The National Register.
London, England, 1808-11-27 00:00:00

VIE NATIONAL REGISTER.

;nem y; not only re-entered Burgos, bat penetrated
:ulladulid. It was said they had advanced to this
their way to Madrid ; hut it is more probable that
this movement has been made, in order to prevent a junc-
tion between our army and that of Casratvos ; or to at-
tack that under Sit Joust llooar, before it is reinforced by
that of Sir Davro BAiwD. Sir J. Nloorte is stated to be at
Salamanca, which is about 00 miles from Valladolid, where
the advanced troops of the enemy have arrived. It was
thought at first be would effect a junction with Sir DIN ID
13AIRD'S force at Burgos; but the ral•idity and *decisive •
nature of the enemy's operations, haw, disconcerted •
this plan, and it is now supposed they will join at
!Zamora. Private letters mention that our troops are.
pursuing the road to Benevento. Zamora, the sup-
posed place of junction, is midway between Benevento
and Salatrauca ; so that if the French have actually ar-
rived at Valladolid, this rapid march has been made by N ev,
to intercept a part of our force, or to prevent its junction.
If the above information be true to its full extent, of
which we entertain very considerable doubts, which we
will afterwards explain, Sir 3. Mooui will be placed under
the necessity of falling back, in order to join the rear of
his army, which, from want of magazines, has been
obliged to follow in small divisions. This is a measure of
prudence ; and will facilitate his junction with Sir D..
Barna. In whatever situation our army may be placed by
these unexpected occurrences, they will do their duty, and
in a manner worthy of their country and their deserved
rerutation. Some fears are, however, entertained, that
the next intelligence may bring us some unpleasant ac-
counts relative to the troops advancing from Corunna, as
the cavalry under General Iloer, have taken a different
route from thaCof the infantry. A feet of transports,
which sailed from Corunna on the morning of the 19th,
had been recalled ; and it was reported, that this order was
given as a measure of precaution, should Sir D. BAIRD be
unable to continue his march. The wildest and most ex-
travagant reports prevailed at Corunna, when the Lady
l'ellew sailed, of treachery on the part of the Spanish
Generals, and that several had been arrested by order of
the Supreme Junta, in consequence of a detected conspi-
racy. The following letter from an Officer of the 60th
Regiment, then at Comma, contains a passage in confirma-
tion of this rumour : " The Spanish Gen. Cu ESTA has been
detected in a traitertms correspondence with the enemy,
and is now in ignominiotts confinement."
Such is the substance of these unfavourable accounts,
which rest, as well as the dispatches received by Government,
on no official authority ; and are no more than a recapitu-
lation of the vague and contradictory reports prevalent at
Corunna, when the Lady Pellew sailed from thence. It.
was the duty of the. Agents of Government, to send ever
these reports in the form they received them ; and, in
ge!lerp;, their torneutuxasCoaa are as unfounded, and as
little deserving of coil adene, as those of private
tudivi-
duals. It is superfluous to olNerse, tha► we except the ac,
counts transmitted to them a/field/at ; bnt, on every other
occasion, they are as liable to error, and to be imposed on,
as any other individual in the [dace where they reside.
Becaese Governinent has received the s+:i►stance of these
rumours froin _/..;;;:nts at (..orunna,proves sc ino re in

corroboration of these reported disasters, than a letter,
which any .breker, or merchant in the city, happens to re-
ceive on the same subject. It must be remarked, in like
manner, that this intelligence arrived at Falmouth on Tues.
day last ; and since that day, though the wind has been
constant-4 favourabfe, no subsequent accounts have been
received.
Had official intelligence been received at Corunna, the days
after the sailing of the• Packet-boat, it is to be surmised
that the Agent of Government in that city would not have
dared neglect his duty, in deferring, even for a moms: tit,
to send off a vessel, in order to communicate to Ministers
dispatches of such extreme importance. As no such vessel
has arrived in any of our ports, nor any from St. Anders,
which is nearer the scene of hostilities, and also nearer
this country ; and where several are at the disposal deur
Agents, we ought, from this circumstance alone, to be
extremely cautious, what degree of credit we attach to
these rumours. That BLAKE has suffered very considerable
reverses, and lost a deal of ground, we apprehend ; but
we make no scruple in rejecting the accounts in the exag-
gerated and gloomy form they have been presented to us.
All the newspapers, with few or no exceptions, and the
receivers of letters and dispatches from Corunna, bare,
its communicating to the public their intelligence, forgot
a very material circumstance, viz. to inform us in what
place, and on what day, this engagement has taken
place, in which &axe himself is reported to have been
severely wounded and taken prisoner, and his whole army
routed and totally dispersed. But on these two material
points, which are absolutely necessary to substantiate a
fact of st ch vast importance, these accounts arc entirely,
and, we think, unaccountably silent. Until this extraordi-
nary omission be cleared up to us, we must beg leave to
refuse eur assent to an account so alarming in its cense.
quenees and tendency, and which rests on no other autho-
rity—but reports prevalent at Coruna, unsubstantiated by
subsequent accounts, or by any circumstance bearing the
the stamp of official communication. That accounts, the
most vague, contradictory, and alarming, must prevail
among the inahitants of Corunna, who are interested in,
so tremblingly alive to the events passing in their coun-
try, is natural, and expected by every man who had lived
any time near the theatre of hostile operations. Every
mind is kept in constant agitation, and consequently suscep-
tible of srtong and violent impressions. The first question
put to every traveller that arrives, and to every ac-
quaintance on meeting, is, " what tract from the
army '!" And when we reflect on the interest, the
avidity, the anxiety with which every account rela-
tive to that country is listened to here in England, we may
form some remote idea of the ardent curiosity which '1.:6
slightest circumstance connected with the fate of tacit
armies, must excite in the breast of the Spaniar'.: Iscry
individual in that Peninsula has so much at stake
issue of the contest, is so personally interested in to ):-
currences of the day, that it is by no means astonishing,
that, under such impressions, and with such motives for
curiosity and alarm, the most extravagant reports should
be in permanent circulation. As our Agents, however,
have seat no subsequent dispatches, and defer making
communications till the regular and fixed time of the
departure of the packet-boats, we consider as a strong- and
presumptive proof, that they have received no confirm
. tion of these eXtraordivary reverses, We cannot, therefure.