The National Register.
London, England, 1812-08-30 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER

.53 1

the nor. o a ,:oast of Spain, and dated on the 14th inst.
" More glorloll4 news from Lord WELLINGTON." but has
not obt.uned much credit. Indeed, although we are
_con-
scious that a second encounter with the enemy would pro-
duce results folly as glorious as the first, the French appear
to us to much impressed with the same conviction, not to
avoid an engagement at present by every means and sacrifice
in' their power 4. Besides, his Lordship's last dispatches
sheaved us Ce ALzEL retiring one way, and JOSEPH hastily
falling bark in an opposite direction. Separate they would not
tight, and united they could not be ; and as SucHET had
scarcely had !hoe to bring his forces from Valencia, where
te has lately been occupied by the Mercian troops, whom he
boasts of having defeated, We cannot find any army with
which Lord WELLINGTON could have bee-n so soon en-
gaged. It is possible, however, that he may have pursued
.I.ose?H to Madrid, but any engagement occasioned by that
movement could not have taken place in time to be known
at Corunna on the 18th.

FRENCH ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLE OF SALAMANCA.
The French official account of the battle of Salamanca,
published in the Parish Papers, has answered our expecta-
tions. It displays that bold disregard of truth and confi-
dent affirmation of lies, which form one of the chief vir-
taws of the French Government. Founded neither on right
nor justice, its sceptre is a sceptre of imposture, and false-
hood its natural support. Did affection bind the people to
their rulers, defeat would only draw closer together the ties
of their union, and produce fresh resources by the na-
tional spirit it would raise. But where fear is the link that
connects the Prince with his subjects, the overthrow of his
armies opens a door to hope,. not to indignation and sorrow.
The ingenuity of the Bulletin writer has nor, however, ex-
tended so far as to turn a defeat into a victory. He has
contented himself with placing our army on the brink of de-
struction, and has brought a lucky shell to save the credit of
the French for not annihilating us, by the desperate wound
it inflicted on their Commander. This accident alone robbed
them of their anticipated triumph ! General CLAUSEL, who
succeeded to the command, resolved on tesuming the for-
mer positioi.s behind the Douro, and effected his purpose
in the best order, repelling every attack, and preserving all
his artillery ! In vain did we pursue him the next day, hip
rear-guaid defeated our cavalry with loss, and he conducted
the whole army safely back to Tordesillas and Toro, receiv-
ing reinforcements from his rear, and from Madrid !
—The two eagles already brought to this capital: the 14
pieces of cannon left on the field of battle, the 7000 pri•
soners in our han(lond the surrender of his whole rear-guard,
with the exception of the cavalry which shamefully fled,
are all forgotten. They were all left behind and are con-
signed to oblivion. This is an easy method of repairing de-
feats, but it seems that General CLAUSEL has improved upon
his first intentit-n, and instead of remaining at Tordesillas,
has retrograded farther, and even abandoned Valladolid with
800 sick and wounded. These, however, are no doubt
forgotten too. As to his receiving reinforcements
from Madrid, the interposition of Marquis WELLINGTON
betwten him and Jostpn, who has also fallen back, renders
the falsehood of this assertion equally notorious. How
pleased must NAPOLEON have been when he received this
iatelligence. He, no doubt, celebrated it, like Soo, T,
with an imperial salute!

AUG. 30.

other part of our columns, as well as the substance,:
the
long reports by which the latter is accompanied, and which
consist of accounts given by the Viceroy of ITALY, the
King of NAPLES, and the Duke of REGGIO,
actions of the 25th, 26th. 27th, 30th, 31st July, and
the Ist of August. In all of these the French claim
victories. It is evident, by their positions, that they have
gained ground, but their statement of the Russian loss
h; no doubt exaggerated, when they boast of having killed
and wounded 13,000 and taken 5200, with 30 pieces of
cannon, whilst their own is concealed. The Russians have
given up the plan of passively retreating; they take strong
and well selected positions, and seem to defend every foot
of ground with distinguished resolution and skill.—
As an exception, however, the fortress of Dunaherg has
been abandoned to the enemy, with eight pieces of cannon.
Surely, although it may be proper to retire to draw him on
as far as possible from his resources, it cannot be politic to
give him up quietly strong holds which may either secure
his retreat, or enable him to keen possession of the country.
Duuaberg ought, in our opinio.,, either to have been dis•
mantled or defended.

High Mass was yesterday celebrated, and Te Deum sung.
at the Spanish Ambassador's Chapel, Manchester-square, in
honour of the late glorious Victory. The solemnity was
highly interesting, and the effect truly sublime.
Dispatches of great importance were yesterday sent off
from Lord CASTLEREAGH'S Office for Ameg ica. They
will be .conveyed from Falmouth in the Swiftsthe packer,
which is fitted up as a flag of truce, her guns and anununi
tion having been landed.
Accounts received from Portsmouth, mention, that twenty
transports, with horses, troops, and their equipments, for
Lisbon, sailed on Thursday, under convoy of the Prince of
Wales man-of-war; and that four trearsports, with troops on
board for llalifax, sailed at the same time, under convoy of .
his Majesty's ship Tenedos.
War is expected to take place immediately between the
Dey of ALGIERS and the United States. We subjoin the
following extract of a letter from Gibraltar on the subject :".•-•
4 6 GIBRALTAR, Au • s.—Colonel LEAR, United States' Consul
at Algiers, is now urder quarantine in this bay, in the ship A;legany.
that arrived yesterday, in ten days from Algiers. The DEv retlistd
to receive the cargo of naval and military stores sent him by the United
Statas in the Allegany, as different in quantity and quality from what
he expected. He returned it on board, and ordered Colonel LEAR, and
all Ainerican,, to leave Algiers in the Allegany.
" On the 13th of July, a squadron of five frigates, three corvettes,
rwo brigs. one xebec •, one schooner, and several row-gallics and gun-
boats, sailed on a cruise to the eastward; and Colonel LEAR, with
whom 1 have conversed, thinks there was reason to apprehend, that
they had orders to capAure American vessels. None of their vessels
have passed through the Gut, but there is nothing to prevent them :
the Spanish men•of-war lie in a very unprepared state in Algesuas
Bay'."
It is certain that the French troops under General LEVA
which had occupied St. Roque for some time, had left that
quarter, and set out for Seville. General BALL ASTEROS
had, in consequence, taken possession of his old quarters.
Palma letters mention an affair in Catalonia, between a
corps of 1,700 men under General SARSFIELD, and a consi-
derable French force under DECAE/41, in which the former
was worsted, but succeeded in securing a retreat with the
loss of 150 men. Neither date nor place is assigned to this
action, of which we have only the above meagre account.
A meeting of the inhabitants of Boston (MASSACHUSETS)
was held on the 18th ult. at which a number of Resoulutions
were unanimously agreed to, stigmatising "the declaration
of war against Great Britain, and the consequent connection
with France, as fatal to the American Union, and destructive
of the independence and liberty of the American people."