The National Register.
London, England, 1809-01-29 00:00:00

66

';.,,i„ ;ney plundered the Portuguese, they insulted
their prejudices, and, by depriving them of the benefits of
commerce, took every thing away which could render
urvitude tolerable. The people of Portugal, consequently,
abominated their oppressors. Exclusive of the affection
they must have for us, as the enemies of their tyrants ;

our very name recalled to their minds the influence and

tranq►►illity they possessed previous to their subjngatiou.
'Trade•, plenty, punishment of injuries, and independence,
were in the train of a British army ; and they hailed its
appe7 ranee as the signal of deliverance, and the dawn of
a better day.

From the picture we have now sketched, which, though
hasty, may be relied on as correct, who would have the
madness to prophecy the consequences of the ill-fated cam-
paign that ensieid? At its opening, every thing was auspi-
cious and exhiiirating;—Soldiers brave and willing ;--the
Generals in iigent and enterprising;—the country well-dis-
posed and I:Uendly ;—whilst the direction of the future ope-
rations y.as confided to, perhaps, the most promising Officer
in our service. Sir A. Writ Estes, possesses, iii a high de-
gree, a •nion of qualities, which are seldom the patrimony
of one man. Ile joins, to the comprehensiveness and
prudence of the .7'tatesman, all the attributes of a soldier,
whose life has been spent in camps ; and whose history is a
series of victories and gigantic enterprise.
The foregoing description naturally prepares the mind
for those signal events, which form a new epoch in the
annals of a country, and lay the foundation of its prepon-
derance and glory. It is true, our army fulfilled the ex-
pectations of the public, and even surpassed them. Two
victories, at lioleia and Vimeira, established the superio-
rity o:•iur army for bravery as Well as discipline ; whilst the
arrangiinents previous to, and during the engagement, and
the boldness of the operations, placed the Commander on a
level, for professional skill and enterprize, with any Gene-
ral of the present day. Such was the campaign, and such
the intelligence and heroism that marked its progress.
'But some demon has marred all ; and every thing has ter-
minated in disgrace arid disappointment. The country
bas been robbed of her glory, the honour of her arms sul-
lied, the blood of her sons uselessly shed, the Portuguese
have been alienated, the enemy conveyed in our ships back
to their own shores ; laughing at our weakness, and de-
riding our imbecility ; whilst the Spaniards were left to
contend alone with their merciless invaders, and were over-
whelmed before we could raise an arm in their defence.
Let us suppose ourselves reading the annals of another
'people, and of another age, we would immediately ac-
cuse the writer of exaggeration and perversion of facts ; or
should he attempt to develope to us the cause, we would
indignantly fling-411e book away, refusing our assent to so
extravagaut an idea, as that a nation, in the most awful
crisis of its affairs, should be so infatuated, or so dastardly,
_to allow a few individuals, as detestable for their vices,
as they are contemptible for their imbecility, and repulsive
on account of their insolence and luxury, to mismanage
and counteract (ncry measure that may be proposed for its
security and houour. The idea is so repugnant, that if
the experience of every day did not convince us of its rea-
lity, we should feel a mortification in assenting to it.
But should this mismanagement appear in our own af-
fairs ; should folly, vice and presumption thrust themselves
into aprointwents, where only genius, virtue and experi.