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

;~

THE NATIONAL REGISTER:

sure.

163

1N , _
abundoneld by this country, and betrayed by the universe, is
not only able to resist any storms and hurricanes that may
assail it from the side of France, but will afford one day, and
that day is neither remote nor uncertain, shelter, protection,
and freedom to the destitute and abandoned victims, who
are tow sighing, from one extremity of Europe to the
other, over the loss of those privileges they had not mag-
nanimity enough to defend. We blush at the pusillanimity
and dopon4ency manifested by newspaper-writers, and the
publiC' in t eneral, at the receipt of these letters frotn
Corunna ; ter a moments reflection would have shown, that
their .nitents were not only exaggerated, but ought
to be received with eantion and distrust'. We cannot deny,
however disagreeable it may he to our feelings, that
the Spaniards have suffered some reverses, and fallen .back
cousidetably `; but these reverses are neilker of Mai cala-
mitous ;or decisive nature, as was imagined. We hope
therefort the next intelligence will inform us that BLAKE'S
army, so far from being totally routed, and dispersed, is
still able'to maintain a series of obstinate, and ultimately
successful conflicts, against the base and execrable invaders.
The more we examine the proceedings of the Court of
Inquiry, the more we arc convinced of the necessity of an
investigation into the conduct of the Generals who signed
the Armistice and Convention. The recrimination made •
liy the Officers against one another, and the almost inde-
cent efforts used by each to clear himself from imputation
at the expellee of the other, leave no doubt as to the
merits of the transaction. We arc doubtful to what officer
we should attach most blame ; for no doubt can now be
entertained, that both were equally active in bringing this,
stigma on the national character. Whatever we have read
till flaw of the proceedings, we have not been able to dis-
cover a plausible justification of .the affair itself, nor an
extenuation of the conduct of those who signed it.
We give Sir A. WEi.t.r.six.y the justest praise for his skil-
ful operations previous to the battle of Vimiera, and for
his gallantry tied judgment during that eng•ii;e ment. We
are even willing to believe, that had he not been su-
perseded in the command, he would have brought the
campaign to a more auspicious issue ; hut we cannot
conceive, after the Success he ()Mauled with so small
a proportion of the British army, against the whole
of the French, how he could possibly see the necessity
of granting the enemy such favourable atipulat.ons.—
Both Sir ARTIICIi. and Sir liEw still insist on the necessity
and utility of the Convention : in this they are consistent,
hut why then recriminate ; or attempt to throw the impu-
tation on one-anothers shoulders ? In this they are per-
fectly inconsistent ; for if the affair was a justifiable one,
and suggested by necessity, as well as policy, they should
spurn at evasion, and boldly acknowledge in spite of
obloquy and prepossession, their participation in the mea-

LIN tuns,who reduced WatTFLOCICE to an ignominious ca-
pitulation at Buenos Ayres, and was, in consequence of this
service, made Viceroy and Provisional Captain-General of
La Plata Province, published an address, on the 1 itb
of August, to the inhabitants of that province, in sih eh
he attempts to enforce the pretensions of llowArswris to
the crottn of Spain, and recommends to the Spaniards of
the new world, to acknowledge tite.new. dynasty. It wai
natural to suppose., that the Usurper should find in
St groclualau, though a natturalized Spaniard, and invest.ll

r . •