Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1863-03-26

carried on for moro than FIVE years, and
on q scale, so far as the number OF men
and the extent OF the military operations
are concerned, untils them wholly unat-
tempted by England in her European wals.
The result, as it need not be said, was not
only to crown the British arms with the
most brilliant and undying lustre. but also
to rotain permanently in their places the
partyawhose only title to public favor was
that they had carried on, the. war against
the mos. serious obstacles and brought it
to successful termination. Thus was de-
layed, it may be remarked. for at least
twenty years. the adoption of those meas.
ures of reform which at last gave to Eng
land that place in modern civilization
which hall long before been reached by
most Of the nations of the Continent by
passing through the trials ofa bloody rev.
olution. If we. tlen, in our dark hours,
are inclined togdoubt and dependency as
to the final result. let us not forget the
ordeal through which England successful
ly passed. We shall find that, in the com.
mencement. there was tho same wild and
unreasoEing, enthusiasm with which we
are familiar; the same bitter abuse aud
denunciation of the government at the first
reverses; the same impatient and ignorant
criticism Of military operations; the same
factious andaaisloyal opposition on the
part of a powerful party; the same discour-
agement and dependency at tines on the
part Of the true and loyal; the same proph-
estes Of the utter hopelesness Of success;
the same complaints of grievops and bur-
densome taxation, and predictions OF the
utter financial ruin of the country; the
same violent attacks npon the government
for its arbitrary DEGREES. and particularly
for.the suspension of the writ of ha6eas
corpus; the same difficulties arising from
the inexperiencs of the army and the same
weakness on the part of the government in
not boldly and energetically supporting
the army in the field. These are some of
the most striking parallelisms between the
Peninsular War and our own struggle,
which slight sketch of the progress of
that war will render very apparent.
The insurrection in Spain which follow
ed Immediately upon knowledge of the
intrigues Of Napoleon at Bayonne, in
April, 1907, by which the royal family
was entrapped into an abdication OF its
right to the throne. and Joseph Bonapartc
made king Of that country, reused univer-
sal admiration and enthusiasm in England.
1t was thought by all parties that an OBJ
siacle to the further progress of Napole-
on's schemes OF the most formidable char
actcr had at last been found 1t was the
first popular insurrection in any country
against Napoleon's power, and consequent
ly, when the deputies from the Asturias
reached England imploring succor, their
appeals excited the popular feeling to the
highest pitch, and the opposite parties in
Parliament and the country Wed with each
other in demanding that England should
aid the insurrcction with the whole of her
military power. 1t is curious to observe,
that when the question of aid was brought
before Parliament. Mr.. Canning and Mr.
Sheridan, who had probably never acted
together before on any political question.
rivaled each other in their praise of the
Spaniasds. and in their expressions of hope
and belief that Napoleon had at last taken
o step which would speedily prove fatal to
him. Large supplies were. voted by accla-
nation. and an important expedition, sf-
forwards operating in two columns, one
nnder the command of Sir John Moore,
the other under that of Sir Arthur We'll
lesly. was dispatched to the Peninsular to
aid the insurgents. 1t is not our purpose
to trace the progress of this expedition.
but merely TO notice the effect which its
immediate results. the retreat to Corunna,
and the Convention of Cintra, produced
npon popular feeling in England. As we
look back on the history of that time, the
folly and madness which. seized upon the
popular mind. when the terms Of the Con-
ventionHof Cintta became know. can only
be explained by recalling the high,wrought
and extravagant expectations of immedi-
ate success. -Sith which. the war had been
entered upon. By this Convention. and
as the result, Of single battle. Portugal
was who'll evacuated by the French; We.
such were the unreasonable demands of
public opinion, that because the whole
French army had, not been made prisoners
of war. the Ministry was almost swept a
way by the outburt. and il could only con-
troll the storm by removing the two gem
erals highest. in rankl It required all the
family and political influence of the third,
Sir Arthur WELLESLEY. toasnsble him to re-
tain. bis position In the army The disas-
+! trous retreat of Sir John Moore's army to
Corunna. and the easy triumphs OF the
French at that time throughout all Spain,
plunged the English into despair. ? Going
from one extreme to another. men who.
only three months. before, -haG quarrsled
with the army in Portugal because it had
not given them the spectacle of French
marshal and twenty thousand Of his SOL
diers as prisoners OF war at Spithead. now
spoke openly of the folly of any lattempt
At al on the part Of England to resist the
progress Of the French arms in the Penin-
sula In Parliament there was the usual
lame apology for disaster. an attempt to
shift the responsibility from the Ministry
to the General in command; bnt the great
fact. that all their, hopes had BEEN disap-
pointed still remained, and after the .ex-
plantations OF the government. the general
despondency became more gloomy than
ever. II Is not difficult in the light Of
history to see where the blame of failare
should rest. 7 Anyone whois disposed now
to sneer and caril at tha short -comings Of
our own gadpipistratien,c to imputestp it
views shoft-sighled and impraotiesbls in
J their r,oliev. and to blame IL for want of