The Sun. — 1809-07-18 (London, England)

THIS DAY AT TWELVE O'CLOCK. Consols . - 6911 Omniurn ' - - 1i pr.  TK E SU N.  4102.111 QUIII DlCltai 1 ALIUM AUDJIAT ?  LONDON, TUESDAY, stria- 18, liog.  We this morning received Portuguese Papers to the 30th ult. the contents of which will be found is  a subsequent column. General VICTOR, it appears,  has began his retreat, and it seems to be the general opinion that the French will endeavour to concentrate all their forces behind the Ebro. Sir ARTHUR WELLESLEY is advancing towards Madrid, at the head of an army of 30,000 wen, in co-operas tion with General CUESTA, who is at the head of 26,000 Infantry, and 6,000 Cavalry. The unfortunate FERDINAND is said still to be at Valencey, with his Brother, Don CARLOS, where they are kept in a state of most rigid confinement, except that they are allowed to take the air in a small park ; all their attendants, even their Physician, has been separated from them.  The Expedition will, we trust, sail to-morrow or Thursday, as all the troops, artillery, and stores, are embarked, and we hope, that in a very few days we shall have the pleasure of communicating to our Readers, some gratifying intelligence respeling its success. With respea to its destination, it remains still a matter of conjeeture, but we have strong reason to believe, that its first operations, will not be at a.very great distance, from our own shores.  The lateness of the hour at which we received the Foreign Papers, yesterday, prevented us from making any 'observation upon their contents, which appear to us ratheof an important nature. The 23d Bulletin does not, indeed, contain any very ititereitiog military information, but the allusion- which it makes to peace is certainly calculated to excite considerable apprehensions. We trust that our-apprehensions upon this subjeet are ill founded, and that theßulletin is rather to be considered as conveying the wishes of BUONAPARTE, than as giving an accurate account of that which has passed.We c,an scarcely conceive an event which would be more calamitous to Europe, than a peace between Austria and France, at the present moment; At no period since his usurpation has EVONAPARTE been placed in a situation of such extreme danger as he is at present; at no period has a more favourable opportunity presented itself /of re-establishing the independence of Europe. BUONAPARTE must be conscious of the precipice .on which he stands, and ofcourse he will employ every artifice which his mind can suggest, to extricate himself from his dangerous position. A Peace would effeaually answer his purpose, and, though it tnifhtbe concluded upon apparently favor able terms to Austria, it would ultitnately be mit:.  pus to that Power. Under these circumstances, we cannot but feel considerable alarm, when we hear BIJONAPARTE, in his Bulletins, talking of Peace ; but ,a,5, the Emperor of Austria, after the disasters which marked the commencement of the Campaign, had the firmness to persevere in the contest, so we trust he will now have the good sense to reje& any insidious offer of Negotiation which BUONAPARTE may make. BUONAPARTE has repeated in this 'Bulletin his cool, deliberate determination to murder the Marquis Ds CIIASTELLAR, if.ever that gallant Officer should fall into his hands.  Some more I)utcl Papers arrived this morning, but they are not of a more recent date than those which had previously reached us. A Letter from Aotterdam, of the .12th inst. mentions the progress of the Russians, but at the same time it. expresses a doubt whether they will really co-operate with the French. JOSEPH EVONAPARTE has put himself at the head of his Troops, for the purpose, it is said, of quelling the Insurgents;' but he probably thinks.. himself safer with his Troops than in Madri:i.  Several Dutch letters received yesterday,,state that the expeaation of an attack from our Expedition had created-great alarm in Holland. The ships of war in the Scheldt have, been moved sander the guns of Fort Lillo ; ,and other strong batteries are raising for their protection. The same letters repolt that the , British-troops from Sicily had landed on the Neapolitan coast, and having been joined by a great number of the natives, were advancing to attack MuRAT. The Earl of ,C;TATHAN, having received his final iristrudions, set out -last night for Ramsgate to take . the chief command of the Expedition. Sir Evils COOTE is second in command ; and the sevtral grand Divisions are to be under the orders of those gallant Officers, Lieutenant Generals Sir J. HOPE, the Marquis of HUNTLEY, Lord Rosst.vlF, and Lieut. Gen. GlosvErioß. The troops -embarked and ern, barking, at Portsmouth, Ramsgate, Deal, and liar; with, are as follow :-