The National Register.
London, England, 1808-12-11 00:00:00

to pass the Ebro, inOnler to pursue them in their retreat.
Whilst he was vngaged in this pursuit, Nay, who was be.
fore engaged against General BLAKE, was detached by
BoNAPA Tom for Burgos, and is supposed to have crossed the
Ebro in the rear of the Spanish General. The army under
CAsTAxos, which was looked to with the, greatest confi-
dence by the Spapiards, was thus taken between two tires,
and is said to Oaye. teen totally routed and dispersed. A
disaster of such extent and consequence has totally changed
the aspect of military affairs in that country, and there i 3
reason to attribute to it the retreat of the British forces.
It was stated in prior accounts that the Marquis DE LA
ROVANA had a force of mow Inn at Leon ; but it now
appears, that he had, at the date of the last dispatches, no
more than 6000 there; but he expected a reinforceinent of
16,000 men. The enemy were baffled in their attempt to
intercept his artillery, fur he has a park of 30 pieces at
Leon. This intrepid officer is said to have expressed much
dissatisfaction, and reinonstrated strongly against the re-
treat of Sin DAVID BAIRD'S force.

We know nothing of the Army of Catalonia ; nor of Cie.
neral PALarox, nor of the further progress of the French.
It is, however, reported that they entered Madrid on the
27th ult. and thus llors.srs.RlE has executed one part of his
menace. The second is " that not a British I;oldier will
in Spain at the end of the year".—Our Ministers will an-
swer for that.

The disastrous intelligence, received from Spain on
Thursday last, has excited raise-worthy sympathy in the
breasts of Unglishmen ; but it is not by lameietations, nor
eflUsions of regret for the disasters sustained by that
brave people, that we can repair their loss. A louring
despondency began to cloud almost every brow, because
General CASTANOS was severely beaten on the Ebro. But
the particulars of this engagement, and the time when it
was fought, we arc totally unacquainted with. Ministers
have only had the condescension to allow one sweeping sen-
tence of their alarming account tq transpire; for fear,

we suppose, the account, in all its horror, might have too
shocking an effect on the weak nerves of their country-
men. Do they entertain this paltry opinion of British
vigour and constancy ? for shame ! let them know to ap-

predate better the charter of this country, awl in fact of
every ether; for when Imp possessed of energy direct the
affairs of :t peoph•, the latter are energetic, and are not
to be l;e4t down by one or two reverses. The unaccount-
able, and ill-advised silence, enintained by Ministers on the

occurrences in Spain, has been the ran;e of the extreme.

. .
uneasiness manifested by the public fur the t v.so last days;
and we advise them, 8$ they regard their own reputation,
and the promotion of the common cause, to be ►core cow-
municp.tive for the future of the 4ispatches they receive,
and not IQ allow a thousand alarming rumours to agitate
the public, and to magnify the reverses. To this want of
common prudenee, to this diffidence in the magnani►nity of

their countrymen, they must 4ttribilte so many rumours
disadvantageous to their own character., Ftriotigm, and
courage, which haie circulated since Thursday last. For
otherwise not the most inveterate of their antagonists,
not the most personal of their enemies, would have duelt
iCclse them Cf th: baseness and millannnily of 6hcr, hot-