of the subject. I shall feel it uecee-
sary to take the 'natter is:, at en earlier period, and
to ditkuss it upon Iwo tder grounds than the Gentle-
men, who have preceded me is this delette, have
thought it expedient to do. In stating this, I beg
the House toot to be alarined'at the idea that I in-
tesid to occupy any very material portion of their
time; the mode in sylveli 1 propose to discuss the
question, will probably be found to he the most
concise which could be adopted; it frequently hap-
pens, according to an old proverb, that " the far-
thest way about is the nearest way home." I shall
attempt to 'hew, not only that this expedition could
not have
succeed, but that 'Yea success would
not have justified the national force to the purposes
of this expedition. I am aware that in suppoitnig
the letter preposition, I shall havethe popular -• oice
against me ; but it has frequently been my lot to
contend against the senseless clamours of the popu-
lace. mid I have not unfrequently had the satisfse.
bolt to find that measures which have been pro-
posed by me, in direct opposition to popular opt.
ohm. have ultimately been sanctioned by that
very opinion. Nothing, Sir, Cull lie more de-
rogatory from the character of a statesina than
a perpetual hankering after popularity ; o . de-s e
of this sort, ou the part of His Majesty's 31i instils.
do I attribute this most calamitous expedition, mind
all the disgrace and ruin which have intended it;
and 'do say, Sir, that it the persons entrusted with
the direction of the energies of the kingdom, con-
tinue to be militated by this sentiment, It is not
difficult to foresee, that the utter (lest:ileum' of
the country must be the inevitable conaequence.
To denioustrahe the folly and iinoroctieoloitty of
the plan (if plan it may be called) of this monstrous
Expedition, it will pot lie necessary to go into a
very minute detail of the inass of evidence which
has beets )aid opoo the table. 1 shall contort my-
sal( with selectiag a few of the more prominent
pounta. In snaking this sclection I shall have little
difficulty; the whole conduct of the Expedition is
so pregnant with ignnrrileellind folly, sod presents
such a choice of blunders, that, haul it loom divided
amonest ten administrations, it would have been
sufficieut to condemn them all. The Noble Lord,
(Castlereagh) however, in defending the conduct
of himself and his colleagues upon this melancho-
ly occasion, has expressed himself with a degree of
callous indifference. intermixed with pleasantry, ill
adapted to his situation ; for my. own part, I could
not listen, without horror and indignation, to the
arguments. so full of notiiiiigness, sad delivered
wits sotto dippaocy, by which that Noble Lord at.
tempted to defend himself for having wantonly
consigned thoiniands of his countrymen to au in-
glorious grave. The Right Hon. Gent. (Mr. Con-
ejo!) has certainly conducted himself with greater
propriety ; some part, at least, of his usual pre.
somption seems to have forssken him; and it
unquestionably does now become His Majesty's
Ministers to be humble—their wings have been
damped by the fogs of Viralchercu—they are like
wasps in rainy weather—we may examine them with-
out fear of their stings. In disesissing the conduct
of this miserable Expedition, title ettocatessation of
lalupders, this lung lone of mischiefs, which has no
turn except to destruction; the first thing to be
observed is, that. according to all their evidence,
the plailflClS of the Expedition could hive no hope
of success. unless sill the chances turned out in
their favour, utiles, all their cards turned to be
trumps:, the wind must blow from a certain point,
and it must blow with a certain degree of force ; if
the wind changed, the Expedition could not arrive
at the destined point, mid if the wind blew fresh,
it would produce a surf, and prevent the landing.
—Now, considering the proverbial eeriaisity of
the wind, the exited:taboo that all there things
would happen must be admitted to have been
extremely rational ; lust, supposing that (lig Ma-
jesty's Ministers could have had sufficient influence
to induce the wind to blow exactly as they wished
it, moll, to insure any thing like a prospect of
success to the Expedition, this mighty armas
mesa must, in all its subsequent operations, have
moved with the regularity and prevision of a
piece of machinery ; one operation must be per-
formed in three days, another in four, the artil-
!fly must move through the sand oithout friction,
ai:d there must be s. nu enemy to fight withal."—
What a pity it is that our sober Muoi.tera have not
hoen in the habit of frequenting the gaming-table;
had they known how to calculate the odds, they
would, never have sent out this expedition. But.
Sir, the truth is, that this gallant army, this last
hope of Eto4land, was committed to imminent ha-
zard and ultimate 4...enaction, without any thing
like a plan for the giiiibiace of its operations. The
Nolile Lord in•einv to have thought it quite suffi-
cient to rend out 411E411.111110n, ours I. arc the rest
to chance. My Lord Chatham was sent met to try
exile los. I re number a story of n man. who.
being aske.l it he 0,41 play on tit- fiddle, said.
1. he could not tell, bet he could try." Such was

precisely the situation of me Lord Hollaad—(s
load /musk/ 1 must beg his .Lordship's Plird4P for
having substituted his amuse fur that of my Lord
Chatham; but his Lordship is always near my
beam, sad his name has involuntarily slipped from
my tongue. What did the military opinions amount
to ? Precisely nothing; and how could it be otherwise.
seeing that the officer, had op dots whereon to found
their opinions? Ministers indeed tell us that they had
information front their spits, that there were at many
turn at Antwerp—so many at Litlo, and so many
at Bergen-op-Zoom ; but it must be recollected,
than it is the interest of spies to smooth the difficulties
that lie in the way of their employers ; and, lade.
pendently of this cousideration, bow is it possible
for spies to form an estimate of the amount of the
small detachments which are scattered all over the
country ? It must also be recollected, that a greet
part of the population of the country consists of
men who have been accustomed teethe Use °forms;
aye, Sir, and who have seen 16 too. The very
sweepings of such a country would biereteen suf-
ficient for the defence of Antwerp. But were Mi-
nisters, Sir, so very ignorant, as not to know that
there are between YO and 30 fortified towns, within
a few days march of Antwerp, iud that each of
those towns has its garrison ? Nay, Sir, it is now
known, that troops were Pent even front Paris to
Antwerp, before our devoted army reached the
point where its difficoltiels were to commence. Did
Nlinieters think that the troops of the enemy were
immovable? The insane calculations of these in-
capable* temitirl 13111 of a conatrywiate who, in di-
recting a traveller across the Downs, told lons, that
he most travel 3 or 4 miles, said when he came to
a flock of sheep he must turn to the right. But how
if the sheep had ehanged their position. before be
got there?—(A lough )—What. would Gentlemen
say of Bou &parte, it, tie receiving intelligence from
his omits that there were only 7 or 8000 troops in or
near Portsmouth, lie was to send au expedition of
40,000 men to take the place? Would they not
say that he was intone? The Noble LorJ (Castle-
reagh) however, says, that it was intended to take
Antwerp by • coup-de-ottim. What must the
enemy, Sir, think of us, when they hear this stated?
Witliwbat contempt said ridicule must they not
treat us, when they learn abet the projector of this
mighty
,expeditiou is acquainted with the terms of
military science, without having the slightest ideas
of tke meaning of iho;te terms F Cowl God, Sir,
talk of a comp-de-mobs with 4),000 nets, nod thirty-
three sail of the line ! Geutlemen might as well talk
of a cosep-de-testa in the' Conn of Chancery.—
/Loud wed maligned Itstigkes.)-1 have no wash,
Sir, to excite merrimeut upon this inelauclutly oc-
casion, but the whole of the conduct of Ministers
is so pregnant with blunders—so full of risLcule,
that it is impossible barely to describe it without pro-
ducing a laugh. But the Noble Lurd (Castlereagh)
has had the modesty to assert, that the expe-
dition went on very well; that Bonaparte did
nothing for the defence of Antwerp; and that
when our Coin:minders gave no the enterprise, there
were only 46,000 troops in and near Antwerp;
aud of those troops, the Noble Lord has thought
proper to speak in terms of the utmost contempt.—
What was there in the composition of those troops
to induce the Noble Lord to speak of them in terms
of ridicule ? Were they Voluuteers, or were they
loud Lanni& ?—/A IttatgA.)-.-.Thie assertion of the
Noble Lord, it it emotions to any thing, amounts
to is censure of the officers entrusted with the com-
mand of the Expedition. The Noble Lord end
his collemietes' evidently wish to bare it inferred
that the Commanders of the Expedition have been
to blame. Why, then, do they Dot plainly tell us
so ? They point their fingers sit the commanders,
but they dare test name them. It is fortunate for
the country, however, that thetotnmanders were
not mad enough to attempt to proceed to Ant.
werp ; calamitous and disgraceful as the result of
the Expedition has been, our rein would, in that
event, have been still more complete. If it be
asked why Bannparte did lest send more troops to
Antwerp, the answer is evident—his troops, though
not under the walls of Antwerp. were in situatioes
from whence they could be speedily sent either there
or to any oilier pomt. likely to be attacked by us.
The troops then in the garrison were sufficient fur
proem defence ; and it, therefore, was not worth
his while to seed more troops, until he ascertained
that our commanders were desperate enough to at-
tempt the siege of the piece. He well knew (thiiii.:ll
our Ministers did not,) what sort of an enemy our
brave army had to contend with, in the pestilential •
marshes of Waleheren ; and mach would he rejoice,
when he found, that Ministers had been insane
enough to send their armament to the Scheldt.
When he first heard, that such was the destination
of oar boasted expeditioe, with what a smile of sa-
tisfaction would he say to his. Ministers,
" There Set them lie, MI famine and the ague eat them tip"
Upon a, consideration, Sir, of all the evidence tai I
upon your table, I feel myself bound solemnly to
call upon this House for the condeumanon of
those Ministers who have was toisly coniprousised
the safety and honour of the country, by under-
taking an expedition, in which success was abso-
lutely impossible. I shall now, S:r. attempt to
*hew, that even success would not have justified
His Majesty's Ministers in putting to hazard the
last army of the country, upon this expedition.
The adnunistratibd, Sir, • ith whom 1 had the ho-
nour to act, made it their uniform study to hus-
band the resources of the country ; regardless
of popular clamour, they deterinisied not to ex-
pend, in fruitless expeditions, that blood and that
treasure, whielm, at no very distant period, may be
required in the defence of all that is dear to use
am, however, ready to admit. Sir, that there rimy
be occasions which call for a departure from the
rules of ordinary prudence; the Spanish revolution
was, to my opinion, one of those occasions; amid
haul I been in office when that event occurred, I for
one would have concurred in the propriety of send-
ing to thy Peninsula. the largeat distr.-sable force
which the country could poisibly spare. When I
first heard that the expedition which was afterwards
sent to the -Scheldt, was in contemplation, I did
hope that it was destined to reittforce our gallant
army then in Spain. I was at th time its the
cnu .try, but, before the sailing of the expedition, I
COMP to LOllllOll. where I heard, from persons upon
whose inforrustion I could rely, tutu h ua account of
the stato of the politic initial, and of the events them.
mrims.ing aro the North of ucrmtiny, as to and tit art. to
forums au opluicn, that to seed vur disposable Gate

there would be preferableeiren sestljeg itteSpain:
and Many othisr *bierPtisSig Mrs; had
embarked in a Mimic, in *bleb their flies Isere at
stake, and had they bees 'supported bye powerful
British army, something might hire been *chivied
to avert the sinking ROloPe• The
hopes of the Continent were turned towards Hie
Majesty's Ministers; but; slits him cruelly R. e
thu,ie hopes disappointed : Ptiffed up filth the .ni-
ish expectatims of obtaining h little Moiniintary
popularity, by the capture of 4feirr slept, the •
destruction of aft' arseusi, t Meoloterg
sent this mighty armament . (which might istemhly
have decided the fate of Eardpe,) apes kitreda-
tory ezpsitition. How could the rkpednia to
Antwerp produce a diversion in favour if
trio ? If Ministers had realised the 'thalami
hope of hiking Antwerp, what Vf 'old ,qllr twiny
have done • next ? Most they not , isstently
have turned their becks upon the enemy{
and got on boird their ships as fast as their Inge
could carry them Would they not otherwise hint;
been exposed to inevivrble destruction ?

• . .
might Austria complain, hod bitterly complain. of
the selfishness aad meanness of our cunduil. But

Ministers say, that they were prevented from scud.
tag the liratpedition to the North of Getman), by
motives e( humanity; their humane minds cculd
not brook the idea of exciting an lissom alias
among the Get-autos, lest the hmargents Should afr
terwards be butchered by the French ; and'thie* we
are told by the vey men *hose tender morties went
exhibited in the attack u'loo Copenbegtiel4. that
base and infamous litxpedition, by which the reps.
tation of thie country leas received a slab, never,.
be effaced, while the records of our history shall
exist. But how dors it happen, that the hinder
feelings of our Ministers. are reserved excluiirely
for the inhabitant. of Gerinauy ? Why did not
those feelings operate to prevent aim own brave
soldiers from being consigned to that Wille'leren
charnel-house, where their lives leave b. en teas.
cui4hed
,(as an Hon. Member has said, with I fell.
city of expression peculiar to himself) alike a can-
dle ha • vault ?" Where were theme feeliag...whee
Ministers ordered to be 4' :posed to all the hae...rs of
• bombardment, the inhabitants of Flushing.whons
we pretended to have coma to deliver from the ty.
rannytif the'French? Thus sWectetion,thia cent of bar.
moody, is truly ridiculous. Minister, hare breeght
evidence before the'House, to prime, that i 1 the
Expedition had been sent upon a isertive sea cot
quired protracted operations. they cionld, mot have
found money to fay the teops—the Itswedisios,
therefore. could not be of any use a' a absentia' is
favour of Austria (even if the fate of Austria bed
cot been decided, as it actually was, before the
Expedition embarked.) But blisiieters, it seems,
•ere deterniined to mud an expedition somewhere
:he good folks of Margate and Rarnsirate, sad the
rest of the watering-plates, moat have sontothitg
to talk about—the Noble Lard (Castlereagh) meat
have a trip to the coast m me the rotswan. of so
embarkation; and, therefore. must the beate
of the country be sent to aleolute deeenicti nm;T:
Noble Lord. however, says, that we roost a:t psi a
censure upon him and his eigleagnes,becaus the es.
peditioa he planned bus sot been tried—the telt mate
objects of the expedition, he says, have cot bees
attempted. tteo4, Sir, this is so wretched a
qrsiblale, .that..l em inclined to.suspeet that it NM
originated with the nisi pries pert of the achninistra..
tine.—/A Walcherea Expediters not
tried !—Ana I dreaming. Sir ? Or. are we really Dow
discensing the merits of a mighty expedition. which
sailed to the Scheldt about eight mouths sgo, sad
which returned about four months afterweide,
defeated—disgracei—and almost annihilated ? I
cry his Lordship merry, but I really did .=
somehow or other that the Expedition to N'al
had been tried: Does his Lordship mean to deny
that the whole of the Expedition, from the pegis.
cling to the end, was under the direction of His 31..
it-lily's Government? And is that Government sot
hoar to be called to account for its total failure?
leave now. Sir, only to Observe. that if Ministers
are not arrested in their career of folly, by the
ren.ure of this House, the consequences to the
country may be dreadful in the murtnae--the re.
sponsibility of Ministers will be on empty sound—
the aspersions which have been, thfown upon this
House, by persons out of doors. frill receive con.
fit mation, and the confidence of the people. (1 de '
not mean the peepter in the technical sense of the
word, but the soberand thinking part of the nation)
in tie. it repreaentatires, will he lest for ever

LAST NIGHT OF ACTING TILL THE HOLIDATIIi
NEW THEATRE-ROYAL, COVENT-GARDEN.
Tomorrow, SATURDATe April 11, Isle, will be soled,libakspennes Play of
RING HENRY THE FOURTH.
(Part the Pint.)
To Which will be added, a lissidal Warn, called,
PAUL AND VIRGINIA.
Tropic, Mr. Bellamay; Paul, Mr. Isckdos. Virginia,
Mrs. H. Johnston; Jacinths, Mn. Liston.
Os Easter Moodily, Kiss Rickard the Third; with Her.
kepi's Pedlar; or, The Haunted Well.

LAST NIGHT OF PERFORMING BEFORE THE
HOLIDAYS.
LYCEUM 771i.4 771 R.
[Under the special Limier of the Lard aseseherialal
Their Majesties' Servants will, To-sorrow. SATURDAY,
April ta. perform • New Serlo-Counic Opera. called'
THE MANIAC ,• OR, THE SWISS BANDITTI.
Alter which. esti time, • New Monies* Farce, called
HIT OR MISS!

The Characters by Mr. Peaky, Mr. De Clasp, Mr. Ms-
thews, Mr. Neigh', Mr. Johnstone, Mrs. 'ruts, Miss Kelly,
Mrs. Maul. be.
Oa Easter Manday, George BemireMs New Cowie Bain
called Tim Village Doebte, sad The Renew.