Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-03-18

would haAe been amere trifle.to have rob-
bed Spain Other colonies and treasures, if
her character and her spirit had remained
unlmpaired. Installing her cash Bonaparte
stole trash; but in itching from her, her
t,.s0oa name, he rob6ed her 81 that zvfi1ch ,d1d
! not enrich tim, tut made her poor indeed
he infamous .Godoy had well nigh convert
ed the high minded Castilians and Anda-
luslans into weak and worthless Cappado-
Clans heprinciples of national honor ap-
peared to be extinct, and thestyrant OF En-
rope seemed almost to have acquired Alright
to presume that the spirit OF national lnde-
pendence was but name. Under cIrcum-
stances OF this description, the recent Ievo-
luton III Spain is one OF the most cxtraor-
binary events Ill the annals Of all time 1t
is. alsosone of the most consolatory TO the
fading hopes Of the friends Of freedom, and
one OF the most honorable to the human
character. And we have much more iea-
son to be astonished at what has been done,
than 70 be surprised that more has not been
accomplished.
The war commenced under almost every
possible disadvantage to the Spanish Patrl-
ots. The very elements of their political
existence we're in state of disorg anization.
The passes of the Pyrenees the strong holds
OF the interior, the capital itstH, were pos
sessed by French armies Of superior militia
ny strength to the whole existing regular
force OF Spain. What wonders then have
been wrought in the fields OF Baylen, and in
the suburbs of Saragossa! 1t is impossible
that laurels thus sloriously obtained, should
be wiley cast away"
/ 1t is one thing to occupy Madrid, and a
mother TO conquer Spain. Rome was taken
| and pundered by the Gauls, when the Ro-
man empire was almost limited to the walls
OF single city, yet Rome remained uncon-
quertd. Upon this point the records OF our
own revolution are conclusive. Every one
knows that the conquest OF New York and
Philadelphia was gaining nothing towards
tie completion Ct the war. And what was
to prevent the occupation of Madrid by the
myrmiuons of Napoleon! A concentrated
overwhelming force, was certainly al Liberty
10 aPpreach it through tcvel countrt, d
! along an excellent road. The ven> "a ,5ie
| count florida Bianca, when he WIS atten-
/ tive to improve and complete the principal
! road which entirely crosses Spain frombay-
onne to Cadiz, passing bv Madrid TX Lutte
/; thought what use would be aade OF Ii IN
lis Old age. AS Thebes had It's hundred
gates, SO Madrid has It's hundred stetrl>s,
. n lie
! Al least such was its state anterior to the
conlnll ncement Of the present troubles, and
Whatever works may have been lately erect
/ ed, must undoubtedly be incomplete and
feeble. Like ancient Sparta has described
BY homer, it is situated IN an extens We
p!ain, surrounded by elevated mountains,
and like Sparta, too, it IS unfortlhed. 1t is
more than probable that 1t was mere mat
ter of rodomoatade i'll gen. Bertnier 70 talk
about :. the gates of Madrid The 14th
bulletin .candluly contcsses that 6 TO take
Madrid by assault might be a military ope-
cation Of little difficulty Very true, NJ on
sleur. s but to engage that great city to sur
render---,vas really a,Hcmt." Can we
WISH ior stronger evidence OF the disincll-
narlon oi the spanish people to submit to
the power of france except at the point Of
the bayonet!
See an article upon spain in the new Port
Folio.
(Freemaa's 3ournaL
--xs ~ <ss-
From, the United States Gazette.