Star.
London, England, 1811-09-19 00:00:00

GUERRILLA PARTIES.

(From the Coneiso.)
rt is only at a time when, though the majority of
the nation is animated with the most noble and heroic
sentiments, the disgraceful envy, the barbarous pre-
judice, and the vile intrigues of some unworthy Spa-
niards do no less mischief to unhappy Spain than the
bayonets of her enemies :—it is only at such a time,
we repeat, that it could be considered as in any de-
gree necessary to enforce so manifest a truth as the
advantage and the glory which result to Spain from
the conservation of the parties of patriots.
But the indignation which we feel at seeing these
heroes, the glory of Spain, insidiously attacked, and
their merit underrated, prevents us from remaining
silent. What would Spain have been, had it not been
for the patriotic parties ? What nation is the world
,ever presented a spectacle comparable to the war,
which 'daily, and through the whole Peninsula, the
Spanish patriots wage against those hosts of the Ty-
' rant, which are the terror of all other nations ? Who
feeds the fire of our holy insurrection ? In entire
provinces now subject for years to the Vandals, what
proof would there be that they had not sweived from
the patriotic feelings to which the whole nation is re-
sponsive, if these brave men, who reckon as many?
triumphs as days, were not seen issuing forth from
lamong them ? Even apart from the advantages of
intercepting convoys, and of diminishing every day
the numbers of the enemy, by their slaughter, by
making numberless prisoners, by facilitating and pro-
moting, chiefly by their proximity, an advantage un-
attainable by our armies, desertion among the enemy :
all these considerations apart, is not the circumstance
alone of rendering it impossible for the intrusive Go-
vernment to organise the internal administration, and
-benumbing its communications, one of the greatest
services which can be performed to the nation ?
It is undeniable, ve confess, that with parties alone
w.t can never conquer : to trumph over armies, ar-
m;e; are necessary ; their organization should be the
grand o',ject : but it is equally certain, that, in the
sate in which the nation has been since the com-
mencement of the contest, and, still more, in its pre-
sent condition, we shall as little triumph with armies
alone. For let us not deceive ourselves : where is the
probaßity that an army ill-orgailised (for both time
and the necessary means are wanting for that pur-
pose) ; an army taw when compared-with the enemy,.
who has been twenty years engaged in constant war;
an army so deficient in cavali y, in which the enemy
is so powerful ; an army, in fine, whose officers are
unequal to those of the enemy, from the subaltern to
the General in Chief, (for it is necessary to confess
it,—we do not know that man among us who knows
how to conduct a body of 40, 50, or 6) 000 men,
and still less one who, with proper intelligence, can
direct the three branches of infantry, c.ivalry, and
artillery) ; that an army, then, of tnis composition,
can triumph over the enemy solely because it is an
army !—The thing I; destitute of probability. But
the reverse is the case when guerrillas come in aid of
the army. The former, by intercepting the convoys,
cnt off the subsistence and correspondence of the
enemy ; diminishing the number of his troops, not
only in prop ution to the number of men whom ti,ey
k 11 or take in every encounter, but these whom they
oblige him to employ in the escort of convoys and
couriers, and on the military roads, which be Ends it
necessary to maintain by a 'number of troops ; our
force is thus indirectly increased. And what is all
this but tAtilitAting to our armies an ultimate triumph,
which, in any other way, if not impossible, would
at least be doubtful ? Let us adopt, then, with
eagerness, all proper measures for the organization
and completion of the guerrillas, which wage open
the enemy a species of warfare more steam:ma and
• .

appalling than any they have ever known : but let '
him be regarded with suspicion, or, to speak without'
circumlocution, as an enemy to his country, who is
an enemy to those parties which are its ornament and
defence.
The Minister of war has submitted a system of re-
gulations for the guerrillas, the substance of which is
as follows :—They are divided into three classes; the I
first comprehending the greater parties, which may
act in advance of the armies, form divisions, atc. such
as those of the Empecinado, Mina, 1). Julian San-
chez, &c. ; the second, consisting of those who con-
stantly harass the enemy, even though they should
make inroads on the villages ; and the third, of those
who are employed sllely in cutting oft supplies.—
The guerrillas are to be all under the orders of the
General in Chief of their respective districts, who
shall decide upon their respective amount, selecting
the chiefs and officers. They are not to admit into
their troop deserters, nor men comprehended in the'
levies, but shall bring them to the armies ; they shall
pursue robbers, and abstain as much as they can
from all inroads on the villages. There shall be in
every army xn officer with the title of Inipector of
Guerrillas, who shall review them from time to time.
In the Sitting of the Cortes of the 10th of Au-
gust, a warm discussion took place on the above sys-
tem of regulations, which was rejected, and a special
Commivre appointed to draw up another Of a more
practicable nature.

CORTES.
SITTING OF TUC 10TH.
The Commissioner from the office of the Treasury
of Spain presented himself, to give an account of the
transactions of that department during the first six
months of the present year.
He gave a description of the state of the various
provinces, as far as information could be procured,
giving an exposition of their wants, their sacrifices,
and the devastations they had suffered, and extolling
their ardent patriotism and resolution to continue
their efforts ; in proof of which, he mentioned the en
thusiasm with which the Third Army was received
when it advanced to Granada.

During the last six months there had entered the
Treasury 93,730,000 reale', of which 57 millions
came from America.

Expences of the 4th Army, 27,125,000; of Marine,
12,000,000: of Stores, 17,000,000 ; the Civil List,
2,000,000.
The mint in this city had coined to the amount of
9,899,00 Teals, and the mint at Valencia had coined
more than 1,000,000.
He proceeded to give a circumstantial account of
the produce, expenditure, and deficit of the provinces
of Leon. Murcia, Valencia, Catalonia, Asturias,
Gallicia, Soria, and Avila, and of the remittances
in money which had been sent to them, which he
computed within the Last six months to amount to
23,708,503 reals, besides a prodigious quantity of
provisions and other stores.
He dwelt particularly on the propriety of recog-
nizing, without delay, the national debts as the only
means of giving stability to public credit, without
which, both the direct and indirect taxes were insuf-
ficient to support the war, and concluded by enume-
; rating the measures which the Regency had adopted
to give impulse to public spirit, and recommending
for that purpose the utility of provincial Juntas in the
districts occupied by the enemy, with which the Re-
, gency.held relations of the greatest importance. The
I Minister then withdrew.