The Sun.
London, England, 1815-03-25 00:00:00

FACTIoN's

We yesterday promised our Pleaders a treat of
• the Queries in the Morning Chronicle, of the 22d
'of December, 1810, the pure .absurdity of which
iF now so ludicrous, that we think those of ycs-
- terditY must be confessed to he inferior. We
would thank the loyal trtiter to answer us only
onevicstiou,,
_What are ". THESE INFRAC-
TIONS:' of which-lieyesterday spoke ?
A., the solution of the follow ing
.iliteries ad-
' e-essed to Mr. John Bull will greatly affect his
iii-rcsts, it it, 'submitted
,to the judgment of his
iends—
If if 'should turn oat that I\l'arAal Massena had
only 12 000' men at Salamanca,: \\lien he y:ar. di-
rected to form the magazines of the army destin-
'ed to iiivade Porttig:ll, whilst Lein! Wellington
was a.tithiu three 'days march Of Salamanca with
a dispOs'able force of -10,000 it n ;
If it should. tutu out that Marshal N.ey remain-
ed a month a Salamanca so exposed, and then, to
prevent -a4o attlek: inoved forward with 14;()0
men to the i'lgue'a
If it should turn nut that without any addition
rto t!,is force he invest,,-d Ciudad Irodrigo,
'b,i(lcd. it ; and for ten till vs co n! ton-ted Lord
on and ti posat;le. force of 50,000
Alrit
;
If it shOuld turn oat that during. or after the
action at BilsaCO, tilvl;e4l L.Ord
pOSitto.O by a 1111th movement. which is
always tlanerons, andrentered still inure so
_Cry
the road between mountain, on the
ridges of which Lor;I Well.ington, by facing his
army to the. left, ;night have in.e.toted a regidio•
cOhtnin rif,att.ick„ lia,scna hivitig a line
Of march einnon:jell wit) artillery trOtt,
gaits, &c. and extending above teti
..coulLl 'not- lia-ve. closed his force so Its to
'crowned the ridges, and oppocd a tegular order
of hat tre ;
It it shonhl,turn out that Lord iVellington !mew
in .ttliicient titne of Colonel Trant's in;ibility to
arrive at tiardaci to detach a suflicie.tt'foree front
hip own arniy to opias'e rila'ssena in front„ x'vhiltt
the flank 'attack-tendered that opposition prac-
ticable ;
If it I.l,ottid- turn-out that Colonel 'frant having
l~tlrt tub weak brigades of wiritis under his: coot-
nm 11(1, wits always. inadequate to the proposed
obit'et

if it alrotrltl turn out that the position taken up
at /Tahoe°. to cover Coimbra was i,nperject without
tlic occuPiitiOn. of -the' envi; Otis of Sardao (or
- rather the country between the Ouzo and the left
of the conibined army on the heights et Busaco),
with a force •of Lifi'icit,ut: strength to oppose the
fends of Massena's columns endeavouring- to pene-
rtaie on the it road from Coirobta to ()novo ; •
If it should turn out. that Mznscna crossed the
• Mondego With orti' 50,000 effective men ;
if it should turn out that although f.autine ,was
the princi'pid :feature lri Lord Wellington ,!s_
for the destractiOn of Aisfena's :army, that ail.
the country in theline of Thomar and Santarem
was left o)sran.;acked, and alt` the. public and pri—
vate stores in the towns and villages of this dis-
trict were left entire for the enemy's use ; •
if it shou1:1 -inn) out that illaSsetia blockaded
with 35,000 :hen for One month, the combined
army of 36,000 effective British :35,,000 effective
ProtugueSe ieginients; 9000 effective Spurt irds,
alai I I,OA efictive whilst with the
re-
ronitider of his force lit occupied Thoniar, fortified
Santarem, constructed two bridges aeross the,
islochaded the .garrison of Abrantes, oc-
cupied the fet:tile tract about that city, establish-
ed pots at Sobrciro,,Formoro, and armed his pa-
trollt s to Villa Vellia, thus embracing an exterior
.line ,tie 130 inilcsfrma .the point of Ins right
rin front of ;
If it shoulii turn -ont that Irai,senit reniaincd
orpo,ite to Lord:Wellington with a very small.
portico), of artilltry, and of his cavalry, the main
tornes or which were refreshing at Santarem
It it should turn out that Alassena remai!ied in
_this most an;lacions position Mail he had accom-
plisixd his Objects, when he withdrew•to await
sticcour3,. as Jile maintenance of t•nel: an adt'en-
tut otts line was no longer justified upon any mill.-
tary ;

1E it should turn out that the river Zezere, from
the natp,re, of -its eastern backs, could have been
defewkd SO'do men, withouti_any risque to,
them, it ultimately forced ;
lt I;ould tutu out that the ,enemy passed that
_river without Oppo-ition, as the garrison of :ab-
ranteS was too letble (according to the report of
the tiovernor) fcr its Own defence;
If it . slnndd tarn out that by the removal of
Romano with 10,000 men from Estremadora, to
toiin a pal t of the garrison of the lines of :(sla;ri,
• Nor; ier hay been itnabki to quit Andalusia, and
the Sp;,liards: have been dinbled front profiting
by the opportunty to menace Seville;
If it should torn out that Lord Wellington
conthuntding superior force, evacuated 400,
miles of country, where numerous positions of-'
foided opportnuity.to-cheek the enemy :Lven by a
proportion of his force;
If should turn out that Ma*na has been
alloW.cd to establish hiinself in the best military
situatio;t far the por...aing•of his ulterior Object;
II it slimild turn out that Mas,.ena,.about the
end of November, was reinforced by 30,000 m'en,
and sopp;ierl with the ammunition, &c. that he
greaily needed ; •
•
If it s:poidd turn out that Masscna can take
Ahrantes, and that oncIe;• the cOver or his guns he
can eononand tlze passa4c of the Tagus vlienever
between Santarem and Vida Velha ; •
If it should torn out that the British shipping
must withdraw 'below Libott tviien itiassena
throws it corps into the Aleutego.;

If it should turn putt that the solid defence-of
Alincid a hit ye Bern neglected ;

It it "II :tild turn out tout Lord Wellington,
is ht;inbarded troin those heights,
must res.' I in of 30 miles extent, night and
-day, ti:t: riite.riirjzte f):; aii ctitti, a concentrated,
alicl a Jnore•iniittary coiritittited force ;
.It. it SiotiN. turn out toot ill addition to the
25,000 or 30,000. teen already s;:cured by die
junction of Drottet, and conbinerable reinforce-