The National Register.
London, England, 1808-12-25 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER'.

DEC. 25.

►otther with those of the Patriots, is to make a great stand
in the South.. Considering the native intrepidity, and the
cool, steady discipline of our troops, together with the ex-
renie irritation of the Spaniards against the invaders, very
little apprehension ought to be entertained, that their
united pressure will not bear down any resistance the enemy
may he able to make. We have frequently insisted, and
still repeat the observation that very little credit ought to
be attached to the-French statements of their own armies;
and after the most minute attention to the operations ,of
lie strongest conviction, that their
this campaign, we feel
arms• in the Peninsula does not amount to 130,000 men.
A retrospective view of the military occurrences since the
iurival of BONAPARTE, giVes a strong appearance of truth
SO this supposition. Whilst the army under Biome was
pressed by the enemy, their force on the Ebro remained
perfectly inactive; and no attempt was made to force the
passes of the Somo Sierra, till part of the troops could be
detached, which acted agaiosi CasTasros: when we reflect
on the extreme vigour and impetuosity with which the
operations of BONAPARTE had been uniformly conducted,
we arc convinced that had his army been so considerable,
as the Moniicur represents it, the tyrant would not have
remained, from the 1 lin to the 27th, statiuhary at Burgos;
hut would have immediately pushed forward to the ca-
pital, in order to crush at once the means of resistance the
:iiupreine Junta was busied in orgamsiug. It is a subject
of the highest gratification that government feels at last a
similar conviction, and has conie to the noble determina-
tion of opposing a force to the enemy capable, without
...ven the assistance of the Spaniards, of expelling them front
spill. It is an excess of drivelling to maintain, that we
have not the means of assembling an army of 120,000
711(1 in that country ; it is in our power to collect a much
iarg-er force, if • *we wished to try the utmost extent
of our resources. If Minister's
,repose so much con,
tideiicc in the patriotism of the public, and the
bravery of our army, as to make -this great • ef-
foil, whilst they 'secure the political preponderance
of great Britain, and the independence of Spain,
they will establish a permanent memorial of their
t.ilents as Statesmen. We are sincerely happy to hear that
rutin Wvi,tEst.RY is to have a distinguished com-
mand on the occasion ; and General VERL:usoN, and a
'mintier of other meritorious Officers, have received orders
to proceel on a similar destination. The appointment of
sir Awritv't Wt.1.1.r.5i.w4 will meet with the approbation of
eke,-). man, ‘%ho recollects the brilliant result of the battle
of Vimiera, and his prudence and delicacy-during the-sit-
ting of the Court of Enquiry. A considerable portion at
the public indignation, in consequence of the Convention,
of (Mtn:, fell to his share ; and he submitted with dignity
to this unincrite
in a censure, sooner than' clear his cha-
racter the ahience of the Officer who was the
real causf, of that unfortnnate transaction. We bestowed
on it our measure of abhorrence, and having seen the
52nction ilernnie.s umne to w repulsive an act we
thought it our-duty, as it unquestionably was, to give our
disappruhation to every one Concerned in
Nm'i":l it. We now feel a degree of pleasure, propor
t • t
t4tin^repngaance we felt in crnsurinm hint, in'
'7

having it in our power;t9, acquit him of any share in the
odious measure; .dalseessictsot a more promising officer iu
Out set's ice;' and itt afford triumph, as well as joy,
that the country, in 'Sittig 'important crisis, *can eujny tti6
full extent of his servifes and talents.
A tioittnburgh Mail, which arrived on Tuesduy last,
brought the intelligence of a Convention and Armistice
having been concluaed:lpetween the Swedes and 'Russians
in Finland. The greipi'aCcession of force which the enetny
had received sometime precious to the Armistice, rendered
st indispensably necessary *on the part of our allies. They
had suffered besides so dutch from the scarcity of provision*
and the inclemency of the weather, that their effective
force was reducod, through sickness and the above-men-
tioned causes, to about. 7000 men. Under these disadvanta-
ges, howe'ver,'diitinguisbod the bravery of the Swedes may
he, it was impossible for thrill to oppose an etFectnal re-
sistance to the enemy. however the season was so far ad-
vanced, that had those causes, not intervened, a cessation
of hostilities must have taken place. From the excessive
cold, which sets in about the lieginuint of Novembor, in
North Finland, no military operations can be carried ou
after that month.; and this circumstance will accoailt for
the readiness of the enemy to accede to the Armistice. it
was to continue for a month ; and notice of the cessation
is to be given fifteen da)s before hostilities are recom-
menced.

It is said that Sir Arthur 'Wellesley, roes out in corn:
'nand of all the reinforcements going to Spain. With him
go—
Major-Geoeral SPEN can, Major-General DiroTT,
NiURRAY, • THEI.WCS,
FERGUSON, Brig-General jLw es,
PAY NE, Man cm,
COTTON, - Derv.
Sir John Moore has very urgently pressed Government is
expedite the return of the General Officers attached to the
army under his command now in this;country ; and sevnal
of them. among whom is Sir Arthur Wellesley, are making
preparations to proceed to Spain immediately.
Speculation and fancy have been at work, and romours
of various descriptions have been circulated during the
last few days.—A massacre of the French at Nlafirid, who
were attacked in a moment of consTqueut of
their gaining the Spanish capital, and a defeat of the French
by the British army, were among the prevalent reports;
but for which there can be no foundation, slime no adviceS
sufficiently recent have come to this country.
The Members of the Board of Inquiry,- met on Friday at
the house of Mr. Ryder, the Judge-Advocate-General, .or
the pnrpose of affixing their signatures to the report wh. h
was prepared for that purpose. When the report shell
have received the signatures, it will he forwarded by the
.Judge-Advocate-General to his Royal Highueis the Com-
mander in Chia, for the purpose of being laid before his
Maier, ; when, if his Majesty shall approve of the infer-
ences drawn by the Board from the evidence, the report will
ae communicatNl to the parties and made public. The
Commander-An-Chief had an interview with Ws Majesir
yesterday at Windsor, on Military business. The rapers
eontaining the opinions of the Members of the Court of En-
quiry, were laid before his 'Majesty, and the Fovereign's
•ileasnre will be male known in a few days.
A plan for qualifying the Spailiards to risr must, is
handing
.about in the political circles Tie prilc.idc of clot
eonrhat is chiefly urged, and it ;4 propofiat, that :1; «in-
verted time, the whole population shall ass-r:Me ttiree
or four strong positions conveniently sito:in.,!, and With
the Spaiiish troops and the Roglish Army cottlei fo.