The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-01-11

trariness had dissolved yonr assembly. TOR
the purpose OF setting open upon this nation
| all the noodgates at misery and servitudc.-
| The aggression we haze sustained. and the
war we are wagimg. are the effects of the
most shame:a! oppression and the most "n
| lust tyranny. The provincial Roar6s, which
| he'll successfully resisted and reculScd tie
enemy in the first onset Ot the invasion. with
q view TO give unity to the state and to cen
| centrate its strength. deposited, in the hands
of tae Supreme Beard the soy Y ign autho-
ritr which they had exercised Tor short
| time.
| Called to the exercise Of THIS power. not
by ambition o. intrigue, bue by the unani
| nous suffrage al the provinces OF the Kim.
dom, the members ot the Supreme boa; Il
bave expressed the;.' sense of such t! ,tterint.
confidence by their arx,o,s cares and exer
/ tious. which they have exclusively devoted
| to the preservation and welfare OF the state.
Judge of the greatness OF oar efNrts by the
euo!mitv Of the evils which preceded them.
| Wien W. were entrusted viz! the supreme
power, our armies but half formed, were
naked and in want of every thing, the trea
| sury empty, and our resources nrccttain
and remote. The despot of Farce availing
himself IF the tranquility then prevailing
in The North, hurled down upon the Pcn,n-
su!a the military means in his hands, the
most extensive aud most powerful tia, the
world has ever known. Ills iesions better
disciplined. better equipped, ard, above al.
/ more numerous, drove back. ON all sides, q,
| though at a vast expense of their Own blood
| onr armies which were as yet deficient in
skill aud confidence. A fTcs', inunda;ion Of
| Barbarians who carried des,a.inn ali over
| the provinces which they occupied. was the
consequence ot these rcverses: and the i'll
| II l. L.
painfully re-opened and bed torrents OF
| blood
Fhe state, by this occupat.on, lost one
| half Of its forces and, when the Bonid, obii =
ged to secure the national honor, ind eI,en.
dence and unity, against Tyranl's i'm D e,u
Gus invasion, repaired 20 Andalnsia, a Givi
sion of $4,000 men was already moving to
wards the walls of the immortal Sarasossa :,
TO bury itself under it's ruins. Thus redu
ced, the army 81 the center could not display
that activity and energy which would have
produced either results than the battle os u .
cles. The passes Of Sierra Moreno and the
5aUks of the Tagus were defended but by a
| handful OF men inditferently armed, and who
could not be called armies. BY diht of acti-
witty and sacrifices, the Board made then
| such. Beaten and DESTROYED in the two BAT
ties of Cirdad Real and MedelIin, instead of
| despairleg of the Country, 1t redoubled its
| eXertions, re organised them and opposed.
! in a few DAYS 10000 foot md ~ 600 horse tn
the enemy. These forces have since fought.
| sometimes unsuCCessfuily and at othc times
with success, but always with gallaRtry ard
! glory. Inc creation, re organization and
maintenance of these armies have more
than absorbed the considerable remittances
made by our Brethren in America. In the
provinces unsubdued, we have maintained
union, order and justice and, to those which
are occupied by the enemy, we have given
our assistance to keep alive, although con
cealed, the fame of patriotism, and pre-
serve the bonds of loyalty entire. We have
maintained unimpaired the national honor
and Independence in dipl natic negocia
tons, mos complex ard delicate; and we
have made head against adversely, without
suffering ourselves to be depressed by it, con.
fdcnt, as we have ever been, of nitinat ely
rising superior to it by Cur Consistency.
e" We shall undoubtedly have committed
mistakes, and wish we could redeem them
with our blood: but amidst the rapid sue
cession OF events, and surrounded by Difficult
ties, who could expect never To err? Can
We be made to answer for the mems want Of
bravery in one instance. or for their want Of
confidence in another; for a General dis
playing less prudence upon one occasion, or
being less fortunate upon another? Let
something Spauiaids. be imputed to our
want OF experience, great deal to the exist
ing circumstance, but nothing to our inten-
tion. his has always been, to release our
unhappy king from slavery; TO preserve for
aim throne for which the Spanish nation
has submitted TO 30 many sacrifices and
lastly, to secure the freedom, independence
and happiness OF the latter. From the me
ment Of our installation we promised her a
country; by announcing the restoration oil
our Cn"tes, we have decreed the abolition oi
arbitrary power; and, lastly, we have me,
those Eortes in this august assembly. Such
is. Spaniartls, the use we have made of the
unlimited power and authority with which
we we're entrusted; aud whenever your wis
dom shall have laid down the foundation.
and settled the form of Government hes,
calculated tn secure The independence and
Welfare OF the State, we will give ND the Su
preme power to those whom you shall have
aPpointed, and rest satisfied with the glory
OF having conferred upon the Spaniards ihe
d.gnity ct a nation lawfully constituted -
May great measures, energy and fortune
issue from this grand and solemn meeting
May ii be like volcano, immense incx;in
suishable. from which the love Of our coun
try shall burst forth, overspread and viviti
cate the whole extent Of this vast monarchy
nd kindle, in every breast, that self devot-
edDcss, and that sublime self denial whcs
cops'itu the safety & glory of nations, & tho
despair of tyraDts rise, Fathers Of tile
counsry, to the height of your ministry
AID SPAN. raised with you. to the brilliant
'tatiop 4prninted for her, shall see Ferdi Il NJ
vi and his unhappy family, come back f.,