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. Let 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 enacted 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 Junţa. 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-1 -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 peeuliarly 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 coun try.

tyranny and usurpation of France, and the assurances which his Ma

jesty 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 Ma

jesty's treasury, his Majesty's principal secretaries of state, the lÎords commissioners of the admiralty, the judge of the high court of admiralty,

and the judges of the court of vice admiralty, are to take such measures herein as to them may respectively appertain.

No. 30.-Address of General Morla on the part of the Government to the People of Cadiz, 14th June, 1808.

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 pri soners 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

times solicitous to promote the public welfare, and to procure the best alliances and means to secure a successful issue of our undertaking: let the laws reign, and all arbitrary proceedings be avoided. The most enlightened and civilized people upon earth disgraces itself by demand ing the death of any individual. The field of battle, where force is repelled by force, authorises alone the effusion of blood, which is otherwise illegal. The sovereign himself is not master of the life of an offender, unless he has forfeited the same by the laws of his country. These laws prohibít, in all countries, even among the most barbarous nations, sedition, and disturbances of every description: we are bound to obey and respect them. This is the only means to secure a successful issue of the contest in which we are engaged, and not to offend either against the God of Hosts, or the sovereign whose sacred rights we have sworn to defend. In order to avoid an unnecessary multiplication of publications, I now address the French who reside in this city. The supreme council has used towards you the utmost lenity and respect: After having taken the oath of fidelity to the Spanish nation, you are permitted to remain in this country, and your property is respected.-Grateful for this valuable blessing, you should not be vipers, which destroy the bosom that gave them shelter. On the contrary, you are bound to shew the utmost loyalty and respect for a government which treats you in so generous a manner. By such conduct you will not only avoid the odium of the good inhabitants of this town, but also obtain their love. Should you act otherwise, dread their justice they will punish with

the utmost rigour, and without the least mercy, even meetings which you may hold among yourselves, and disloyal expressions which you may make use of, in opposition to our cause. Should any one of you be so far devoid of reason as not to respect it on account of its equity and justice, he will fall a victim of his wickedness or pride.

MORLA.

Address of Gen. Morld to the People of Cadiz, 15th June, 1808.

The commotion, more or less violent, which has taken place in the whole peninsula of Spain, has been of eminent service to rouse us from the state of lethargy in which we indulged, and to make us acquainted with our rights, our glory, and the inviolable duty which we owe to our holy religion and our monarch. We wanted some electric stroke to rouse us from our paralytic state of inactivity: we stood in need of a hurricane, to clear the atmosphere of the insalubrious vapours with which it was loaded. Fortunately, the only antidote which could save us, has proved efficacious. It is, however, necessary to know, that if the use of heroic remedies be continued, after the good effect which was expected from them has been obtained, they destroy, annihilate, and kill; that excessive efforts bring on indirect debility, which is worse than direct weakness, because the very principle of strength is emaciated. Hence it is, that although the popular ferment which has pervaded all the provinces has been of considerable use, yet, if not checked, it will produce a state of putrefaction, or, in other words, prove extremely destructive. It is necessary to return to order, and to have confidence in

the magistrates, who, from their knowledge, studies, and experience, are able to deliberate, combine, and determine, as circumstances shall direct. Without the most intimate knowledge, the wisest are liable to err: and how can a mob possibly steer clear of errors, which is mostly guided by the cries of women and boys? -But not restricting myself to this city, I really believe that all these observations are perfectly useless, because the inhabitants of this city are more enlightened than any other, on account of their trade and intercourse with other nations. There are but few idiots in this city, who are merely guided, as it were, by instinct; and much smaller is the number of those who, from their vicious habits, can only exist in confusion and disorder. These few have been joined by others of the neighbouring districts, who neither enlist for the honourable and glorious service in which we are engaged, nor apply themselves to reap the plentiful crops with which Providence has been pleased to bless us. These are the men who have not looked for any other employment than that of disturbing the peace and tranquillity of this place, and of preventing the rest of the inhabitants, nay, the magistrates, from performing their duty. They are well known. Unless they amend their conduct, and all foreign ers withdraw to their different habitations, they will certainly be pu nished. Well-disposed persons will be obliged to take up arms; they who are not able to bear arms will be employed for other purposes; and boys neglected by their parents, and women who raise the hue and cry, shall be punished. The troops, the whole town, the sword of justice, and, above all, God himself, who a

venges the wrongs of those who misuse his mercies, authorise and support me. I make this known, that no person may plead ignorance. However disposed, I shall always follow the dictates of humanity and mercy. It will never be my wish to punish, but I shall at all times be happy to correct.

No. 31.-Answer of General Morla to a Letter which General Dupont sent from Lebrijd.

Excellentissimo Senor General Dupont, I was never capable of bad faith or dissimulation, and hence I wrote to you on the 8th instant with the candour which is peculiar to me ; and I feel myself obliged, in consequence of your yesterday's reply, to repeat, in substance, what I had then the honour to say to your excellency, as that which must certainly be adhered to. Neither the capitulation, nor the approbation of the junta, nor the express command of our beloved king, can render that possible which is in itself impossible. We have neither vessels nor the means to procure them, for the transportation of your army. What better proof is necessary, than that we retain here the prisoners of your squadron, because we have not the power of transporting them beyond the continent? When General Castanos promised to obtain passports from the English for the passage of your army, he could only oblige himself earnestly to request it: He has done this. But how could your exceliency believe that the British nation would accede to this, certain that you would instantly carry on the war on some other point, or perhaps on the same? I am persuaded that neither General Castanos nor your excellency ever thought that the capitulation would