Star.
London, England, 1810-08-04 00:00:00

LETTER FROM GENERAL LA HOUSSAiS TO TUE DUACE OP

DALMATIA.

" Nava del Membrillo, May 1;1510.
" Sir—Accident has put into my hands the Seville'
Gazette of the 29th July, 1809, (N 0.49), containing
a letter from your Excellency to his Catholic Ma-
jesty, which General Franceschi was conveying at
the time he was made prisoner. Though I had no
reason to expect any thing but unfavourable treat-
ment on the part of your Excellency, I must never-
theless acknowledge that the perusal of the letter in
lquestion gave me no less surprise than concern.
" You there inform the King, that you would halie
deprived me of my command, and have sent me to
the Major-General, had you not been preyented by
the rumours of conspiracies and intrigues going on in
the army.* Ignorance aad malice alone credit easily,
and without proofs, whatever may be prejudicial to
another'; but it is nevertheless certain, that the opi-
nion of such a person as you, Sir, must always have
great weight.
" I have no wish to exceed the limits of a letter,
nor to call off your attention from your official duties
by laying before you a detail of my conduct whilst I
had the honour to serve under your orders. I will
only contrast the honourable testimonies with which
you favoured me, in consequence of the action *of
Maurentan and Braga, with the slanderous letter you
have written concerning rat to the King—the candid
and spontaneous eulogy which you were pleased ver-
bally to pass upon my conduct, after the action of the
bridge of Arzobispo, with the insignificant mention
made of me in the report of your Excellency inserted
in the Ministerial Journal.

With this view, Sir, permit me here to quote
your expressions, when in the presence of many re-
spectable witnesses. Your Excellency said, I am
not acquainted with the whole of the military exploits
of General La Houssiye, but this is certainly the
most brilliant of all.' Ix fiwt, it was I who that day

exclusively directed the movements of the 4th divisio%
of dragoons. It was I (since lam forced to sae i.:l
who stopped the retrogade movement of the 19th re.
giment of dragoons, and commanded General eau.
laincourt once more to face the enemy.t
" It was-I who placed in reserve the picked corn.
patsy of the 27th, which company checked the more.
went of the enemy, whe were again beginning to ob.
tain the superiority. Nevertheless, Sir, in the daily
orders, you assigned to me the second place, next t 3
General Caulaincourt, as if I had occupied no other
in the action. I did pot, at the time, complain of this
part of your report;which was so manifestly injurious.
to me, because I might probably have been regarded
by your Excellency as an intriguing or an envious
person, neither of which have I ever been. As little
did I complain of my name being introduced into
the accounts of a supposed conspiracy, notwithstand.
ink{ th= solemn assurance you gave me, a fortnight
befori, at Oporto, that I was free from all suspicion,
and that you were intimately convinced of my inno-
cence.--Your letter to the King, which wounds me to
the quick, Sir,. could alone have made me open my
eyes, and renounce any further silence. Those who
.have observed my military career for the last twenty
sears; those who knoii the loyalty and attachment
which I have always professed to his Majesty the Em-
' perm.; those-who honour me with their esteem, of
whom the greater part hold a distinguished rank in
society and in the army, all of them will know how
much I must have been hurt 'at the imputations you
have cast upon me, and will decide whether I could
have merited them.

" Be this as it may, Sir, your own sense of justice
and impartiality will, one day, make you repent of
having dishonoured I General Officer who was, per.
haps, the first that, on your joining the second corps,
gave you proofs of his respect andconfidence.
(Signed) . "LA HOUSSAYE,
General of Division and Baron of the Empire."
LETTER FROM D. !ARLO ARRIZAS TO /HZ COMMISSARY