No. 27.-Precautions which will be proper to observe throughout the different provinces of Spain, in the necessity to which they have been driven by the French, of resisting the unjust and violent possession which their armies are endeavouring to take of the kingdom.

We cannot doubt a moment of the exertions which the united provinces of Spain would make to obstruct and defeat the malicious designs of the French, and that they will sacrifice even their lives on this occasion, the most important, and even unparalleled in the history of the nation, both in the thing itself, and in the horrible means of ingratitude and perfidy by which the French have undertaken, pursued, and are still endeavouring to effect our slavery:-1. Let the first object be to avoid all general actions, and to convince ourselves of the very great hazards, without any advantage, or even the hope of it, to which they would expose us. The reasons of this resolution are many, and such as any one will discover who has the use of his understanding. 2. A war of partisans is the ing.-2. system which suits us; the embarrassing and wasting the enemy's armies by want of provisions, destroying bridges, throwing up entrenchments in proper situations, and other similar means. The situation of Spain, its many mountains, and the passes which they present, its rivers and torrents, and even the collocation of its provinces, invite us to carry on this species of warfare successfully.-3. It is indispensible that each province should have its general, of known talents, and of such experience as our situation permits,

that his heroic loyalty should inspire the utmost confidence, and that eveY general sbould have under his command officers of merit, particu4. As a combined union of plans is larly of artillery and engineers. the soul of every well concerted enterprize, and that which alone can promise and facilitate a successful issue, it appears indispensible that there should be three generalissimos, who should act in concert with each other-one who should command in the four kingdoms of Andalusia, in Murcia, and Lower Estramaduraanother in Galicia, Upper Estramadura, Old and New Castile, and Leon-another in Valencia, Arragon, and Catalonia; a person of the greatest credit being appointed to Navarre, the Biscayan Provinces, Montanus, Asturias, Rinja, and the North of Old Castile, for the purposes which will be mentioned hereafter.-5. Each of these generals and generalissimos will form an army of veterans, troops and peasantry united, and put himself in a situation to undertake enterprises, and to succour the most exposed points, keeping up always frequent communication with the other generalissimos, in order that all may act by common accord, and assist one another.-6. Madrid and La Mancha require an especial general, to concert and execute the enterprizes which their particular local situation demands-his only object must be to embarrass the enemy's armies, to take away or cut off their provisions, to attack them in flank and rear, and not to leave them a moment of re

pose. The courage of these inhabitants, is well known, and they will eagerly embrace such enterprises if they are led as they should be. In

the succession war the enemy entered twice into the interior of the kingdom, and even as far as its capital, and this was the cause of defeat, their entire ruin, and their utter failure of success.-7. The generalissimos of the North and East will block up the entrances to the provinces under their command, and come to the assistance of any one that may be attacked by the enemy, to prevent as much as possible all pillage, and preserve its inhabitants from the desolation of war; the many mountains and defiles which are on the confines of these provinces being favourable to such projects.8. The destination of the general of Navarre, Biscay and the rest of this department is the most important of all, in which he will be assisted by the generals of the North and East: with the troops and other succours which he stands in need of. His whole business must be to shut the entrance of Spain against fresh French troops; and to harrass and destroy those that return from Spain to France by this point. The very rugged local situation of these provinces will be of singular advantage in such a design, and these enterprises, if well concerted and carried into execution, will no doubt be successful: and the same may be understood of the different points by which the French troops which are in Portugal may come into Spain, or by which French troops may enter through Rolissillon into Catalonia, for there is not much to be apprehended for Arragon. And, even from Portugal, it is not thought that they will escape, on account of the proclamations which have been circulated in that kingdom, and the hatred which they before bore to

the French being encreased without measure by the innumerable evils which they have been made to suffer, and the cruel oppression in which they are held by them.-9. At the same time it would be very proper that the generalissimo should publish and circulate frequent proclamations amongst the people, and rouse their courage and loyalty, shewing them that they have every thing to fear from the horrible perfidy with which the French have dealt with all Spain, and even with their king Ferdinand VII. and that if they rule over us all is lost, kings, monarchy, property, liberty, independence, and religion; and that therefore it is necessary to sacrifice our lives and property in defence of the king, and of the country, and though our lot (which we hope will never come to pass) should destine us to become slaves, let us become so fighting and dying like gallant men, not giving up ourselves basely to the yoke like sheep, as the late infamous government would have done, and fixing upon Spain and her slavery eternal ignominy and disgrace. France has never domineered over us, nor set her foot in our territory. We have many times mastered her, not by deceit, but by force of arms; we have made her kings prisoners, and we have made the nation tremblewe are the same Spaniards; and France, and Europe, and the world shall see, that we are not less gallant, nor less brave than the most glorious of our ancestors.-10. All persons of education in the provinces should be stimulated to frame, print, and publishfrequent short discourses, in order to preserve the public opinion, and the ardour of the nation, confuting at the same time the infa

Let

mous diaries of Madrid, which the baseness of the late government has permitted, and still permits to be published in Madrid itself, and has caused to be circulated abroad, detecting their falsehoods and continual contradictions. Let them cover with shame the miserable authors of these diaries, and sometimes extend their remarks to those charlatans, the French Gazeteers, and even to their Moniteur: and let them display and publish to Spain, to all Europe, their horrible falsehoods and venal praises; for they afford abundant matter for such a work. all such perverted minds tremble at Spain: and let France know that Spaniards have thoroughly penetrated their designs; and therefore it is that they justly detest and abominate them, and that they will sooner lay down their lives than submit to their iniquitous and barbarous yoke.-11. Care shall be taken to explain to the nation, and to convince them, that when freed, as we trust to be, from this civil war, to which the French have forced us, and when placed in a state of tranquillity, our lord and king, Ferdinand VII., being restored to the throne, under him and by him the cortes will be assembled, abuses reformed, and such laws shall be e"nacted as the circumstances of the time and experience may dictate for the public good and happiness: -things which we Spaniards know how to do, 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 custom, under the mask of friendship, and wishes for our happiness, should contrive, for this alone they are contriving, to plunder us,

VOL. I. PART I.

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, so long as the spirit of perfidy and ambition, which oppresses and tyrannises over them shall endure.

"JUAN BAUTISTA PARDO, Sec." By order of the Supreme Junta. No. 28.-Speech delivered to the

Parliament by the Lords Commissioners, at the Prorogation of the Parliament, on the 4th of July, 1808.

"MY LORDS AND GENTLEMEN, "We have it in command from his Majesty to express to you the great satisfaction which he derives from being enabled, by putting an end to the present session of parliament, to terminate the laborious attendance which the public business has required of you.-The measure which you have adopted for the improvement of the military force of the country promises to lay the foundation of a system of internal defence eminently useful, and peculiarly adapted to the exigencies of these times.-The sanction which you have given to those measures of defensive retaliation to which violent attacks of the enemy, upon the commerce and resources of this kingdom compelled his Majesty to resort, has been highly satisfactory to his Majesty. His Majesty doubts not, that, in the result, the enemy will be convinced of the impolicy of persevering in a system which retorts upon himself, in so much greater proportion, those evils which he endeavours to inflict upon this country.

E

« GENTLEMEN OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS, We are commanded by his Majesty to return his hearty acknowledgements, for the cheerfulness and liberality with which the necessary supplies for the current year have been provided. His Majesty directs us to assure you that he participates in the satisfaction with which you must have contemplated the flourishing situation of the revenue and credit of the country, notwithstanding the continued pressure of the war; and he congratulates you upon having been enabled to provide for the exigencies of public service with so small an addition to the public burdens. His Majesty commands us to thank you for having enabled him to make good his engagements with his allies; and to express to you the particular gratification which he has derived from the manner in which you have provided for the establishment of his sister, her Royal Highness the Duchess of Brunswick.

"MY LORDS AND GENTLEMEN, His Majesty has great satisfaction in informing you, that, notwithstanding the formidable confederacy united against his ally the King of Sweden, that sovereign perseveres, with unabated vigour and constancy, to maintain the honour and independence of his crown. No effort has been wanting on the part of his Majesty to support him in the arduous contest in which he is engaged. The recent transactions in Spain and Italy have exhibited new and striking proots of the unbounded and unprincipled ambition which actuates the common enemy of every established government and independent nation in the world.-His Majesty views with the liveliest interest the loyal and determined spirit ma

nifested by the Spanish nation, in resisting the violence and perfidy with which their dearest rights have been assailed. Thus nobly struggling against the tyranny and usurpation of France, the Spanish nation can no longer be considered as the enemy of Great Britain, but is recognized by his Majesty as a natural friend and ally.—We are commanded to inform you, that communications have been made to his Majesty, from several of the provinces of Spain, soliciting the aid of his Majesty. The answer of his Majesty to these communications has been received in Spain with every demonstration of those sentiments of confidence and affection which are congenial to the feelings and true interest of both nations: and his Majesty commands us to assure you, that he will continue to make every exertion in his power for the support of the Spanish cause; guided in the choice and in the direction of his exertions by the wishes of those in whose behalf they are employed.-In contributing to the success of this just and glorious cause, his Majesty has no other object than that of preserving unimpaired the integrity and independence of the Spanish monarchy.But he trusts that the same efforts which are directed to that great object may, under the blessing of Divine Providence, lead, in their effects, and by their example, to the restoration of the liberties and peace of Europe.

No. 29.-Order of Council, dated 4th July, 1808.

His Majesty having taken into his consideration the glorious exertions of the Spanish nation for the deliverance of their country from the

tyranny and usurpation of France, and the assurances which his Majesty has received from several of the provinces of Spain, of their friendly disposition towards this kingdom, his Majesty is pleased, by and with the advice of his privycouncil, to order, and it is hereby ordered,-first, That all hostilities against Spain on the part of his Majesty shall immediately cease; secondly, That the blockade of all the ports of Spain, except such as may be still in the possession, or under controul of France, shall be forthwith raised-thirdly, That all ships and vessels belonging to Spain shall have free admission into the ports of his Majesty's dominions, as before the present hostilities;-fourthly, That all ships and vessels belonging to Spain, which shall be met at sea by his Majesty's ships and cruizers, shall be treated in the same manner as the ships of any state in amity with his Majesty, and shall be suffered to carry on any trade now considered by his Majesty to be lawfully carried on by neutral ships-fifthly, That all vessels and goods belonging to persons residing in the Spanish colonies, which shall be detained by any of his Majesty's cruizers after the date hereof, shall be brought into port, and shall be carefully preserved in safe custody, to await his Majesty's further pleasure, until it shall be known whether the said colonies, or any of them, in which the owners of such ships and goods reside, shall have made common cause with Spain, against the power of France. And the right honourable the lords commissioners of his Majesty's treasury, his Majesty's principal secretaries of state, the lords commissioners of the admiralty, the judge of the high court of admiralty,

The French squadron has surrendered at discretion, relying on the humanity and generosity of the inhabitants of Cadiz, as has already been made known. The measures which have been pursued have prevented our squadron from sustaining the least damage, nor have the forces employed to reduce the French squadron sustained any considerable loss, and the effusion of blood has been less than in the combat of two small armed vessels:-the loss in killed does not exceed four men. The French ships, their arms, and warlike stores, remain at our disposal; and the prisoners taken will be exchanged for our troops. Nothing of that kind could have been attained by red-hot balls, or similar means. Had no measures of prevention been taken, which require time, our loss would have been much greater. I therefore trust I have acquitted myself in a manner worthy of the inhabitants of this town, who have given me so many repeated proofs of their confidence and respect, that I shall at all times entertain the highest sense of the approbation with which they have honoured my conduct.But now I demand, exact, and ordain, that all disturbances shall cease; that every thing shall return to order; that all persons, according to their different ranks and stations, shall submit to the constituted authorities, who all depend from the supreme council of government, at all