The National Register.
London, England, 1808-09-26 00:00:00

and we were happy to see that several Papers copied our
observation. We should be far from being surprised, on
the contrary, we foresee that Bonaparte will find some pre-
text fur detaining the transports which will convey the.
third and last division of his troops. Even the very stipu-
lation conveys a proof that such an event was apprehended
by our Commanders ; and.they had still the infamy to sign
it. "Vow comes The fourteenth. " Should there arise doubts
" as to the meaning of any article, it will be explained,
jiwourably.to the French army." We will not make
single comment on this article. There it is staring us in
the face ;. while our checks glow with indignation, and our
eyes swell with tears of rage. We will leave to our Readers
to explain and comment on it as they please. Never shall:
we defile our pages with another word on this worthless
eoncessioa. 11.0. 17. " No native of Portugal shall be
" rendered accountable for his political couduct,,during the
•6 period of the occupation of this country by the French
army." A complete act of grace, a bill of indeinuity in
favour of the traitors, who had sold their country and be-
trayed their Soveroito. What right had our officers to
screen those criminals from the justice of their offended
country. If motives of hamanity induced them to do so,
in order to prevent the sanguinary effects of popular re-
sentment, why had they the imbecility to consent that ac-
knowledged traitors should remain in the country. What
security is there fur the public tranquillity, when such a
swarm of disaffected individuals, together with the French
domieiliated in Portugal, arc at large, and at full liberty
to intrigue Did they reflect what responsibility, invective,
and future reproach they exposed themselves to, in conse-
quence of this article ! Not a FrencLman, not a Portu-
guese of this kind, that will happen to fall a sacrifice to
private %engoance or public animosity, but his death will
be imputed to our connkance or instigation. We recollect
what a cry of disapprobation was uttered when lapper
Tandy was liberated on the recoininendation of Otto ; and
%cry justly. Nye will now ask if our coodnct in Portugal
has not been equally weak, degrailinA-, and far more
politic.

It i, impossible we can submit to the painful drudgery
e,f going through the remaining. Articloo. Sincerely do we
regret that we are cor.denmed to the mortifying duty of
being forced Its register our national dishonour. This
precedent is of the most dangerous tendency ; it, is the
second which has been afforded in the short space of one
ear. flow far they may nectimuinte. flow far the evil
has nlniady spread we shudder to exam Me. When a man,'
like Sir Arthur Wellesley, Is stood so high iu the esteem
44 the army and nation, has gisen cause to accuse him of
misconduct, luliewanneess, lolly, and to suspect him of
something which we even feel a horror in supposing.
Good Heavens! Where vv, .s his spirit, his sense of honour,
and the remembrance of his past services ? We wished
him sa well ! entertained sad) sanguine expectations
from his talents and fritriotism We sincerely congratu-
lated our country that so prem:sing an officer was sent to
command the expedition : the sietory of Vimiera justified
our hopes ; and this very man, who was already in posses-
sion of so mach popularity, who had still more before
him, had the imbecility, or the infatuation, or the ....
(what expression shall we use?) to submit to the pretended
orders of an old woman, who, forsooth, absolutely forced
him to Figu. a Cuoventiva the most dishonourable on the

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records of our army. That 01.40.ir General 1v imelocke
was a trifle iu comparison. If Le knew what pain the
proofs, the irresistible. the glaring proofs of his baseness
have caused us in common with the mass of our coun-
trymen, if there were only a particle of the soldier or
citizen in his character, he would, in the very first engage.
meat, obliterate for ever the acute sense of his dishonour.
Sincerely and warmly do we pity him ; and regret the
honours he has lost, and the reputation he has forfeited.
Only twenty days ago there was not a native of the conntrs
who was not proud to recognise iu hilu a fellow-citizen ,
who did not make him the object of his pauegyrick ;
painful, mortifying change ! Ikere is not one of our
lowest artisans who does not at present look &mu with
sonic deg-me of contempt on the hero of Vimiera.
We will not pros this distressing subject further. W,i-
lingly would we abandon it for ever; but the interests et
our country, the crisis we arc placed in, the fortunes ot
seventeen millions of inhabitants, our reputation, our
indepeudance, the fate of the universe, extinguish in our
bosoms any latent consideration for an individual. Any
relaxation of justice in the prescut instance would be, per-
haps, the death-warrant of our national independence.
Circumstances of this kind, trivial as they may appear in
the eyes of the multitude, arc the surest symptoms of the
decline of empires. And should our country have the
mistOrtune to fall in the present contest, the future histo-
rian will, infallibly, pronounce that the Convention 01
Portugal was a sure prognostic of our fate.
We have declined till now animadverting on the conduct
of Sir Hew Dalrymple, or of Sir Barry Burrard. We hale
not done it from lenity ; but from motives of the most so-
cre;gti contempt. Indignation we cannot feel against No
such ',Usual& individuals : their conduct, their callous
instusibility have secured them against our enmity. 'flies
have dug the gulph of infamy—if they have not the vir-
tue of a Homan, let them have the courage; perhaps a
voluntary plunge may close it up for ever. The country
si.!emed to have a fatal presentiment of disgrace, as soon
as it. heard of the nomination of the former. Whoever
has proposed that unfortunate man, if he be out as callous
as his probe, must bewail, with tears of blood, the
he makes of his power and influence. We are afraid
there is much to investigate. _ _

sonic persons may be I►erhaps inclined to think these
strictures too severe. If they knew our real sentiments or,
the subject they were acquainted with the ell its
are obliged to make in order to restrain our indignation
if they only saw the allitir in the light we do ; they would
be astonished at the calmness of our style, and the lenity
of our strictures. Woe to the people, who remain lawn-
siblo to national dishonour ! Woe to the statesmen who,
from motis es of interest or favour, foster so dangerous
a ce!axation of national ►norality ! With what horror do
►e read of similar circumstances, when they occur in
other countries. flow did we reprobate the conduct of
Mack ! %%hat execrations did we bestow on the traitors
who delivered up the. Prussian fortresses! Did we wait
until a court-martial bad pronounced them guilty ? It was
the weakness of the Prussian cabinet, the encoura;T-
inent they gave to cowards and blockheads, and mist:lkea
principles of humanity, to which the overthrow of the
monarchy should be -attributed.
11 e s%i{! uoty s'►_y a few• worth as to the policy or justice