The National Register.
London, England, 1809-12-10 00:00:00

DEC. 10.

tonban.,
SUNDAY. DECEMBER 10. 1809.

POLITICIL EVENTS OP THE WEEK.

Several transports with troops from Walcheren, have
reached Harwich, and the remainder are daily expected.—
Every thing, stores, baggage, and artillery, were embarked
at the date of the lest accounts from that island. The
embarkation of our troops was clearly completed, and the
English merchants residing. there were shipping all their
property ; so that the resolution has been at last defini-
tively taken to abandon that fatal theatre of ministerial
folly and vacillation. What a pity it is, and how unac-
countable does it appekr, that the reputation and lives of
a numerous and respectable population should depend upon
such paltry instruments, as the advisers of that disgraceful,
and ill-devised enterprize I Centuries will elapse, and, at
their expiration, it will be, unquestionably, recorded, as
an appaling example of the disgrace which a few worth-
less agents may bring upon an entire nation. Bad no no-
tice been taken; no resentment expressed; no demands of
inquiry into the causes of this infamous transaction been
instituted by the corporate bodies of the United King-
dom—we had then despaired of our country, and con-
tidered this apathy as tke surest s) mptom of its

impending destruction. But the old Britibh
honour, and sensibility, survive the blunders of even
the late Administration; and these iusects have buz-
zed through a cloudy day, and then expired t but
the sun of B. i..;sh honour, rose on the follow-
ing, and dissipated the effluvia and filth, which these ani-
malcules had left behind.' The Sovereign, as may be ex-
pexted from a patriot King, sympathises iu the feelings of
his injured people, and his ear is ready to hear, and his
heart to feel fur their unmerited grievances. The Cor-
poration of Loudon have taken a lead, and given an im.
pulse, worthy of their rank and stake in th, Empire.
The most flagitious of all treasonable acts is to screen or
defend, the authors of a transaction, which injured
not only the most vital interests, but the reputation,
of the community. Even the vilest egotist, the
most insensible tool, the most anxious expectant to the
east or west of, Temple-bar, would blush to be guilty of
such political panderisin ! To cater to the vices and follies
of public men; to lick the dust off the feet of individuals,
who had just trampled upon the honour of the country, is
an ignominy, which we hope never to hear imputed to a
British subject.

We have inserted a most interesting letter from BUONA•
PARTE to the Emperor ALEXANDER. It is a most valuable
document, and bears unequivocal marks of authenticity.
It is stamped with the character of the man, and we have
been extremely surprised at the affected, or real doubts,
entertained by some papers, relative to its genuineness, It
begins with a desire, on the part of the writer to know
whether he be permitted to congratulate the Russian Auto•
crat upon the peace he concluded with Sweden. There is a
great deal of finesse in this demand ; as if the circum•
stance excited no interest in BUONAPARTE, but-as far al it
refered to his Imperial Ally; and as it seems to exculpate
BUONAPA RTIC from any undue interference in,the quarrel
and arrangements between Russia and Sweden. The great
(•iiject, however, which BUO NAPA RT E SCORN to have bad
in view, was to explain to ALEXANDER the result of the
conferences at Schoenbruun ; and to insinuate that to his
moderation Austria was indebted for the favourable condi•
Lions she had received. This letter does not contain a
single insinuatioa that this favour was granted in compli-
ance with the wishes of the Emperor ALEXANDER ; though
from the spirit of the correspondence, there is strong reason
to conclude, that the latter had interested himself in favour
of Austria. This surmise we ground•upon the allusion to
Gallicia, the greater part of which, &lONA PARTE declares,
will not change masters conformably to the wishes of ALEX-
ANDER. This letter seems likewise to have been written to
dissipate the apprehensions of the Russian Cabinet, upon the
subject of Poland ; and the Corsican, whilst with admirable
dexterityihe recommends the Duchy of Wirsaw, to the fa-
vourable regards of his MAJESTY, promises, that in no case,
nor under any circumstances,' the Russian part of Poland
has any protection to expect from him. A strong anxiety
must have existed at the Court of St. Petersburg, relative
to the progress of the French in Poland, to provoke this
declaration.
We shall make no comments on the observations relative
to our expeditions ; and to the indescribable folly and abeam,
dity of our Cabinet. We have felt them poignantly, and

.

have no inclination to renew the bitter, mortifying, sensa
tions we experieaced during the perusal. Let the reader
Judge for himself:

The last accounts from Holland, which come down to the
Ist instant, invalidate the reports which have been, for some
time in circulation, of a meditated change in the govern-
ment of that country. They contain au address, teeming
with affection and respect to Lours BONAPARTE, upon his
intended j rrney to Paris. There is not an allusion made
to the rurWoured change ; but the address contains some
strong expressions of regret on the hardship and unavoid-
able urgency of fresh financial burthens ; and concludes
with an earnest hope that their beloved King would speedily
return to his affectionate subjects. Lours, in his answer,
promises to gratify their wish for his speedy return ; sym-
pathises with them upon the subject of the finances, and
the restrictions upon commerce ; and insinuates that some
advantages may arise from his visit to his imperial brother.

The affairs or Spain increase, from day to day, in im-
pori ance, and inspire, a larger share of interest. Every
province vies with the others in a generous emulation of
freedom, and in the organization of means to secure it.
When the will and the deed thus correspond, and are mark-
ed with vigour and enthusiasm in the conception and exe-
cution of measures--in that country it is not easy for
an invader and a tyrant to consolidate his plan of conquest
and slavery. This opinion begins to gain ground ; and we
sincerely exult in its propagation, as it does honour to the
fbelinn-s of the man who entertain Pt, whilst it is a tribute of
approbation to the generous exertions of the people, who
arc its objects. But there is still a phalanx of incredul-
ous beings, who boast their consistency in repressing the con-
tidence and ardour of their own countrymen, and calumniat-
ing the principles and actionsof the Spaniards. These men,
if they are not strong in limners, respectability, and ta-
lents, are formidable in impudence and political perversity.
Tau represent our allies, as a foolish and weak people, and
found this indecorous charge upon premises as ragged 1
rotten as their conclusions. ''he Spaniards, in their opinion,
.are a foolish people, for fighting for their fields, their cot-
tages, their wives, sisters, and daughters, in order to preserve
them from the lust and rapacity of a horde of licentious,
savage, and unprovoked invaders. These are no motives to
'resistance; and, because their former government was
guilty of considerable excesses, had often infringed upon
their rights, and betrayed by its last act, the infamy of its
principles, and the turpitude of its conduct—because the
iaquisition was a vexatious, unjust, and infamous tribunal—
because the pretensions of the nobility, and the vast pos-
sessions of the clergy, were inconsistent with the prosperity
of the great body of the people—Because these evils did
exist, the Spaniards betray their folly in resisting the in-
troduction and substitution of still greater evils. They are
.fools for resenting the atrocities and insults of the French ;
because the grand inquisitor arrogated pretensions con-
'Vary to religion and humanity. Such are the proofs of
Spanish folly laid down by our exclusive patriots and re-
formers. There are bigots in politics, as well as in religion,
who, in proportion to the absurdity of a tenet, obstinately
• adhere to it. This is strongly evinced in the conduct of a
certain class of men in this country, who, under the mask
of zeal for freedom and abhorrence of abuses, endeavour
to subvert every liberal principle, and extinguish every
'generous sentiment, which does not square with their par-
tial ccintcsicAo attld suffocating notions of liberty, and re-
have taken it into their heads to admire
#=.ll ssii* of BLIONAPA RTE, from a certain
1)
r !'f•-• :YeliAlent. From the same liberal and

'Lv7,l9

DEC. 10.

and patriotic motive, they calumniate and affect to de-
spise the Spaniards, their cause, and their efforts.
We feel an inexpressible indignation, when we read these
vituperating comments, suggested by brutality, and the
most illiberal prejudice; and could dash the paper, which
contains them, into the face of the writer. What a heart
that man must have, which is cold and indifferent to the
exertions of a people struggling against injustice and op-
pression ! What principles he must possess, when he has
recourse to ridicule, misrepresentation and falsehood, to
decry their efforts, and extenuate the atrocities of the
aggressor ! There is something most ludicrously incon-
sistent in the professions of.Coenevr and his mimics. They
affect a kind of Jansenistical convulsion, when they at•
tempt to attest the miracles and infallibility of their own
party ; but they are as cold and stiff as infidelity, as often
as they allude to practical freedom, They are patriots in
England ; but supporters of the vilest tyranny in every
other country. Apostles of reform, and admirers of
NAPOLEON BUONAPARTE They affect a veneration for
freedom, and avow an admiration for its greatest enemy.
We have been led into these reflections, in consequence
of the malicious, obstinate, and inhuman attempts made
by this squad, to injure the cause of freedom in Spain, in
the opinion of Englishmen. If they act from conviction,
they have a very limited view of the real interests of their
country, and of the advantages that would accrue to her
in the event of Spanish success. But if they speak in op-
position _to their real sentiments, and disseminate their
opinions only for the purpose of creating discontent—where
'shall we find terms to mark our abhorrence of their base
and dangerous machinations. Whatever their motives
are, whether they originate in folly, or wickedness, they
have found, thanks to the good sense and liberality of the
British nation, very few proselytes to their illiberal, and
disheartening doctrines. By a certain impudence of as-
sertion, and jargon, interlarded with some popular words,
they might have imposed upon the credulous and the
short-sighted ; but the great mass of our countrymen are
not to be convinced by sound and impudence, that it
would be to their advantage, were BUONAPARTE to be-
come master of Spain and her colonies. We thank Heaven
that he is not; for it would be one of the most calamitous
incidents which could befal us and the nations of Europe.
The possession of the Peninsula would consolidate his
usurpation, and might enable him to perpetuate it in his
family. It is impossible that this country, though she
might resist for five, ten, even fifteen years, could main-
tain her independence, for a considerable time, against
this immense accumulation of power, in the hands of an
indefatigable enemy.
But this event is not so near, as has been so precipitately
concluded. Two French armies., much more formidable
in numbers than those which overran Austria, subjugated
Prussia, and hupabled Russia, have been already immo-
lated to Spanish vengeance. More than 150,000 of the
invaders, in the course of eighteen months, have fallen ;
and this comprehensive act of retributive justice was in-
flicted during an interval, when the military resources of
the Spaniards, their abhorrence of the enemy, and their
confidence in themselves, were considerably inferior to
what they are now. Every day is an important acquisi-
tion to an unanimous people, struggling for freedom.—
They grow habituated to danger ; acquire greater expe-
rience in the use of arms ; approach gradually to a level of
discipline with the invaders, whilst they surpass them in
every other advantage, local, numerical, and moral.—
This happy and decisive change becomes more and more
visible, and justifies already the most. sanguine anticipa-
tions. The Spaniards, exclusive of their harrassing,
sultory, and exterminating warfare, in which courage alone
has the advantage, begin to meet the enemy on his
own terms; defy him to battles in which discipline
insures success, and, by their present steadiness, spew
that they are the descendants of those Spaniards,
who, in the time of Puma the Second, were the best sot-