The Sun.
London, England, 1808-10-20 00:00:00

-on Spanish ground. It may .sometimes be right to
give. way a little to hazard ; tiaat wi:li such an anta-
goeist as we have, fintune should be trusted to as
t Possihlei, prudence should be our guide.—
.Holland leiseteltthe Paine yoke. Has she lost all.
her fermer pride ? Has she no vuinerable point?
There pirhaps w could serve Spain rponnaterially
than by an 'immediate jo :Won with her troops.
One Expedition having tailed there, is not to _make
us desist Iron& another; ntneshave alteredsinee, and
we may now expett friends, where then we had
only enemies., The Northern Powers may require
to be beaten into"a peace with us, and with each
other. But let us ask, is all France i:npregnable ?
France T.' -integral Francel must be made feet. Her
real heroes, whO see their country led to destraiion
under:the hitherto conquering standard of an insa-
,tiable muShroom, elll then hate an opportunity
afforded thern of proving their patriotism. Refleect-
ing men cannot, they, will. not, take up arms till
prudence-points out to them that their efforts are
likely to be attended With.: success. After an ade-
quate .force has once. made good their landing.in
either France or Holland, if • the nativesshould not
then shewia. wish tb throw off those trammels, the
weight of which they have now had someexperience
of, let our army retreat, .and reserve themselves for
.the defence of their own lire sides, and leave the
affairs of the Continent to the controul of Cabinets,
,and the fate that awaits fluetuating fatuity. Porte-
gal affords almost a convincing proof of the propriety
of keeping our army entirety at our own disposal.
There they exhibited a valour which made French.
then feel Britain's sons still retain the current of that
blood which flowed on Cressy's.p!ains; in the disc
comfilure of their-forefathers—then indeed advan-
tage as well as glory was the consequence to the
survivors. Whatever honour and renown our war-
riors have now obtained, the conquered foe have en-
joyed .the plunder, not trom.pewer of retaining it,
.but from perhaps the ill-tnned benevolence of a hu-
mane Commander. The bravery of our troops-has
been established beyond dispute, and disinterested-
ness is the general concomitant of real bravery. The
praises of their country, and the prayers of a nation
whom they' hose freed from tyranny, robbery,
and. all sorts of oppression, will be their reward.
Their former sources of commeree are again open to
them : but the •donvention, by which theSe most
desirable effeals are obtaltied,• is no sooner divtilged,
than the General of that nation, so relieved, makes
a formal protest against it—a strong argument for
the propriety of keeping our troops free from the
controtil of Continental Allies, except for some ge-
"fleral purpose. Perhaps (for we are yet unacquaint-
ed with our CoMmandet's reasons foe granting such
favourable terms) this Convention may not have been
as exactly rigid as it might have been. What 'just
reason however-have the Portuguese to complain ;•
would they have lost less property had they 'been
left to, the mercy of their opprtssors ? Had riot that
or some very similar Convention taken place, me-
ther battle would probably-have ensued, for plunder-
ers will fight fore their booty, rather than resign it
without resistance—in such a struggle, more human
blood would have been shed than any lucre would
have been worth; so that in the most unfavottrable
point of view, it amounts only to- a humane error,
whereby some property, but no portion of honour, is
lost. But it; after minute investigation, it shall ap-
pear the Convention was unworthy of a British
Commander, all the conclusion to be drawn froiu it
is, that human nature is frail, and that conviction
should impress indelibly on the minds of the British
Cabinet, that all alliances, for whatever purposes
primarily formed, become, in the prosecution (4'
these purposes, wore or less subservient to the sepa-
rate interests of all the contra Ling parties. Thus,
separate views, unavoidably present themselves, dif-
ferent Counsels are offered, and divisions are liable
to -succeed. The historic page, wherever perused,
declares the faEt, and demonstrates the result. Let
us then, with our tharaaeristic generosity, afford our
Allies every other assistance btit troops; taw men
are precions e they-have ideas peculiar to their coun-
try's Constitution; which has now shewn itself su-
perior to every other. The troops of other nations
will fight as well as ours, but the impelling motive
is different; their discipline too, partakes of the
same digi..'rence. Let our troops, therefore, whenever
necessity enforces.their junction with foreign Allies,
art if possible as an independent body, under the. r
reapeCtive Orlicers- immediately, let who will hav'e
the generarcondua of the combined arrangements.
Responsibility will then. be distind, and success
more likely to ensue, where negleel can be discern-
ed, and merit when exhibited receive its reward.

PaD D Y.