The National Register.
London, England, 1809-01-01 00:00:00

JAN. 1.

o giyc them credit for their good intentions; and if they
only performs what they intend, we witl be the most
ardent p 1 their advocates. We are now ou the great eve
pf our destinies ; and when we retied that a few days
May Frown this Empire with permanent honour and se-
curity, or plunge it into an abyss of irretrievable cala-
mity, there is not a Briton that will not stake his last
shilling, or wield every arm to insure an honourable re-
,
sult. 1 slight stimulus is only necessary to make this
country perform prodigies; and what can he a more
powerful incitement to the display of all her powers,
than the situation in winch our army is now placed. We
should entertain no apprehension • were 60,000 of the
enemy opposed to them, but when they have it in their
power to double tha't number, we shall not be ,guilty of the
madness or inhumanity of leaving them to contend against
such fearful odds. We expect Much from the Spaniards ;
ice repose the most unlimitted confidence in their courage
and fidelity ; but let us now act, as if our force was left
solely to its own exertions. We feel the.rpost genuine satin-
faction that our wishes have been anticipated by Govern-
ment, and that several regiments have embarked, and ethers
have received orders for embarkation, to join our army in
Spain. We wish that every regiment, the moment it em-
barked, sailed immediately for its destination; which,we
suppose to be Vigo, to order to prevent any unnecessa-
ry
delay. On landing they can immediately proceed to
join the main body of their countrymen, as no impe-
'diment to theiri junction can take place in that direction.
By these means complaints of scarcity of provisions will be
obviated ; and we shall not have the mortification of seeing
a considerable part of our troops, as was the case with Sir
DAVID Batan's force, wasting their time at the place of
landing,

However thp last dispatches have realised the fondest of
our wishes ; and the country is now placed in a situation,
in which it should have long since appeared. Nature
Sir education never qualified her inhabitants to remain
it} drowsy inactivity confined to their owii shores ;
a neighbouring, and a hostile country is filling
• •
the world With the sound of her exploits. The British
,•.;
character is particularly formed for great and darinr
enterprise; an 'it betrays the must revolting ignorance of
it, and a most unwarrantable diffidence in its resources, to
confine it to puny 'exertions, It is this conviction, which
excites this triumphant extiltation on our part, that we are
0 •
now placed in a situation, trom which the low dictates of
false policy, or the miserable 'combinations of selfishness
cannot prevail on us to draw batik. We see once more in
idea the days of the EDWARDS,' of 11.ENRYI and of MARL-
ricition revived; and whatever pietis,ts may say, warfare.
vn the principles, we carry it on, so far from injuring the
moral character of the community, mast tend to exalt it.
It is only necessary to converse with th'C soldier, who has
seen years of active service, to he convinced there is not a
more estimable character, or a worthier man. It is
activity alone which corrupts States, as veil as individuals ;
' and as soon as 100,000 British soldiers 'appear on the
t7outinent, experience will prove, that the imOlitse given by
•
Such an event to the popular feelings, will have a great and
•
Salutary influence oil oar national character. •

. .
The enemy has at last sent us three additional Bulletins,
the 14th, 15th, and 16th, The first of these is dated Ma-
drid the sth ; and the last on the Bth, from the same place.
They principally refer to the particulars of the surrender of
the Capital, and to some military demonstrations previous
to that event. The accounts we received at ditierent inter-
vals, of the determination of the inhabitants to defend the
city, were perfectly true ; and if the prudence of the Ge-
nerals had not restrained their resolution, they appeared
determined to oppose themselves to the horrors of an as-
sault, rather than voluntarily submit to an enemy they so
cordially abhor. Madrid is as completely untenable as
London ; and from that circumstance we are able to fonn
some ettianate of the sentiments with which the Spaniards
are in pired against the invaders. Their armies, in every
direction have been dgfeAted ; and thPir minds, so far from
sinking into pusillanimity and despondency, display more
energy and determination,in'proportion as the progress of
the enemy becomes more alarming, and their success more
decisive. This single eirepustanceproves, beyond contra-
dictiOn, what we frequently advanced, that the tyrant can
preteud to nq greater part of that country, than what is oc-
cupied by his soldiery the remainder is as completely un-
subdued, and as ho4tile, as it was three months ago. Every
impartial account from the Peninsula continr4 this opinion,
and the reverse of it originated solely in the affected alarms
and the misrepresentations of some party-writers here at
home.

From these Bulletins, partial and distorted as they are,
there is sufficient to convince us, that the opposition made
to the enemy was much greater than they are willing to
acknowledge. This glorious spirit of resistance, and the
ungovernable animosity of the inhabitants of the capital,
will compell the Tyrant to employ a considerable part of
his force in keeping the capital in awe, In every other
great town he occupies, he will be placed under a similar
necessity ; anti the farther he advances, the more cities he
takes posSession of, the more his force whill be divided.
This we always anticipated, and considered as an inevitable
consequence of his first success. Under such restrictions,
it is totally out of his power to overawe, at the same time,
the inhabitants of the country, and, paradoxical as it may
appear; in proportion as he is successful, his means of sub-
jugating the country become weaker adirmore precarious.
' He has had an opportunity of convincing himself of this
truth ; and his miserable expedient of sending over his
Bolictins to this country, in the intention, as he has the in-
solence to expect, of intimidating our, government, and
damping the exertions of the British public, is an unequi-
vocal proof of the terror he entertains from a vi4-orous co-
operation on our part. We are from entertaining that
despicable opinion of the understandings and hearts of the
present Ministry, as to think they could be duped by so
mean an artifice. It is• only necessary to place before their
eyes that artiele of the French Bulletin, which coldly men-
tions the massacre of sixteen stragglers belonging to the
British Army, to make them adopt the solemn and irre-
vocable determination to employ every nano and resource
of this country to revenge so inhuman an outrage. Not a
moment should be 'deferred for the execution of this just
retaliation.. Every thing which, honour, love of their
country and an 'abhorrence of injustice can suggest, must
now call on them to redouble their exertions. 'The fate
of Europe depends on the use they malte of the ua4i,y&;al