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MONTHLY RETROSPECT OV PUBLIC ATFAIRS; OR, The Christian's Survey of the Political -World*
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Untitled Article
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
Monthly Retrospect Ov Public Atfairs; Or, The Christian's Survey Of The Political -World*
MONTHLY RETROSPECT OV PUBLIC ATFAIRS ; OR , The Christian ' s Survey of the Political -World *
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Tise great Warrior of the earth continues his progress , conquering and to conquer . The events that have taken f flace ., confound the politician . The Emperor of the French threatened to overthrow the decrees of his enemies , and to plant his banners on the walls of Madrid and Lisbon . The first part of his threat he has already executed , and there seems little reason to doubt that
he will perform the latter part of his promise . Scarcely had te set foot in Spain , when he commenced his warlike operations : his troops marched in various directions , and victory every where
followed his steps . Ail the expectations formed on the energy of the Spaniards , and the co-operation of the English , have been disappointed . The latter have been far from the scene of action , and the former no where in sufficient force
to counteract the vigour of a numerous and well disciplined army . The niore we consider the feats of this wonderful man , and the counsels of his enemies , the more are we wrapt in admiration of the passang events , und of the things that are to follow . * The Christian has
daily reason for patience and resignation to the will of God ; the worldly politician must see the futility of his schemes . A few months ago , Spain was supposed to be in complete insurrection against the French . In the South their force was annihilated ; the new king hail fled
from Madrid ; the remains of their armies were concentrated under the Pyrenees ; and it might have been thought impossible , that they could resist a nation in arms , avisted by a powerful people , capable of supplying them with all that is denominated the sinews of war .
But the French remained safe in their quarters ; reinforcements arrived without interruption ; and everything seemed to be calculated , that the emperor should take the field at his own time and to the
greatest advantage . An army from £ ngland , more numerous than the French , might easily have been landed on the Chores of Biscay : biit the summer passed away , and then the strength of this country was sent to Portugal , where it rould $ bi possibly tovc any effect on
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the great point of attack in Spain -. an 4 when a body was sent to Spain , it was sent to the North West point at such a distance from the scene of action , that it -was of no more use than if it had been in England . It might perhaps witlv the fugitives delay for a short time the conquest of Gallicia , but this could have little effect on the main operations .
Buonaparte , as soon as he had crossed the Pyrenees , put all his forces in motion . His schemes had been previously -well laid ami digested . He was now at the head of a very ndmerous army ; his most experienced generals were around him ; large bodies were following him from France ; provisions were in plenty ,
and every separate corps completely provided . He himself kept with the main body : two armies were detached , the one on his right the other on his left to disperse the Spaniards in arms in those quarters . Blake commanded in Biscay ., and made a vigorous resistance . But the repeated attacks of the French drove
him to the hills , and at last his army was completely dispersed . Thus all Biscay was subdued ; its principal towns were taken ; and the fugitives retreated into Gallicia , where was an English army under Oeneral Baird , making a tedious march from Corunna to join General Moore in Spain . ,
The army on the left was equally successful . It followed the course of the Ebro to attack the army under General Castanos , and hy a successful manoeuvre completely broke it , and compelled it to a precipitate flignt . Freed from all apprehensions on the right and left , Buonaparte marched towards Burgos , where he made an immense seizure of woo ) , and thence directed his course towards
Madrid . An English army had marched ( from Lisbon towards the plains of Cas ~ tille under the command of general Moore . It was said to have got as far as Salamanca ; but the disasters of the
allies compelled it to retreat . Thus the country was open to Madrid , unless its inhabitants , reinforced by an armyfrom the South , would come out and oppose the enemy . Strong resolutions were matte by the central Junta of the ciw
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Dec. 2, 1808, page 683, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2399/page/47/
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