STATE PAPERS. 



715 



Proclamation of King 

 dated Head-quarters, 

 Aug. 19th, 1809. 



,^ Joseph, 

 Toledo, 



Soldiers ! — It is scarcely fifteen 

 days since 120,000 enemies, consist- 

 ing of English, Portuguese, and 

 Spaniards, who marched from dif- 

 ferent points, rendezvoused under 

 the walls of my capital ; but united 

 on the 26th of July at the bridge of 

 Guadarama, the 1st and 4th corps, 

 and the reserve, defeated on that 

 day the enemy. On the 27 th, here- 

 passed in great haste the Alberche. 

 On the 28th, attacked in a position 

 judged unaltackable, 80,000 men 

 have not been able to contend against 

 10,000 French. 



From that time, renouncing Iheir 

 chimerical project of conquest, 

 they have thought but of safety, 

 and have abandoned the field of 

 battle. More than 6,000 English 

 veounded are in our hospitals ; 

 the least of our corps, the 1st, was 

 judged sufficient to observe and 

 keep in check this army, still so 

 numerous, in spite of its losses. It 

 remained upon the Alberche, whilst 

 the 4th corps, and the reserve, set 

 out on the 29th, to succour Toledo, 

 besieged by the army ot La Man- 

 cha ; and that of Madrid, menaced 

 by the same army, has forced the 

 enemy, already within four leagues 

 of the capital, to relinquish its prey. 

 It has repassed the Tagus in the 

 greatest haste, and flies towards 

 the Sierra Morena, after having 

 abandoned some thousands of kill- 

 ed, wounded, and prisoners. The 

 2nd, 4th, and 6th corps are follow- 

 ing the rear-guard of the enemy's 

 army. These corps formed a junc- 

 tion with the 1st corps, atOropesa, 

 on the 7th of August. 



The English fly every way, in 

 disorder, and by roads hitherto 



judged impracticable to artillery. 

 The 2nd and 5th corps are pursu- 

 ing them. 



Soldiers, you have saved my 

 capital, the king of Spain thanks 

 you ; you have done more, the 

 brother of your emperor sees fly 

 before your eagles the eternal 

 enemy of the French name. 



The emperor will know all that 

 you have done, he will acknowledge 

 the brave, who have made them- 

 selves conspicuousamongthebrave, 

 those who have received honour- 

 able wounds ; and if he says to us, 

 " I am content with you," we shall 

 be sufficiently recompensed. 



(Signed) Joseph. 



Letter of the Minister of Foreign 

 Affairs of France, M. Cham- 

 pagni/, to General Armstrong, 

 Minister of the United States at 

 Paris. 



" Altenburgh, Aug. '2,2nd. 

 *' Sir; — Hismajestyunderstanding 

 that you are about to dispatch a 

 ship to the United States, commands 

 me to make known to you the un- 

 alterable principles which have and 

 will regulate his conduct in the 

 great question respecting neutrals. 

 " France admits the principle, 

 that the flag protects trade. The 

 trading vessel which carries the li- 

 cence of its government may be 

 considered as a moving colony. To 

 insult such a vessel by search, pur- 

 suit, or any act of arbitrary power, 

 is a violation of the fundamental law 

 of colonization, and is an attack 

 upon the government of the same. 

 The seas belong to every nation, 

 without exception ; they are the 

 common property, and the domain 

 of all mankind. 



" Consistently withthisdoctrine, 

 merchant 



