Star.
London, England, 1813-01-15 00:00:00

have occurred daring that alliance; we shall then be
enabled to judge whether there could have been tNAt
moral metamorphosis which we have been taught to
believe Lu taken place.

It is now four years since the British Govertuneci
embraced the cause of Spain. There is something
very remarkable in the circumstances under which
this alliance was concluded. No esetiodtion of the inoti,v,
were at the time given ky the British Government. The
Newspapers were full of rumours and addresses 1,1.
&rood to bare been received from Spain, all aa.
flouncing extraordinary manifestations on the part of
the Spanish people against the French Garrisons then
in their fortresses; and the public mind with us was
se completely imbued with the spirit of those rumours
and addresses, that the Government found itself juk
tified in what it did, without ever entering into any
explanation, no with Parliament, as to the grounds
of the measures which it bad adopted,
Such was the state of excitement produced in the
public, that the Government was constrained to act
in the way it has done. The Spanish cause was em.
braced so heartily by the British people, that the Go.
vernment was obliged to take it up—the Government
itself was indeed intoxicated with the same vapour,
otherwise it would have made some exposition of its
motives in entering into engagements the most gene.
rows ever undertaken by any State. But, down to
this very hour, we know not yet officially, neither
Parliament nor people, what the Spanish cause
We have a large army in the Peninsula—we have
gained much glory there—but except as a theatre for
the war, we know nothing of the political motives
which have induced us to tight in the Peninsula.
Surely this is a very extraordinary state of thingcs
what is that combination of men which calls itself the
Spanish Regency ? how was it constituted ? What
is that assembly which has assumed the name of the
Cortes ? how were the members chosen They pro-
fess to be the Representatives of the Spanish people.
and yet we know from a thousand sources, and from
sources as good as those by which we know of the
existence of the Regency, that when it assumed the
Legislative function at Cadiz, Cadiz was besieged,
and the Government of JOSEPH had dominion over
every other part of Spain. Is there nothing, there-
tc:e, to be enquired into relative to this Regency and
this Cortes ? The Spaniards may be very willing to
receive a Royal Dynasty from a fpreign Power—they
have done so before—the deposed family was sent to
them from Paris, as was JOSjiPil afterwards. What
is the Spanish cause ?—may we not be misled by the
artful address of ambitious adventurers, who, by as.
turning the names of a Regency and Cortes, have
deceived us into the most fatal engagements ? jf
they be the true Government and Legislature of the
Spantsh nation, they surely wield the machinery
which puts the people in motion. Have the public
acts of the Regency manifested the possession of this
power ? Granted that the Cortes have made many
judicious and wise legal provisions for the advantage
of the people, have they done this from a legitimate
exercise of power, lawfully possessed, or merely t.
acquire popularity, in order to enable them to carry
their schemes into effect ? We do not say that the
Regency and Cortes of Spain are not lawfully consti.
toted.—we only contend and they have appeared in
conjunction with circumstances that require an expo-
sition of the political motives which induce us to keep
a vast force, at an enormous expeace, in the Pe-
ninsula.

With respect to Portugal, we have nothing to ask
see every thing regular ; and the Regency of
that Kingdom, without any empiric tricks, or the
quackery of new laws, has felt itself sufficiently em-
powered to call upon the people to arm and acquire
military exercises, for the defence of their country—
and the people have obeyed, But the case is other-
wise with the Regency and Cortes of Spain. The
Spanish people have been called upon by an infiui-
tude of addresses to arm and to discipline them-
selves, and yet they have done nothing like what they
mutt have felt themselves bound to do, did they feel
their Regency to be of the same kind as that of the
Portuguese.
In Spain, as in every country which the French
have overrun, are many persons who have suffered,
and many also who hate the French character. Let
us not fall into the mistake of considering such indi-
viduals as constituting the nation, or to think that
by abetting their inorobabk projects we shall procure
any permanent advantage.
With respect to our Army in the Peninsula, we
have nothing to ray, if it be sent there merely to
fight the French. If the Marquis of Witutsiormit
be only cruizing on land, as Lord Niu.soN did at
sea, to drub the French as well as he can, the thing
is proper enough, because he can return without ig-
nominy into port whenever his force needs refitti:ig,
or the utility of continuing his cruize on that station
is superceded, and the Government finds it advan
tageous to send him to another quarter.—lf we may
consider the army in the Peninsula in this way, we
are content ; because, if it should be deemed expedi-
ent to order the Noble Marquis and his force to
Holland, or any other latitudes, to fight the enem,
then no possible disgrace can arise by withdrawirl;
him from Spain. But if, on the contrary, the Nohie
Marquis and his force are in the Peninsula for other
purposes besides drubbing the French—if, for example,
he is there for the purpose, not only of drubbing the
French, but also for destroying a government t'
which the Spanish Nation had submitted, and also in
order to substitute for that Government another ex-
pected to be more submissive to us; it is very clear
that the Noble Marquis and his force could not be
withdrawn from the Peninsula, unless they Accom-
plished these purposes, without incurring very
disgrace ; and therefore it behoves this country- 3,
least to ascertain the grounds and motives Wlticli I:1.
duce ft to keep so vast an army in the Peninsula--
particularly in SPAIN.