STATE PAPERS. 



743 



unprovided and destitute of every 

 thing, our treasury was empty, and 

 our resources uncertain and distant. 

 The despot of France, availing 

 himself of the tranquillity in whicli 

 the North then was, poured upon 

 the peninsula the military power 

 under his command, the most 

 formidable that has been known in 

 the most warlike legions, better 

 provided, and above all more nu- 

 merous than others, rushed on 

 every side, though much to their 

 cost, against our armies, destitute 

 of the same expertness and confi- 

 dence. A new inundation of bar- 

 barians, who carried desolation 

 through all the provinces of which 

 they took possession, was the con- 

 sequence of these reverses, and the 

 ill-closed wounds of our unfortunate 

 country began painfully to open 

 and pour with blood in torrents. 

 The state thus losthalf its strength ; 

 and when the junta, bound to save 

 the honour, the independence, and 

 the unity of the nation from the 

 impetuous invasion of the tyrant, 

 took refuge in Andalusia, a division 

 of 30,000 men repaired to the walls 

 of Saragosa, to bury themselves in 

 its ruins. The army of the center 

 being thus deprived of a great part 

 of its strength, did not give to its 

 operations that activity and energy 

 which must have had very different 

 results from those of the battle of 

 Aeles. The avenues of the Sierra 

 Morenaand the banks of the Tagus 

 were only defended by ill armed 

 handfuls of men, to whom could 

 scarcely be given the name of armies. 

 The junta, however, by means of 

 activity and sacrifices renderedthem 

 such, so routed and dispersed in 

 the two battles of Ciudad Real and 

 Meiellin, instead of despairing of 

 the country, they redoubled their 



efforts, and in a few days collected 

 and opposed to the enemy 70,000 

 infantry and 12,000 cavalry. 



These forces have since fought it 

 is true, with ill success, but always 

 with gallantry and glory. The crea- 

 tion, the reparation, and the sub- 

 sistence of these armies have more 

 than absorbed the considerable sup- 

 plies which have been sent us by 

 our brethren in America. We have 

 maintained in the free provinces, 

 unity, order and justice, and in 

 those occupied by the enemy, we 

 have exerted our endeavours to pre- 

 serve, though secretly, the fire of 

 patriotism and the bounds of loyal- 

 ty. We have vindicated the nation- 

 al honour and independence in the 

 most complicated and difficult di- 

 plomatic negotiations; and we have 

 made head against adversity, with- 

 out suffering ourselves to despair, 

 ever trusting that we should over- 

 come it by our constancy. We have, 

 without doubt, committed errors, 

 and we would willingly, were it pos- 

 sible, redeem it with our blood ; 

 but in the confusion of events, 

 among the mountains of difficulties 

 which surrounded us, who could be 

 certain of alwaysbeing in the right? 

 Could we be responsible because 

 one body of troops wanted valour, 

 and another confidence; because 

 one general has less prudence, and 

 another less good fortune? Much, 

 Spaniards, is to be attributed to our 

 inexperience, much to circum- 

 stances, but nothing to our inten- 

 tion. That ever has been to deliver 

 our unfortunate king from slavery, 

 and preserve to him a throne for 

 which the Spanish people have 

 made such sacrifices, and to main- 

 tain it free, independentand happy. 

 We have, from the time of our in- 

 stitution, promised him a country : 



v.c 



