The Sun.
London, England, 1812-03-17 00:00:00

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TUESDAY, MA itCH 17, 1612.

The Party have been of late so coni;.letely and
so unpleasantly occupied with domestic politics, that
they have not favoured the public with any cri-
ticisms upon Lord WELLINGTON'S military blun-
ders, or with any glowing predittions respeCting
the fate of the Peninsula. They have, however, at
length returned to the old sublet*, but they now seem
determined to treat it in a new manner, trusting,we
presume, that the public has forgotten all that they
have said and written for the last two years. Hi-
therto they have told us, in the most peremptory
tone, that all hopes of defending Portugal, or of
giVing effectual assistance to Spain, was completely
chimerical ; that it would be a wanton wasteef men
and money to-continue the contest; that from the
great inferiority of our population to that of
France, it was impossible we should be able to
meet her in the field upon equal terms," that
BUONAPARTE would pour in thousands after thou-
sands, until we were overpowered by num-
bers, and forced to abandon the Peninsula. This
Way of treating the subject has certainly been very
unfortunate for the -Party, and has considerably di-
minished their reputation with the country, both as
statesmen and prophets. They have therefore
changed their grotind, and th-y now inform the
public, who must certainly be astonished at the
information from that quarter, that nothing can
-be mote absurd, than to suppose that the French
possess 3 numerical superiority over Lord WELLING-
TON, fcr that in fait, his Lordship has 68,000 men
more than the enemy ! That so far from that
Gallant General being unable to a& successfully on
the defensive, he ought immediately to begin offen-
sive operations, and of course drive the French out
of Spain ! This sudden change is really astonishing:
we are very glad to see it, because, though we by
no means agree with the statement to which we
have alluded, yet any thing is better than the efforts
we have so long witnessed to excite gleam and de-
spondency throughout the Nation, and to disheat ten
OUT Allies.

It is not true, as stated in a 'Morning Paper, that
Mr. W. DUNDAS is to fill the office of Secretary to
the Admiralty, but he will probably be appointed
one rif the Lords of that Board.

We have this day made some further extraels
from the last French Papers : sse must beg to call
the attention of our Readers to the Decree issued at
Eamburgh—a decree which could only have pro-
ceeded from such a man as BUONAPARTE, and, in
Voint of atrocity and absurdity; ivove verily believe,
unequalled in the annals of mankind.

American Papers to the 18th ult. were received
this morning, of which the following are extraas:—

" SUBMI6aON" TO FRANCt !—We have been
favoured with the official statement of the case of the
American schooner Hero, Capt. BLACKLER, taken
by a French privateer on her passage from Marble-
head for St.Petersburgh, Russia, a country at war with
England, and in allian& with France. The Hero
was condemned by the Council of Prizes at Paris,
Sept. 25, 181 1, and in the Decree the following
pretexts alone are assigned, viz.
" Forasmuch as this vessel, which was cleared out
for St. Petersburgh, touched at Gottenbrrgh, was