The Sun.
London, England, 1838-08-05 00:00:00

Jlllo°-

OF THE DUKE OF
WE LIN GTO N.

Arthur, Duke of Wellington, the third son
of the late Earl of Mornington, was born on the
Ist of May, 1769. He was destined at an early
period of his life to enter the army ; and there
being at that time no military school in Eng-
land, he was sent to Angers, in France, for his
military education. Our ancient rivals may, per-
haps, find some consolation in this circumstance,
believing that they planted the germs of his
military skill, and that they only could have
taught the Duke how to conquer them. The
arrow, it has been said, must be tipped with the
feather from the eagle's wing to reach the
eagle's heart.
Arthur Wellesley received his Ensigncy in
1787, and was speedily promoted to be Major
and Lieut.- Colonel of the 33d. In the com-
mand of this regiment he made a part of the
campaign in Holland in 179, when the Duke
'of 'York commanded our army; and was actively
''employed in protecting the disastrous but ne-
cessary retreat into and from Holland.
His exertions merited the approbation of
',General Dundas, an officer of great ability ; and
from that period his military reputation inces-
'santly and uninterruptedly augmented, till be
,became the most renowned warrior in the world.
'He saw in this campaign that the discipline of
"she army was bad ; the spirit of the men not
`the best ; the operations were distracted by con-
'flicting councils, and were carried on in the
'midst of a pseudo-friendly, but hostile popula-
tion. At that early period he witnessed, in their
'worst form, all those vices in.the organization of
-our army against wnicb, though in a diminished
form, he had afterwards to struggle, and all
those difficulties of divided command which it
Vas his great merit in Spain to surmount.
As soon after his return to England as his
regiment was ready for service, be was ordered
'to the West Indies ; but the expedition meeting
"with some unexpected obstacles, the services of
`his regiment were transferred, at the request of
'Lis brother the Marquis Wellesley, then Earl
of Mornington, and recently appointed Geyer-
'nor-General of India, to the East. He went to
India in the month of Qpril, 1796, and it was
uotieed on the voyage that when he had leisure
le closely studied the theory of the art he was
to soon about to practise.
He remained in India for eight years, and had
several opportunities of adding to his reputation.
Limited as the space is which we can occupy by
!Ilia sketch of an illustrious man, whose public
life extends over a period of fifty-one years of
incessant activity, we cannot even enumerate all
the great actions in which he has been con-
cerned, much less describe them. We are corn-
Pelled to confine ourselves to stating that his
assistance at the capture of Seringapatam was
onsidered mostvaluable, and his march against
Dhoomdias, the battles of Assay-e, and of
,Argaurn, in which he was victorious, are amongst
.the most brilliant achievements known in that
and of military prodigies.
The former battle, though perhaps not more
Important, was more brilliant than the latter.
A splendid success achieved with small means
tenlc captive the imagination ; and the inhabi-
ts of Calcutta presented him with a sword,
atd erected a monument in honour of his victory.
armywas a still more flattering homage that the
who witnessed his exertions, and knew
that skill and daring, not chance, wou the day,
presented to him a full service of silver plate,
'lncluding a splendid candelabrum for the middle
'of the table, with the word " Assaye," upon
n.verY Plate, dish, and other part of the service,
token of their attachment and admiration.
or was the achievement less highly prized at
Parliament,
It was thought worthy of the thanks of
a-arnament, the " noblest assembly of free men
'tow in existence." He also received the Order
of the Bath, and was thenceforward Sir Arthur.
gained and deserved, however, at the
earns time, a more honourable reputation even
than that of the warrior. He devoted much
of his time, as Governor of Seringapatam, and
as Commander of an army, to civil duties.
His memoir on the coinage of the Mysore is
said to show both research and sagacity, while
the wise and temperate manner in which he ad-
rainistered the conquered city won for him the
'c'onfidence and the attachment of the people.
They addressed him on parting as a father ;
lney implored the God of all Castes and of all
liasiona to hear their constant prayers; and to
bestow on him health, glory, and happiness ;
and they regretted in him the loss of a just
ja!dge. He was distinguished too by his
ensuredcbplomacy, and his negotiations with Seindia
m the peace which his bravery had com-
anded. Nor were his exertions unrewarded
by more substantial favours than the heartfelt
prayers of the people. He went out to India
a Lieutenant-Colonel—he returned in 1805,
at the age of 36, Sir Arthur Wellesley and a
Major-General, with an accumulated fortune
of 43,000 i. It is encouraging to find, both as
a testimony to the goodness of individuals, and
the course of nature, that these conspicuous
honours were the results of conspicuous virtues.
~ Immediately after the arrival of Sir Arthur
Wellesley from India, he had an interview at
Rath with Mr. Pitt, who afterwards declared,
" that he had received more satisfactory infor-
mation, and more useful suggestions from Sir
Arthur Wellesley, than from any one he had
ever conversed with ; and that if he lived to
rzant to business (which he did not) he
aald certainly change much of his system."
proves that the profound workings of Sir
Arthur's mind were not confined to military
matters.
bm Soon afterwards, he proceeded in the com-
s of a brigade to Hanover; but the fatal
;tattle of Austerlitz intervened, and the whole
ialcM,Y, under Earl Cathcart, returned to Eng-
ra_lU,: Then despairing probably of any im-
mate military employment—for the military
reputation of England, and her military power,
fanged wholly overshadowed by the gigantic
Arne and gigantic exertions of Napoleon—Sir
herthur Wellesley entered Parliament as Mem-
18vn..for Newport, in the Isle of Wight, and in
tue accepted the civil office of Chief Secre-
ary of Ireland. He stipulated, however, that
appointment should not exclude him from
!_ecepeting military service; accordingly he pro-
ef!l d, in the same year, on the expedition
the
Copenhagen as a Major-General, under
e command of Earl Cathcart, and continued
to
hold at the same time his office of Chief
,eeretary of Ireland. He was appointed by
;1):;!r1 Cathcart to command the troops in the
..1,1, the bulk of the army sitting down to born-
Z4rd Copenhagen, and his division had a sue-
lssful encounter with the Danish army at
p ege. His services on that occasion were
rominent, and were particularly remembered
“I the vote of thanks by Parliament. Again
treilluing his diplomatic habits he, in conjunc-
-2,?n wit Sir H. Popham and Coonel Murra,
alter the battle, settled the terms on which the

Janisll fleet and arsenal were surrendered.
1) In 1808 when the outrage committed_ by
""40naparte on the Royal Family of Spain had
caused a complete rising of the people through-
out the Peninsula to throw off his power, Sir
Arthur Wellesley proceeded in the comman_t
of a division of 9,000 troops to Portugal. I
N%'ould appear as if a military effort, worthy of
the old reputation of England, was then to be
I:ade ; but the want of a Chatham in our civil
-,,Quncils, and of a Carnot at the head of our
-"mos, rendered the design in the first instance
drivelling and abortive. The means of the
oeuntry were wasted in driblet?, and the sepa-
rate divisions hovered and voyaged between
(adiz and Corurina, without plan or design.
hilt,, ,1!?,%"1h Sir Arthur Wellesley,landed with
L envision near Figueras, in Portugal ; and, k t-!.l."gb he was soon doubly superseded by
. ,r Ilany I3urrard and Sir' Hew Dalrymple,
's activity aced a victory in his hand s, and
marked him pl
out from that time as the Chief
OlFns; worthy .to command the brave troops of
gland• On August olst was fought the
• -,4"1(; of Vindera, when the troops under Sir
:,,rtlitr gained a victory over the French army,
tio,mnianded in chief by Marshal Junot. Al-
r°"gh :Sir Harry Burrard. had arrived to su-
(rstqle ' Sir Arthur 'Wellesley, on the day
~),:fore the battle of Vimiera, the conduct of
'"?t battle was left in the hands of Sir A. thur
• <llesley ;' and after the French were routed
and
Si .
runnin
t g away, anAAide-Camp came up
i,',:4 r ' Arthur to inform him, that " General
Fergusson's brigade was formed and ready to
'eeeive his. orders." On receiving this mes-
"ge, Sir. Arthur. said to the :Aid-de-Camp,
" Take .voui d from Sir Harry Burrard ;"
but . or ers
110 pursuit of the enemy was ordered, and
tl,leY went back unmolested to their
quarters at mleß Vedras, althotfll a road: that spot
''`l', otien to our troops, four miles shorter
1"In that • which was taken
,by the French.
that baftle•Wai'shortlY after Wards followed by
the Convention of Cintra, by which the French
evacuated Portugal, and placed the resources
of that country in the hands of a Government
411.1,4 d to Britain.• At that period the Con.
veroion was much condemned; but whatever
might have been its demerits, they are not fairly
chargeable upon Sir Arthur Wellesley; for he
wag precluded by the arrival of the other Ge-
nerals from exercising the control ovthese
affairs, as well as from following up they victory