408 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1809. 



conduct us through all the dangers 

 that surround us to the throne of 

 independence. 



Spaniards, the Junta announces 

 this to you frankly, that you may 

 not for a moment be ignorant of the 

 danger which threatens your coun- 

 try ; it announces it' to you, with 

 confidence that you will show your- 

 selves worthy of thecause whichyou 

 defend, and of the admiration of 

 the universe. 



[The Address goes on to exhort 

 the Spanish nation to submit to 

 every privation, and matce every 

 sacrifice to save the State.] 



WhenthestormrageSjthemostva- 

 luabletreasuresmustbe thrown into 

 theseatosavethevesselfromsinking. 



Perish the man whose selfishness 

 can render him wanting in his duty, 

 or induce him to conceal what is 

 necessary to be distributed among 

 his brethren, for the common 

 defence ! Perish a thousand times 

 the wretch who can prefer his own 

 interest to the delivery of his coun- 

 try ! All such the state will severe- 

 ly punish. Our enemies omit no 

 means which can be employed for 

 our destruction, and shall we neg- 

 lect any which can conduce to our 

 preservation ? There are provinces 

 which have driven out the enemy 

 from among them, and shall not 

 those, who have not yet suffered 

 from such a scourge, sacrifice every 

 thing to preserve themselves from 

 it. Our brave soldiers endure the 

 rigours of winter, and the scorching 

 heats of summer, and nobly en- 

 counter all the dangers of battle ; 

 and shall we, remaining quietly at 

 our homes, forgetful of their incal- 

 culable fatigues, think only of pre- 

 serving our wishes, and refuse to 

 resign even the least of our luxuri- 

 ous enjoyments. 



The victory must be ours, if we 

 continue and conclude the great en- 

 terprize we have undertaken with 

 the same enthusiasm with which we 

 began it. The colossal mass of 

 force and resistance which we must 

 oppose to our enemy, must be com- 

 posed of the forces of all, of the 

 sacrifices of all ; and then what will 

 it import, that he pours upon us 

 anew the legions with which he has 

 been successful in Germany, or the 

 swarm of conscripts he endeavours 

 to drag from France ? The expe- 

 rience we have obtained in two 

 campaigns, and our very despera- 

 tion, v/ill consign these hordes of 

 banditti to the same fate which the 

 former have sufi'ered. If some of 

 the monarchs of the North have 

 consented to become the slaves of 

 this new Tamerlane, and at the ex- 

 pcnce of ages of infamy have pur- 

 chased a moment's respite till their 

 turn shall come to be devoured, we 

 are resolved to parish or triumph. 

 The alliance we have contracted 

 with the British nation continues 

 and will continue. That nation 

 has lavished for us its blood and its 

 treasures, and is entitled to our 

 gratitude, and that of future ages. 

 [The Address thus concludes] 

 Here was drawn, never to be 

 sheathed, the sword of eternal 

 hatred to the execrable tyrant ; 

 here was raised, never to be lower- 

 ed, the standard of independence 

 and justice. Hasten to it all ye 

 who wish not to live under the 

 abominable yoke, ye who cannot 

 enter into a league with iniquity, 

 and ye who are indignant at the 

 cowardly desertion of deluded 

 princes, hasten to us. Here the 

 valiant shall find opportunities of 

 acquiring true honour ; the wise 

 and virtuous obtain respect, and 



the 



