The National Register.
London, England, 1809-06-04 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

JUNE 4.

Vienna, and that in consequence colonial p.-Alncn had
fallen considerably. Now we know from other sources,
' that colonial produce has fallen' greatly in price ; at
Hamburgh, for instance, coffee has sunk 50 per cent. But
we are by no moans so well convinced of the pretended
Cause.

Some more German Papers have arrived. The moot
intercs'ii,g• part of their contents relates to the enterprising
Colonel Scum, who appears to be proceeding in his plans
of operation with the greatest activity. Letters from Lu-
nenburgh of the 40th ult, state, that a division of his troops
entered 034 town on the 9th, made several requisitions.
took docsn the French Arms, and placed those of Great
Britain in their place. • Another division of his troops has
entered Weimar, and a third has proceeded towards Hos
Lock and Pomerania; soveral smatl 'detachments have
taken Helmstadt, Saitzgitter, Schoppenstedt, .llalderstadt,
and Goslar ; at the latter place tliey carried off the Go-
vernment money and property, as powder until lead, from
the magazines. It is supposed that ScaiLL snort tie in
possession of Hambur4h. Letters from Munic4 ;ititte, the!
Bavarians have obtained considerable success in the Tyrol.
General DEROY, it is said, after a battle of eight hours
continuance, defeated the Tyrolese, and relieved Xi:ft:stein,
Which was besieged lik= them. The German Papers. also
give a sketch of the terrils demanded by Russia of Sweden:
they are the possession of Finland, and the excluSion of the
English from the Swedish ports.—The RevdlutiOn is said to
have thrown an obstacle in the way of Peace, and'it is de-
clared that Russia will only 'negociate with the lawful.Go-
vernment' of Sweden.

Dispatches have been received from Lieut.-General Sir
ARTHUR WELLesi.v.Y,. &fed Oporto, the S.Mth ult: and at
the same time Lisboa :Wipers •to the 22. ti came to hand.
The latter give some very exaggerated statements of the
successes of the British and Ponape'le arities, which the
official dispatches enable us to correct. The fact, as
stated by Sir An Faun himself, is, that so far front the
whole of Marshal SOeLT'S army havia::: been compelled to
surrender (as falsely asserted. in the Portuguese Gazettes),
the attempt made, to cut off his. retreat has avowedly
proved unsuccessful, Souf.T havin•2; with the remnant of
his force effected his escape; and the British army has in
Consequence returned to Oporto, in order to direct its'ef-
forts against the army of Marshal VICTOR, the Stmthern
side of Portugal. lt appears by Sir A. NVELL*BI.EV'S dis-
patche.s, that Sou uf's retreat, after the action of the It!th,
was so rapid, and his remnant force so much dispersed,
that it was. found impossible to- continue the pursitit,
-without dividing the British
.army so as to render it lei:, fit
for ulterior operations. Souur, after having lost his 'ar-
tillery, 'baggage, ammunition, and at least one-fourth of
bis army',. and left behind the whole of his sick and wounded,
bas effe'cted his retreat -tbrorigh'the Mountains by Villa del
Rey to Orense, for the obvious purpose of forming a
jnuctiou with • Marshal NEy in Gallicia. In his
however, his rear-guard was overtaken at Ituvaens by a
detachment: of the British army, consisting of some com-
panies of the Guardi; an action ensued, is which the
enemy were defeated, and completely put to the rout.
The French in their.fiight not only destroyed every' thing
that could encumber them; but killed or ham-strung all
the horses and mules belonging to their- triggage-waggons
artillerY, Findittg. it itnposible to intercept ILO

, St,

enemy, Sir Atrraua WELLEKI.Ev, having cleared Portugal
of the French, had returned to Oporto, and was to pro-
ceed to the Sonthwacd, whore there was every hope of his
being ale to act. with c•iicct against the army of Marshal
Vic Tort, who. was said to be menacing Portugal on the
s:deof Alc:intara ;- and troops had been sent to Lisbon In
join those Ivhich were at Abrantes, destined to oppose the
enemy.

According IN a teller from Abrantes, of the 20th ult.
a French corps of IZ,ooomen had forced the bridge of Ai-
cantara, and had proceeded to Castel Franco. on their
route towards Thaeyda, with the intention, it was supping,
ell, of succourin;; Soul:r ; but it is imagined, that wheu
the retreat of Soilur is fatly known, they will move dow;t
the Tagtis to take advantage of Sir A. WELLEstrv's ab-
sence. Another French corps, hut few in numbers, had
appeared on the South Bank of the Ta,:its, at Mentbrio
and Sakritio.

It cannot but appear most extraorilinary, that there
should he such a wide difference between the accounts
.hich Minislcrs had formerly given of the state of Portu-
gal, and of the probable results of the victory of Sir Ai.-
Tuvii. WELL EST:EV , and that which must he necessarily in-
ferred from the above dispa'Aies. Whoa the former dig-
patches of Sir A Tat% verc received, the Park
and Tower guns were tired, and every demonstration of
joy was made, as if a most important Vid ory bad bees
guined.—low to what does this alledged victors. ainnu mt :
Is it act evident, fron all Accounts, that the rear of Mar-
shah Stiiu...r's Army %Vas the only part engaged. And is it
not equally evident, and equally mortifying, that Marshal
Sou LT has clic:etc,' his retreat, end that the acquisition of
Oporto, and a brush with Marsh:A Scour's rear, have hie
the only fruits of S;r alliva's victory.
''Sve cannot but here (4)serve, that no possible good pur-
pose can be answered by this system of delusion. In a free
country, the people should know ail, because in hand
.:Intl heart they should participate in all. This, in fact,
should he the Main distinction of a popular form of•go-
vernment. In despiatic•s!ates, it is dangerous to trust the
people. It is a principle of government to keep Ihein in
blindness, in order to keep them in awe. Ott the other
hand, in a free slate, as the peol•!!, can always i trt!s!er.l,
as their•interest is identified with that if !lie 11/4;overnmeut;
so should every thing he fair betweea them. la a free
government there is a tacit hut well-undors!ood 'partner-.
ship between the people and the state. In such a part Lir.
ship every thing should be fair and common : there'shonlit
he no coitiTalment, no. reserve, no deception. The united
efforts of the firm are .not to be expected, unless upon thia
basis. faille first moment of a great disaster, it may- he'
prue/ent,' it may be necessary' to soften the effect of ?t oa.
the public mind—to communicate it gradalim, and thus t,o
y,
dilute its force by a gradual development. In these c.v..
cumstames, 'sac!) 'reserve, 'and even disguise, is necessar
to eludes the first
.force of popular passions ; but evea iq
such cases the disguise must be only temporary : the peo-
pie must .not be duped. There is. not, however, the same
,excuse fur the exaggeration of a trivial success, as for thei
considerate communication of a great calamity. In the
fOrmer Case, it I:: necessary to consult the passions of the
people. In, the latter, ac, there is nothing to apprehend,
4() is there no reasonable excuse for deception. Popular,
desp,..ir may lead. to mischievous effects; and some sacri-
in • •
flees.; there m fore,•ay be allowable, -order to chid.; it