The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-04-10


rits of the last campaign. as far as respects
the conduct of his majesty's ministers, not |
by our system. but by their own.
In the hrst place. you had, by your mari |
time superiority, and the great naval force |
you possessed in the Mediterranean, the |
means eflanding at Trieste, aid its neigh
borhood, such force as might have contri- |
buted to alter the fatal issue of the cam
paign. The fate of Austria was decided by
battle, & that battle was decided by Bon
aparte's drawing that force from Marmont,
which you could have prevented. You
might have prevented General Marmont and
General Macdonald from sending him rein
torcemsnts. You might have kept them
both in check. 1t might not have altered
the fate of the war, but, with view to con-
tinentai CO operation, or natural honor, or
the deliverance of Europe, or any other OBJ
ject, it would have been meritorious, com
pared with the wretched expedition which
was sent to Portugal. may be told, that,
tohave acted on the side of the Mediterra-
mean, would have required large fleets and
numerous armies, which would have been
attended with enormous eXpences. True,
but the might have produced some adequate
effect. Let NE ask, have you not incurred
great eXpsnces by your miserable expediti
ons. not in assisting, bat in bringing loss and
degradation on our allies, and scorn and
shame on ourselves Look to the North of
Germany. Consider all that strikes the
mind in that part of the Continent. IF His
MaJesty's Ministers are capable of reaec
ton, let them reflect on the powerful diver
sion they might have effected by encourag
ing that spirit which actuated the North of
Germany. Having failed to take advantage
| OF that spirit; having destroyed the hopes of
| those brave people. who would have exerted
themselves against the common foe /; having
| done nothing in aid Of the cause in which
they were engaged; what must be the feel
lngs of such men when they come down to
Parliamentto speak of services they have
performed, by the demolition of some docks
belonging to the enemy! AS near to you as
Walcheren. there wasa spirit even among
| your own subjects, which you might have
| called into action. There was the populati-
on OF whole provinces ready to rise in arms,
warlike provinces, consisting of men used to
war-disbanded indeed, bat as good sol
diers as any whe ever fought, and all Of them
ready to join the British standard. Here
was where you ought to have held out en-
enlargement. You neglected to do SO, and
you have sacrificed these men to the melan
choly tate they have since endured. Had
you done all this, still / am not of opinion it
would have been available, so as to have de
cided the fate of the war favorably to this
! Country but if you had done its there a
man who can doubt that the plans of Bona
parte would have been materially discon
certed that his plans in SaXony would have
| oeen dsconcerted, that upon the insurrecti.
on in the North of Germany he would not,
instead of sending the national guards. have
been obliged to have opposed it by disciplin-
ed troops This is what you might have done
now, like a blighted ear comes what you
have done--Yo on had an hundred thousand
men at your disposal of these something
more than twenty thousand were disposed
ct in Sicily. You had two armies Of forty
Thousand men in. addition to your naval force
One OF these armies was destined to act in
Portugal, and to march into the heart of
Spain, and this expedition was sent out by
the very men who had originally planned Sir
| John Moore's expedition IL has been ascer-
tanned that such force was inadequate to
produce any other effect than the loss of the
brave lives who composed it. His msiesty's
ministers not only did not profit from the ex-
periencc they had, but they SO contrived, that
| every one OF the errors to which they attri
buted the failure of Gen. Moore's army,
should operate in still greater degree in
the army of lord Wellington. What were
, the defeats with regard to General Moore's
| expedition In the first place. its operations
| were not concerted with the Spanish govern
ment. Shall we be told that the operations
OF this second campaign were better concert
ed.
Here his Lordshih entered INFO minute
detail Of tie different erheditions, Of
| which he dre7c a melancholy hortrait--1s
| the disasters (Which befeL these misguided
and unfortunate Expeditions are aiready
well knozy9. by mast Of our readers, 7ue
Fuse over this hart of his steech and come
70 conciusion.-
Be not offended my lords, at what state,
but put it home to your hearts, and ask your.
selves, whether, after the expedition Of Sir
John Moore, and after the expedition of lord
Wellington, you can determine to encourage
these ministers in the prosecutions Of mea-
sures so ruinous 10 the country In the pre-
| sent awful situation of the country, let me en-.
treat you to reject that you have an impor-
tant duty to discharge. If You execute it
with apathy aud indifference--if you meet
only for the purpose Of hearing the detail of
the errors OF ministers---consder that some
portion of that blame which ought only to
be imputed to them, will attach to you..-
My lords, the situation cf the country being
what have stated, it has no quarter by
which to direct its thoughts, and encourage
its expectations, but the energies, the pow
CIR, and virtue of Pariament--This is not
a time to rest conteDted by covering with
blind votes OF confidence those errors of min
listers which are so notorious, and produc
tive of such irreparable evils. You cannot
be blind to the events which are passing in
Europe man is struck with horror
at the recital of thcm-~they cannot be ar
gravated by description, or enhanced by Ell.
Icquencc. In this dreadful hour, if not by
Parliament. how can the country be saved
H., o e.. Il 4. =.