Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1810-03-13
roR rHE VIRGINIA. ARGUS.
DON oNIS, &c. &c. &c.


A wicked party whose cause is
weak, is perpetually grasping at UNI
Important incidents, or iuventing facts
which have no existence Ia reality, to
prop itself before the public IN res
peetablc posture. All that is neces-
sary to be done, In order to expose
the folly. and wiekedness of such a
party, is to knock away the props.
The whole fabric of fAlsehood is then
.sxrosed to the view Of the people.
The English nation, like the Anne,
ficans, felt the most delightful sensa-
items under the influence. Of an idea
that rhe Spaniards were about to assert
their Independence with vigor, and
that they wers likely to be successful.
The British Ministry, glad to find
their peculiar policy Of teazing Bona
parse SO well seconded by the British
public, came to fhe determination of
sending to the interior of Spain an eff.
fectiv= English force, under the com.
Inand of an able Gen'l. which, by aid
ing the immense Spanish armies which
II was. supposed were already formed
and to be Immediately formed in Spain
to-oppose the French, it was imagined
would be sufficient considerably to
elnharrass, if not totally to overthrow
the plans of Napoleon in relation to
spain or, at least. to keep him SO en-
ployed inthe Peninsula, that he should
not be abls to meet the pressure Of a.
war which the gold and the intrigues
of England at that very time were
kind!ing in the heart Of Germany.
Accordingly, onthe 9Th Of Oct. aos,
Sir J. Moore received his commission
Is oommander in chief of corps Of
british troops, 20 be employed on tina.
service. The total number of men
put Under the direction of this officer.
was 1896. rs Sir John advanced
into Spain, he began to discover that
the tpgtish ration had been imposed
Upon; that the Spanish Jnnta were a
syretched body of men, incapable of
sustaining con Test with Bonaparte, &
thatthey were totally destitute Of every
eiheientresouree. We DO not mean to
deal IN vague assertion but speak from
authentic documents and we there
fire beg the reader to psruse with at
tentioa tne following genuine extracts,
tsken from GA Narrative of the cam,
paiga o. the British army in Spain,
commanded by his excellency Lieut..
Gen. Sir John Moore, X. b. anthem
ticated by official papers aad original
lelters, by James Moore, Esq" prin-
sed in London, for Joseph johnson,
81. Paui's church yard, in the year
1909, and few copies of which Tin
qaarto) have reached the United
Safes.
EXTRACTS.
There was great want of money,
from which excessive Inconvenience
resulted. At Guarda the chief ma.
siserate refused to procure provisions
withoutre regular payments. Page IL.
esGeneral Blake's army, called the
army of the left, was known to be in the
nimost danger, yet TIE council of war
composed of the principal Spanish
generals came to the following resolu-
tom: +" Attention being had to the ac-
tual state of penury and want, which
the army Of the centre, Destitute Of
the most necessary means, is suffer.
ing; considering also that this effec-
tive force is much less than had been,
supposed; it is agreed that in the pre-
sent moment it cannot be ofassistance
70 the army of the left, notwithstand-
iHg the conviction of the urgency OF
such assistance" &c.-Page II.
" A short passage extracted from
the marquis Of Castanos' dispatches
- the secretary OF the Central Junta,
Nov. z5,h, 1893, gives further view
Of the state OF the principal Spanish
srmy--it is as follows: /" [ leave to
your excelIepcy % conceive the criti-
sal situa:iou of an army immoyable
from its few resources, and the great
est partof which was composed ofnew
LIVES, tadly clothed, and badly provi-
tioned."-.Page IS.
= A letter from capt. Whittineham
70 Lord VIM. Bentinch, will shew the
impression that the appearance of
part Of their army made upon an En-