JET. 31.] AND SIR JOHN MOORE. 4 T 3 



of 105,000 men in possession of all the fortresses, and 

 of a strong position in the heart of the kingdom that 

 the provinces were cut off from the means of com- 

 munication with one another, were without leaders, 

 without arms, and subject to every disadvantage 

 which a people could suffer, and yet that they have 

 driven that army with a loss of at least 50,000 men 

 to the frontier, why are we to despond even if a 

 great army should be ready to be poured in upon them 

 under the command of Bonaparte in person? He 

 has made, and no doubt will make, great preparations. 

 But the Spaniards have had time also for preparation, 

 and have secured other advantages which are incal- 

 culable in their effect. And in whatever way I con- 

 sider this subject, it appears to me that their means 

 of resistance and their chance of success are both 

 infinitely greater as opposed to any army which Bona- 

 parte can now bring against them, than they were 

 when he began openly to attempt to enslave them at 

 the commencement of last May. "With these opinions, 

 therefore, I cannot approve of the discouraging lan- 

 guage which you have held in the 'Edinburgh Ee- 

 view/ and which you hold in your letter. Even if 

 my own hopes were less sanguine, I would willingly 

 deprecate you from using such language publicly. 

 To assist the Spaniards is morally and politically one 

 of the highest duties a nation ever had to perform. 

 And to check those feelings whose operation is of so 

 much importance to the success of our attempt may 

 do great mischief, but cannot by possibility produce 



