The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-03-06
Vol. 8------No. 90.

VII :" level, not ohiy Win the greatest OF mo-
dern generals, but with any of the most &C.
| LIBERATED herSes Of ancient times. But ad-
hitting, as he did, the valor of our aNnies,
the exertiens of ministers in sending supplies
OF arms, men and money, and above ali, the
skllful dispositions of a most able general,
stiil he could not, when he considered the
present state of the Peninsula, compared
with its condition i'll the former year, enter
tain any such hopes Of final success as were
held out in the address. We were told in the
speech, by the mouths of the lords commits
sioners, that tile dangers of Spain were
greatly increased, but that more energy had
arisen in the people yet he saw that the
French armies carried every thing before
them, and had military possession of Spain,
nearly from one end To the other. The
st important fortresses had been taken :
wher. it was remembered how Badaoz,
Iarragona, and other strong places have
fallen, it was much to be feared that Va
lencia will shortly share the same fate -
rue 1T was, that every thing possible had
been done towards the support Of the war
yet all that we had achieved was the pos
session OF Portugal-and Lord Wellington
was himself forced to retreat as.soon as he
had driven Massena from the frontiers -,
and had acknowledged that it was imposs-
Bile 10 succeed i'll making head against the
armies of the French. The more then that
he reflected on. the exalted merits of the pe-
neral, and OH the vast resources which had
been expended in prose cution cf the war.
the less was he inclined to hope for final sue
ccss-and, therefore, he could not consent.
without farther information, to pledge him.
self to the full extent required by tho
speech, in the grant of farther assistance.
lie wished, indeed, that the right honorable
gentleman had communicated to the house,
what were the sentiments of Lord Welling-
ton himself respecting the war-whether he
entertained any hopes of the, expulsion of
the French--then, perhaps, he (Mr. WY
might give his consent to this part of the
address; but no such information was pre-
sented to them--none of Lord Weilington's
opinions were exhibited to the house. He
wished also that the right honorable gentle
man would inform him, what were the stu
alton and feelings Of the self-cailed govern
ment OF Cadiz with respect to the South-.A-
merlcan colonies. He knew that persons
mad been commissioned and sent OUT to me. =
diate between the Spanish government and
the re- offers OF South-America. Had the
spanish government accepted this mediate
Din : And If IT had been accepted, what
progress had been made towards reconciiia.t
ion! He begged to know thercasons which
had SO long detained those gentlemen who
lad been appointed TO diplomatic Offices -
tor instance, Sir Robert Wilson and Mr..
Liston. If the objects of their respective
missions were considered important, WHY
had they not proceeded on their destined
The state Of our army in Spain . Were the
ranks full--werc all the wants of various
kinds removed? Ii not, what means, what
resources had ministers to meet these exi-
sencies, and supply those deficiencies Had
they any new recruiting system to propose,
% supply the waste Of the British army in
the Peninsula All these were questions
which ought to be asked before the house
should pledge itself to the vast and extern
SiVc efforts now required. At any rate,
bis own mind must be informed on these
subjects, before he could give his individual
consent to SO important pledge.
Another point, (FKere the observations
on American affairs, already published IL. tbs
Enqmicr.) t..>
The address to the Regent was also
olameahie fer the great want Of inloi nation
on the subject @. our East-India possessions,
and the policy to be pursued with respect to
hem. He could not conclude without ex~
pressing his ,.ecjdcd dissent and political
adherence ii some CT the principles & n.axr
inns advanced last night bv the noble lord
who moved the address That noble J ri
had said that it was impossible to make
peace with person of such cha, acter as
'"I"''N' ~ VI o. ""9 ENiHt Oi ~ 49, yH
till the time Of the present war, had SO
an assertion been vertured, that
the personal character OF a governor should
De any impeachment to a negotiation between
states. . But, if there were any foundation
Tor such an opinion~--an opinion, however, to
which he could never accede; still he must say
that he saw no greater obstacle to peace in
the character Of the French emperor than in
the character of the Bourbons who preceded
him. He protested therefore against a doc
trine which must lead to eternal war a doc
trine which would be in its consequences PEE
culiarly ruinous to this nation for the gran
deur and power Of England were Fictitious.
the grandeur ard power OF France we're
natural and in u long protracted struggle
the two Countries, it was not diff,
cult to foresee which must ultimately be sub.
dued. 1t was doctrine, indeed, which had
not been acted upon (; for though the last ne-
gociations for peace were broken, the rur..
ture was not owing to the personal charac-
ter of the French emperor, but to the terms
and tone adopted by that government IN the
course OF the discussion, He concluded by
saying, that he must make an observation
in contradiction to what had fallen from the
noble lord last night, that the great object of
Bonaparte was to obtain ships, and colonies,
and commerce and that Ike would never
make peace until he had obtained them. II,
(said Mr.. Wbitbread) this be the sole obsta-
Gle 10 peace, would to God that Bonaparte
had colonies would to God he had com,
mprCe I