The National Register.
London, England, 1809-08-13 00:00:00

AUG, 13,

POIOIIOIIS pressure of despotism. The nati of the prei.ent
relative situation of Francc and Austria has doubtless
reached them ere this, and it is not to be expected that
any portion of the Dutch or Germans will now expose it-
self to the fury of a Conqueror, who has probably
fought his last Hattie for the Continent.

The affairs of Spain offer but little that is new, and
that little carries disappointment to our ,hopes, and accu-
mulates our fears. The appearance of disunion, not to
say disaffection in the Conucils of the Junta, almost in-
ane us to despair of the " ri,g-hicous cause." One chance
of victory has been snatched by superstition, and more
than one has been lost by delay. The British, Spanish,
and Portuguese have formed a Sort of disjunctive unlov,
which threatens Madrid, with a force altogether of about
100,000 men, CUESTA commands about fifty thousand
in tle centre, ttnd VEIJEGAS and Sir A. WELLESLEY
each with about twenty-five thousand, compose the right
4nd left wings; the grand army occupies an unnecessarily
extended front, front the right bank of the Tagus to the
teft bank of the Guadiana. We very unwillingly infer
from this circuthstance a jealously among the Commanders.
We have already noticed the wlint of energy and uniou in
the Spanish Councils-Levery day confirms our opinion of
tree vices attached to the present order of things in that
coiritry. CUCSTA allows V;e'roa to gain a day's march
because he would not attac'• him on a Sunday.—?l similar
Vf eakuess on the part of 1;:e Jews enabled the Humans to
take Jerusalem, and reduce their country to a province.
But, what we dislike eten inure than their bigotry or 11U;
per stition, is the want of energy, and we had almost said of
'common sense,

There exists a Committee of Pa!ilk Safety—a name omi-
nous to freedom, and more than once fatal to Liberty. its
construction is more destructive of social order than even
the infamous tribunals of Revolutionary France. It ap.
pears to be framed upon the model of the Council of Ten
of the Venetian ltepublic—a tribunal which bore a charac-
ter in politics similar to that of the Inquisition in matters
of religion: the prisoner is arrested arbitrarily, tried pri-
vately, and, if executed, the public is alike unacquainted
(with his crime and accuser. ROMAN.% publishes a Procla-
mation breathing vengeance and death against those who
speak ill of the Government, and promises secrecy and re-
wards to the informer, who will denounce this species of
Cale crime. A Government that, under any circumstances,
requires to be upheld by such means, is not worth a struggle
to preserve, and the sooner it is altered for one erected
upon principles more enlightened and liberal, the more
consonant will it certainly be to the wish of every reflect.
ing Englishmin.

We arc happy to.observe one brilliant exception to the
insipid character of the Spanish campaign.—The Town
of Gerona, under the auspice' of BLAKE, is malsiug a
most gallant defence, in which even the women co-
operate with zealous enthusiasm. We earnestly wish
0 do justice to our Allies, when either their patriotism or
their bravery demand our praise, but it would be an in-
justice not to mention, that in Gerona, as formerly in
Saragossa, sonic Officers of the Irish Brigade, who are in
the garrison, are said to have influenced and excited the
intrepidity of the defence.

Mitch we know is impacted from th• dacisivo character of

519

our Anitoassador to that country., but we fear that it is be-
. yond,the powers of any individual miud to impart energy
and vi;our to the Juuta of Spanish Nobles. They have
hung heavy upon the patriotism of the natien. The
power of France MINt have beet+ ineffectual agaiust
Spain. Ten millions of men cannot be overpowered by
force; Spain could only have been conquered by the Junta,
and we fear it has been something inure than folly to
identify ourselves with a bud, proud without-dignity, rash
without courage, and punctilious without honour. %%e are
really unwilling to depress the phlic mind with re-
spec' to Spain, but its fate in our apprehension is al-
most decided. That fate cannot be contemplated
out sorrow and regret. The Noble CM.`FLOO of the
people, their honourable resistance to oppression, their
herwc resolution, that was unaised by :the t:,ower or the
success of France,, came forth arin'ed in the cause of
Religion and independence, which opposed the best disci-
plined troops in Europe, fought, and conquered them, all
these things raised tee nation to.a4roud pre-eminence,
and interested the whole civillied world in :is success.
The day of triumph, we fear; has bet.4l suffered to escape.
The cause has been taken out 4 the hands et' the people,
and the fate of this unfortunate country, we fear, IS de-
cided. There may be a struggle, but it will be
feeble and ineffectual; a faint convulsion of that spirit
which once gave *life and motion to the frame, an irri-
tation of the extremities, the sure and certain sign of
approaching and inevitable dissolution. Yet short as
the triumph of .!..panish patriotism has been, and total as
its overthrow appears likely to be, events of this gicut
nature cannot pass before the eyes ofs mankind without,
impressinir conclusions of the deepest 'interest and the inost
important wis:loni. The rising of the Spaniac.!s against
their invaders appears to hav'e been the %yolk of mdividaal
feeling rather than of extensive combinations. There was
no general arrangement, no irlalt of operations, no emu-
mullion of objects.—llut even these rude, undisciph;:cd,
and desultory efforts were iitttnuled with the F.:CC(*SS sncd
bravery deserved. But this sprit could not big uphold ,
itself.— And here the insullie:eary of CA., Junta beiame
a, pamt. The indivi...l4 it irritation should hive been,
enlarged, and ennobled into national resistance. '!'::c sworl
which their injurie: had wisheathed, s o iltl have
employed• to maintain :heir rikk.'s and itivir and
no force that BUON A PARTE coital have brought against
them would have been suilicient.--.4n a cause el this nalurk,
mankind by the bounty of Fleasen are accus'or,-d to
conquer. In such a cause the simplest wearies 4..01111
have been effectual. This staff of the ihepherl," and
the "st nc from the brook," would hale been ennunied
into means of tr.umph—into weapons of s ietory. :e
power of the press in its freest and widest range gittuli
have been permitted to go forth, enlightening, dir,r;iv,
end applauding.—The great name of country, and the
greater name of Freedom should have been inscribed on
their banners, and such a nation, just ceasing to be slaves,
must have been invincible.—They might have suffered.
in the beginning, like MILTON'S warring angels they in ,lit
have been partially overthrown, by the •.; devilish evincry" •
of their adversary, but like them they would have thrown.
Air the temporary incumh.ince, the formal and heavy at-
moor which compressed their powers, " pent and hi-nixed"
they would have risen on the wing with nisre then mortal