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ANNUAL REGISTER, 1809. 



already attended with the happiest 

 success, and promises to be exten- 

 sively and permanently beneficial to 

 the country. 



" We have received his majesty's 

 commands most especially to re- 

 commend to you, that, duly weigh- 

 ing the immense interests which are 

 at stake in the war now carrying on, 

 you should proceed with as Httle de- 

 lay as possible to consider of the 

 most effectual measures for the aug- 

 mentation of the regular army, in 

 order that his majestymay be better 

 enabled, without impairing the 

 means of defence at home, to avail 

 himself of the military power of his 

 dominions in the great contest in 

 which he is engaged ; and to con- 

 duct that contest, under the blessing 

 of Divine Providence, to a conclu- 

 sion compatible with the honour of 

 his majesty's crown, and with the 

 interest of his allies, of Europe, and 

 of the world." 



Decree of the Supreme Junta. 



His majesty, considering that the 

 French, in the unjust and barbarous 

 war which they wage against Spain, 

 pay no regard to anyprincipleof the 

 law of nations, that they shameless- 

 ly violate the most solemn treaties, 

 as has been verified with respect to 

 the capitulation of Madrid, since 

 contrary to the stipulations therein 

 made, they imprison, persecute, and 

 banish peaceable citizens and re- 

 spectable magistrates, imposing, at 

 the same time, the most disgraceful 

 punishments on other unfortunate 

 persons on the slightest suspicions 

 and most frivolous pretexts : 



Seeing that they continue every 

 where to defile the sanctity of tem- 

 ples, the purity of domestic honour, 

 and to trample on the right:- of hu- 



manity — that acts of the most atro- 

 cious kind, and which make human 

 nature shudder, are daily heard of, 

 such as the death of a nun, who 

 tlirew herself into a well, to avoid 

 the brutality of a Frenchman ; the 

 cruel murder of a mother, whose 

 breasts were cut off" in the act of 

 giving suck to her son, by those 

 monsters, who afterwardssabred her 

 infant ; and, a number of other cases 

 equally horrible ; atrocities painful 

 to write, dreadful to read, and de- 

 grading to endure ; finally, his ma- 

 jesty being convinced, that still to 

 observe the laws of natural equity 

 with those who respect no law what- 

 ever, would not be moderation and 

 justice, but the most culpable indif- 

 ference and thebasest meanness, has 

 resolved to repress and punish those 

 crimes. Calling therefore all Europe 

 to witness the awful necessity which 

 has compelled him to resort to the 

 means of retaliation, by returning 

 on a sanguinary banditti violence 

 for violence, he hereby decrees : 



1 • That no quarter shall be given 

 to any French soldier, officer, or ge- 

 neral, who maybe made prisoner in 

 any town or district, in which acts 

 contrary to the laws of war have 

 been committed by the enemy, but 

 that such persons shall be immedi- 

 ately put to the sword, as an exam- 

 ple to their companions, and a sa-- 

 tisfaction to outraged humanity. 



2. That the present decree shall 

 be printed, proclaimed, and distri • 

 buted in the Spanish armies, in or- 

 der to its due execution. You are 

 also required to make arrangements 

 for the fulfilment of the same. 



The Marquis of Astorga, 



Vice President. 

 Martin De Garay. 

 Done in the Royal Al-cazan of 

 Seville, Feb. 7, 1809. 



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