HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



67 



operations of an army. Many 

 such men could, no doubt, be 

 found in this country. The oc- 

 casion was of a nature to call for 

 the employment of men of this 

 description. It could not be sup- 

 posed, whatever the spirit of 

 the Spaniards might be, that 

 that spirit could succeed in effec- 

 tually resisting the power of 

 France, unless it was directed 

 ■with the utmost ability ; and we 

 ought to have availed ourselves 

 of the opportunity to send that de- 

 scription of ability to Spain. I know 

 not, said Mr.P.the character of those 

 agents whom ministers thought 

 proper to employ in this mission, 

 nor do I mean to speak disrespect- 

 fully of their merits ; but I can- 

 not find their names among those 

 who are distinguished for any ex- 

 ploits or for any experience, ei- 

 ther of a military or a civil des- 

 cription. I understand that they 

 are all young men, and not likely 

 to possess the experience and 

 capacity of observation which are 

 necessary to form a correct judg- 

 ment upon such an important 

 concern. Ministers should have 

 been aware of the responsibility 

 attached to their office, and cau- 

 tious upon what representations 

 they acted. They should have 

 been alive to the reflection, that 

 in their hands were placed the 

 means not only of assisting Spain, 

 but of defending England ; that 

 they were not only to consider 

 the prospects of Spain, but of their 

 own country; that, called upon to 

 administer the affairs of a nation 

 involved in an arduous contest, the 

 duration of which no man could 

 calculate, they should not unad- 

 visedly risk the means of that na- 

 tion; that they should not send 



out its arms or its money, unless 

 where effectual resistance could be 

 made to the enemy. It was there- 

 fore peculiarly incumbent upon 

 ministers to employ the utmost ta- 

 lents and industry, for the purpose 

 of enabling themselves to judge 

 of the temper, the resolution, and 

 the ability of the Spaniards. 

 What was the spirit of the people, 

 what the internal condition of 

 the country, what the state of 

 its parts, what its resources, both 

 military and naval, what, in a 

 word, the means upon which we 

 could calculate for success in pur- 

 suit of the common object? Mi- 

 nisters could not have been in- 

 sensible to this reflection, that 

 great as our power confessedly was, 

 and had been at sea, the whole 

 disposable force of their country 

 could not alone make any effectual 

 stand in the Spanish cause, or jus- 

 tify any hope of a successful re- 

 sult in a contest against the stu- 

 pendous military means of France. 

 It was therefore essentially ne- 

 cessary to know fully the nature 

 and amount of the co-operatiou 

 which they could rely upon meet- 

 ing in Spain, With this view, they 

 should not have sent young men of 

 eager, sanguine, enthusiastic dis- 

 positions ; but they should have 

 sent men of experience, of obser- 

 vant, cultivated, and discriminat- 

 ing minds, men not likely to be 

 influenced by false appearances, 

 but capable of deciding upon the 

 soundness of principles and real 

 character. It was not sufficient to 

 know, that monks could excite 

 some of the poorer and more ig- 

 norant of the people to insurrec- 

 tion, and that, when so excited, 

 they evinced great enthusiasm. 

 The disposition and views of the 

 F 2 uppei? 



