The National Register.
London, England, 1809-12-03 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

762

toe preceding. Austrian war; the stun:hilation of the P

sian army ; the ineffectual- efforts of Russia, and the hu-
miliating peace of Tilsit, together with the unavailing ex-
ertions which had been previously mad by all the powers
in Europe against France, tOrved to establish as a general
axiom, that BUONAPARTE was virtually master of the
Continent ; and that he had no further opposition at least
for a number of years, to the execution of any projects. he
might have formed, hostile to British trade and independ-
ence. Our own government seemed, at the time, to have
adopted the same. opinion ; and, •in their language. and
meaiures, to evince an intention of adopting a conforma-
ble line of policy. Our exertions were to be purely de-
• Pensive. Our resources were to be carefully bukanded for
the protection of our .own shores; and the nations of Bo-
:rope, so far from having been looked to as future allies,
were cunsidered as indissolubly leagued with the enemy
for the destruction of this country. Such was the.general
4entiment, which prevailed towards the conclusion of the
year 1807, and at the commencement of the following.
It was a melancholy interval. The most ardent spirits
began to despond—the most enlightened saw only a suc-
cession of revolving years of slavery, distress and abase-
ment, as the unavoidable lot of our former allies; on our
93vn part, they apprehended an interminable war, with its
multiplying sacrifices of blood and money, or, what was
•till more terrific, a peace, without confidence and secu-
rity. The state of the world, at that time, afforded a fa-
rvorable .field fur the gloomy anticipations ofthe weak and
Superstitious ; and religion was introduced to explain and
justify their. enfortunate predictions. Reason, and super-
stition; the authority of precedent, and the impressions of
the _moment, contributed to eacrease the gloom and ter-
rors of that unfortunate period.
. Sod), Gentlemen, were our situation .and presentiments
in the beginning of the year 1808. There was not a -single,
state in Europe, which had not, from
.compulsion, or
choice, joined in the confederacy against us. What was
more painful, some, who, for more than a century, were
United with our government by the ties of consanguinity
and reciprocal benefits, became most rancorously hostile;
lend a complete oblivion of former obligations, a total re-
yolutitin in thinking and feeling, as far as we were con,
Oerned, seemed to have then prevailed on the Continent,
with the solitary exception of Sweden..
Such, Gentlemen, was the gloomy state of our affairs
at the commeocement of last year. But the gloom was
•uddenly converted into a meridian splendour, we thottOt
banished, at least, during the life of the present4ctiera-
Lion, from our hemisphere. It is painful and useless to re-
capitulate the impressions, the hopes, the excessive joy,
ihefirst intelligence, and the early events of the
Spanish insurrection, diffused amongst every class of
British subjects. It is useless, because not one expectation
Sias been verified. It is painful, lcause the disappointment
is to be traced exclusively to the mismanagement, tardiness,
and vaciliaf )irit of our Government. What an op.
France in inextricable difficulties,
at spirits of the Continent, did that
offer I Had Mr. PITT lived at that
•resided over our Councils ; how-lif-
'Europe, the situation of the enemy,
own affairs, be at this moment I But,.
the propitious opportunity, were de-
g

DEC: 3,

- . . .
livered to the managemeat of a senseless, blustering, petty.
fogging Junto ; and their touch and breath blasted it !
scrutable Providence ! how shall we reconcile the occur-
rences of our age with thy benignity and.wisdom ? An op-
portunity was offered for securing the freedom and happi.
ness of mankind.; and., what is inexplicable, it was marred by
the casual existence of an Administration, the most Unfitted
in its views, and the mnst..cnntracted in its feelings, that ever
directed, or will probably conduct, the affairs of this coun-
try. That they, in that particular time, should have the
will, or the powertof ilp!itroying_plip..t the most favourable
incident, the must partial fortune could have presented, is,
in my opinion, a difficulty,
,whielineither reason, religion,
nor feeling, arc capable of solving.

13,u,t
.the foregoing, Gent,leinen, is insignificant, corn-
pared to what immediately followed. Even the cold suf-
focating views of our Government were incapable of to-
, tally extinguishing the flame of patriotism in Spain, and
the inhabitants continued in arms, though partially, after
our army was obliged .to abandon them to their own
efforts, and to the rage of a ferocious enemy. •But the
cause was considered desperate; and the humanity of the
people of thil country deplored the unavailing efforts,
which the Spaniards continued ito make, as it was appre-
headed, they might provoke greater atrocities on the.part
of the • enemy, without a reasonable prospect of
success. I need not dwell on a state of things,
which existed eight months ago. I will, therefore,
hasten to the subject of this letter. Whilst freedom was
expiring in the West of Europe, it suddenly burit out
with a new force and splendour in the East ; and served to
revive and warm the courage of the Spanish Patriots,
whilst it afforded the British Government an opportunity
of retrieving its late errors.. 'Austria, by an unprecedented
combination of vigour and unanimily, had, in the short
space of thretvears, raised a! more numerous and better
organised army, than she possessed at any former period;
and, with this formidable forcei took the field against the
common enemy. She evinced, at the same time, the des-
perate resolution of recovering her former power, or
perishing iu the attempt. How did our vigilant Govern-
medt avail itself of this new advantage ? It seemed
suddenly to awake from its apathy. Orders were issued
for the embarkation of .a fUrmidable army ;—a general
bustle prevailed in the naval and military departments, and
in all the harbours in the Channel ; and, from the extent
of the preparations; the ardour with which they were car-
ried on ; the co-operation of a• great naval force ; the
quantity and quality of the stores that were embarked,
the most sanguine hopes were entertained that the expe-
ditioa would retrieve the honour of the country, and ren'der
the most important service to the allies. Days, week, and
months elapsed, but the preparations still contiaued ; and it
was hoped that- what was lost in point of time, would be
tnade.up by the magnitude of thefotice. The destination of
this formidable Armada next engaged our attention ; but the
.general opinion was balanced between Spain•and the North
of Germany. Both points • seemed to offer equal advan-
tages; and at bcith places a most tremendous blow might
have been struck the enemy. In the latter the intrepid
SCHILL had raised the standard of Independence ; and
thousands were flying to it. Wcstnkttia, Hanover, Pome-
rania, and Mecklenburgh were in a state of insurrection;
and it was ardently desired that a vision of our artpa•••


and vficiiiating spirit of
, .rtuniti for involving
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