Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-07-15
PROCLAMATION
OF THE SUPREME JUNTA or SPAIN

j
Spaniards The only favor which Sa-
ragossa asked of your unfortunate monarch
was. that she might be the first city in the
kingdom to sacrifice herself in his defence.
You do not need-Europe does not need to
be reminded Of this, in order to admire the
frmness, patriotism, and spirit OF this illus
trious city. But the fame of liberty must
be cnkindlcd in the breast of every Spaniard,
by considering the sacrifices she has otter
ed upon the affairs of loyalty, and that by
her glorious fall, Saragossa has rendered
herself immortal.
Two long months were spent in this fatal
and bloody siege almost every ediace was
razed to the ground the provisions were
entirely consumed the military stores were
exhausted more than Is, 900 men fell vic
TINS to an epidemic, which daily swept a.
way hundreds the garrison was reduced to
less than one sixth of its original force the
governor and commander of the city were
languishing under the sickness; O'Nnylle,
the second in command died. St. Marc, in
the place of his two superiors, becume COM
mander in chief, although he was still suf-
fering under burning fever. Thus, Span
iards, it became necessary that Saragossa
should yield to the rigor of fate, and suffer
herself to be occupied by the enemy. thus
have the French taken possession of this
glorious city, after battering down its hou-
ses and destroying its temples, while 1T was
peopled only by diseased and dying men!
Here every street, every ruin. and every
fragment of wall is silently addressing the
Frenchmen who view them, saying, S Go
tell my king, that Saragossa, faithful to her
word, has willingly sacrificed herself in re-
naming loyal to her sovereign"
A series of events, as disastrous as noto-
rious, had frustrated all attempts that were
made to succor the city. The pious inha-
bitants looked up to heaven for deliverance
from their privations and oalamIties /; but at
last, the almost total reduction of their tor
ces would no longer warrant resistance
The tidings Of her disastrous fall, has caus-
ed the world to weep; and all men in the
first moment of her extinction, fanced they
saw the fame of Spanish liberty expire, and
the proud column Of her independence
moulder in the dust.
But, brave and loyal Span:ards, Sarages-
sa vet lives for Aeur imitation and example
Learn from her this lesson, Never yield
to tyranny, but perish manfully in the de-
fence of liberty" Where is the Spaniard !;
who call himself such, who would consent
to be outdone by these valiant Saragossl-
ans, who would not rejoice to suffer the
like martyrdom Every town and village Of
Arragon is ready to initiate and reconquer
their capital. They see in her inhabitants a
model to be initiated, vengeance to be tax
en-, and that this is the only road to victory
and success. Forty thousand Frenchmen,
who have persisted before the miserable
mud-walls Of Saragossa, have caused France
to lament her fruitless and ephemerd tri-
umph, and have proved to Spain, that three
cities of equal hrmness, patriotism and per-
severance would secure the salvation of the
country, and the downfall of her enemies
Courage always begets courage; and when
| the unfortunate men, who have sacrificed
their lives in defence of freedom, shall hear
IN HEAVEN, that their fellow citizens,
| following them IN the path of glory, have
established their independence, then Will
they bless, thousand times, their own tate
however rigorous, and contemplate with
rapture cur present success and triunpi.
When Europe shall consider all the CIR
cumstances of this melancholy event, shall
compare the force of the besieged with that
of their enemy, and the defence which Sa-
ragossa has made against the tyrant OF the
universe, with the resistance OF the most
strongly fortified castle, she will be able to
decide to whom the palm of valor and glory
Justly belongs. The time will Come when
those calamities, with which the genius of