Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

that when they had freed themselves from this intestine war, the cortes would be assembled, abuses reformed, and such laws enacted as the circumstances of the time and experience might dictate for the public good: "Things," said they, "which we Spaniards know how to do, and which we have done, as well as other nations, without any necessity that the vile French should come to instruct us, and, according to their cus

tom, under the mask of friendship, and wishes for our happiness, contrive (for this alone they are contriving) to plunder us, to violate our women, to assassinate us, to deprive us of our liberty, our laws, and our king; to scoff at and destroy our holy religion, as they have hitherto done, and will always continue to do, as long as that spirit of perfidy and ambition, which oppresses and tyrannizes over them, shall endure."

CHAP. XV.

The

Deputies from Asturias sent to England. Effect of the Spanish revolution in this country. Mr Sheridan's speech. Mr Whitbread's letter to Lord Holland. Proceedings at Cadiz. governor put to death by the people, and Morla appointed in his place. The Spaniards compel the French squadron to surrender. Dupont enters Andalusia with a French army; is defeated by General Reding at Baylen, and surrenders. The terms which had been granted broken. Correspondence upon that subject with Morla. The French eagles deposited as trophies in the church of King St Fernando at Seville.

ONE of the first measures of the junta of Asturias was to dispatch two noblemen as deputies to England. They came off from Gijon in an open boat, and got to an English privateer which happened to be cruising off that port. Their arrival was soon followed by information that the insurrection had burst out in Andalusia as well as in the north, and along the whole south of Spain. Never was any intelligence received with more general joy. Notwithstanding the numerous hostilities in which Spain had been involved with England; first, through its connection with the Bourbons; and, afterwards, from the ascendancy which the directory and Buonaparte had obtained over an infamous minister,

an imbecile king, and a wretched government, the English had always regarded the Spaniards as the most honourable people with whom they were engaged either in commerce or in war; nor was there ever a war in which some new instance of honour and generosity on their part did not make us regret that they were our enemies. Hitherto the present contest had been carried on with little hope. No other sympathy than that of mere political interest, was ever felt in our alliances with Austria or with the Czar; but, from the moment that the Spaniards called upon us for aid, we felt that we had obtained allies worthy of our own good cause, and the war assumed a higher and holier character. It now became,

truly, avowedly, and plainly to every man's understanding, a war for all good principles; and we looked on to the end with faith as well as hope. Never since the glorious morning of the French revolution, before one bloody cloud had risen to overcast its beauty, had the heart of England been affected with so generous and universal a joy. Those who had been panic-stricken by the atrocities of the French demagogues, rejoiced to perceive the uniform and dignified order which the Spaniards observed in all their proceedings, and their adherence to existing establishments;-firmer and more philosophic minds, whose love of liberty had not been weakened by the horrors which a licentious and unprincipled people committed under that sacred name, were delighted that the Spaniards recurred with one accord to those legitimate forms of freedom, which their paralysing despotism had so long suspended; the people universally longed to assist a nation who had risen in defence of their country; and professional politicians, not having time to consider, nor being able to foresee, in what manner these great events would affect their own party purposes, partook of the popular feeling.

The first parliamentary notice of these proceedings was by a speech of Mr Sheridan's, made by him for the purpose of stimulating the ministry to a vigorous co-operation with the Spaniards. "There had never," he said, "existed so June 15. happy an opportunity for Great Britain to strike a bold stroke for the rescue of the world. Hitherto, Buonaparte had run a victorious race, because he had contended against princes without dignity, and ministers without

wisdom, and fought against countries where the people were indifferent as to his success; he had yet to learn what it was to fight against a people who were animated with one spirit against him. Now was the time to stand up, fully and fairly, for the deliverance of Europe; and, if the ministry would co-operate effectually with the Spanish patriots, they should receive from him as cordial and as sincere a support, as if the man whom he most loved were restored to life and power. Will not (said he,) the animation of the Spanish mind be excited by the knowledge that their cause is espoused, not by ministers alone, but by the parliament and the people of England? If there be a disposition in Spain to resent the insults and injuries, too enormous to be described by language, which they have endured from the tyrant of the earth, will not that disposition be roused to the most sublime exertion by the assu rance that their efforts will be cordially aided by a great and powerful nation? Never was any thing so brave, so generous, so noble, as the conduct of the Spaniards! Never was there a more important crisis, than that which their patriotism had thus occasioned in the state of Europe!"

Mr Canning replied, "that his Majesty's ministers saw, with the most deep and lively interest, this noble struggle against the unexampled atrocity of France; and that there was the strongest disposition on the part of government to afford every practicable aid in a contest so magnanimous. In endeavouring to afford this aid, he said, it would never occur to them that a state of war existed between Spain and Great Britain. They should proceed upon the principle, that any nation of Eu

rope which started up with a determination to oppose a power, which, whether professing insidious peace, or declaring open war, was the common enemy of all nations,-whatever might be the existing political relations of that nation with Great Britain, became instantly our essential ally. As for what were called peculiarly British interests, he disclaimed them as any part of the considerations which influenced government. In this contest, wherein Spain had embarked, no interest could be so purely British, as Spanish success; no conquest so advantageous for Great Britain as conquering from France the complete integrity of the Spanish dominions in every quarter of the world." This declaration satisfied Mr Whitbread; but that gentleman, with an obliquity of understanding which never fails to manifest itself in him when the name of the Corsican is mentioned, once more deprecated the usual tone in which that emperor was spoken of, saying, that, when he heard him called despot, tyrant, plunderer, and common enemy of mankind, he wished from his heart that England could come into the cause with clean hands.

An ill-timed allusion was made by Mr Windham to the commencement of the late hostilities with Spain. "We should remember," he said, "how great an arrear we had to settle, how much Spain had to forget in consequence of the outrage which she had sustained in the capture of her frigates. Were ministers prepared to restore them, and thus prove to Spain the disinterestedness with which we were to embark in her cause?" If this part of his speech was reprehensible, he

was not more fortunate in comparing the Spanish revolution to the insurrection in La Vendee. "His opinion," he said, "however late, had been adopted at last. It was now admitted, that the only way of overturning revolutionary despotism, was by aiding the internal means of a country with external co-operation. Now there was nothing external but England; it was Buonaparte and France every where besides; and they who would not take to the pinnace or the long-boat in the late storm, were now glad to catch at any broken oar, or fragment of a plank. When Europe was unsubdued, when Austria was entire, when Prussia was a formidable military power, when Italy was not yet parcelled out, and Spain itself was whole, the internal state of La Vendee held out the fairest hope of arresting the progress of the revolution. What then had been neglected was now looked up to with sanguine expectations, and the only hope now was, that this insurrection in Spain might prove a La Vendee." No two cases could be more dissimilar than these which Mr Windham thus likened to each other. Our hope was, that those principles, against which the combined powers had originally taken arms, and by which they had been defeated, were now marshalled on our side; and that the common enemy would be overthrown by the spirit of independence, of liberty, of national pride, and national honour,-by the spirit of revolution which had now manifested itself among a people worthy of being free, and virtuous enough to preserve their freedom, if they should succeed in recovering it.

*

A few days after this June 4. debate, Mr Whitbread, in a speech upon the state of the empire, took occasion to refer to the opinion concerning peace, which he had delivered early in the session. "I then stated," said he," that it did not appear to me degrading to this country to propose a negociation for peace with France at no period of the interval which has elapsed, has it appeared to me that such a proposition would be degrading; nor can I anticipate, during the recess which is about to take place, any circumstance, the occurrence of which can, by possibility, render it unexpedient or degrading on the part of this country to open such a negociation." The common feeling and common sense of the country were shocked at the mention of negociating with Buonaparte, just at the moment when his unexampled treachery towards an ally, was the theme of universal execration; and when a whole nation had just arisen against his insolent aggression. Mr Whitbread felt that he had injured himself in the opinion of the people, and, July 4. on the last day of the session, took occasion to express his admiration of the Spanish patriots; and to regret that ministers had not applied for a vote of credit, which would enable them more effectually to second the wishes of all ranks of Englishmen, by aiding and assisting the Spaniards." Had such a message," he said, "been sent down, it would have been met with the unanimous concurrence of that house; and he was equally certain, that that concurrence would have been echoed throughout the coun

try. The Spanish nation was now committed with France: never were a people engaged in a more arduous and honourable struggle; and he earnestly prayed God to crown their efforts with a success as final as those efforts were glorious. He could not help thinking, that it would have been well to have given an opportunity of manifesting to them the sympathy that glowed in every British heart, through the proper channel, the legitimate organ of the British people. He would abstain, he said, from saying more, or going the length his feelings on such a subject would naturally lead him, as he might be liable to misrepresentations; but he would repeat, that, from the bottom of his soul, he wished success to the patriotic efforts of the Spaniards; and that their present glorious struggle might be crowned with the recovery of their liberty as a people, and the assertion of their independence."

As a farther avowal of these sentiments, Mr Whitbread addressed a letter, on the situation of Spain, to Lord Holland; "the subject," he said, "being so peculiarly interesting to that distinguished nobleman, from the attachment he had formed to a people among whom he had resided; the grandeur and energy of whose character he had had the opportu nity to estimate, and to which he had always done justice; even when that character was obscured by the faults and oppressions of a bad government." Having repeated his professions of ardent sympathy with the Spaniards, he recurred to his proposal for negociating. "It has been falsely and basely stated," said he, "that I advised the purchase of

* See p. 63.

« ZurückWeiter »