SQ4 LON 
again eftablilhed at Freneyda on the Portuguefe frontier ; 
and the greater part of the enemy’s forces had recroffed 
the Tormes, and were marching towards the Douro. 
Such, in its main points, was the peninfular campaign 
of the year 1812; for the numerous conflidts between the 
guerilla-parties and the fcattered forces of the invaders, 
betides that they are reprefented in totally different co¬ 
lours by the feveral antagonifts, had too little influence 
on the general refult to require a particular narrative. It 
will be feen, that the vigorous efforts made by lord Wel¬ 
lington to penetrate to the centre of Spain, and take ad¬ 
vantage of the weakened condition of the French, whofe 
ruler had in this year directed the chief force of his empire 
to a very diftant quarter, formed the great chain of 
events. They obliged .the invaders to withdraw their forces 
from the foutbern provinces, to break up the lines of 
Cadiz, which had fo long held the Spaniffi government in 
inglorious fetters, to remain merely on the defenfive on 
the eaffern coaft after the capture of Valencia, and to con¬ 
centrate all their dil'pofable force againft the progrefs of 
the conqueror at Salamanca. That they were at laft fuc- 
cei'sful, and that the high hopes of the Britifh nation, ele¬ 
vated by repeated triumph, were finally fruitrated, only 
proves that the ftrength and activity of the French in 
Spain were greater than had been calculated upon ; and, 
probably, that the exertions of the Spaniards were as much 
iefs. The conduit of lord Wellington obtained univer¬ 
sal applaufe and admiration from his countrymen, and 
was repaid by more honours and rewards than had been 
bellowed on any Britifh general fince the time of Marlbo¬ 
rough. In the courfe of the year were added to his former 
titles thofeof Earl and Marquis ; and he received from par¬ 
liament the molt fubflantial proofs of the nation’s gratitude. 
The public has never been acquainted with the extent 
pf the Ioffes fultained by the allied army in this cam¬ 
paign ; but there is no doubt that they mult have been 
very conliderable. In particular, its retreat from Burgos 
to its winter-quarters, purfued by a luperior and enter- 
prifing foe, though conducted with great military fkill, 
could not fail of being very difaftrous. But more than 
Its lofs of men, horfes, and equipage, is to be lamented 
the llain incurred by its character On this occafion; attain 
impreffed by the commander-in-chief himfelf. Lord Wel¬ 
lington, in an addrefs to his army, has, in the face of his 
country, and all Europe, reproached it with a want of 
difcipline, “ greater,” he fays, “ than any army with 
which he had ever ferved, or of which he had ever read.” 
He proceeds : “ It mult be obvious to every officer, that 
from the moment the troops commenced their retreat from 
the neighbourhood of Burgos on the one hand, and from 
Madrid on the other, the officers loll all command over 
their men. Irregularities and outrages of all defcriptions 
were committed with impunity ; and Ioffes have been 
fultained which ought never to have occurred.” It is to 
be hoped that his lordffiip's feelings have given a degree 
of exaggeration to his expreffions ; otherwile it is difficult 
to conceive how fuch troops can recover the effeem of 
their countrymen, or defervethe confidence of their allies. 
We lhall now take a view of the tranfaftions of the 
Spaniffi Cortes and government during a period fo fertile 
of important events to the nation.—On the 2d of Ja¬ 
nuary the Cortes difcufled a project prefented for the im¬ 
provement of the fyltem of government, when the fol¬ 
lowing propofitions were approved: That in the prefent 
circumftances there lhall be appointed twenty counfellors 
of date, of whom two only lhall be ecclefiaftics; two only- 
grandees of Spain ; and the lixteen others taken from per¬ 
iods who ferve, or have ferved, in diplomatic, military, 
economic, or magifterial, offices ; and who have diftin- 
guilhed themfelves by their talents, knowledge, or fer- 
vices: of thefe, at lealt fix from the provinces beyond the 
feas. A number of articles were then read and approved 
jrefpefting the obligations and powers of the regency. 
Xhe change of the regency foon took place 3 in which 
DON. 
the duke del Infantado, then refident minilter in Eng¬ 
land, was declared prefident, and the count of Laviltal 
(O’Donnel) vice-prefident. The members of the late re¬ 
gency were nominated counfellors of ltate. . 
The new regency, on January 23, iffued an addrefs 
the Spanilh nation, urging-them in energetic language to 
make every poffible exertion for the fafety and indeoen- 
dence of the country, and not concealing the imminent 
dangers with which it was furrounded. The actions of 
this body correfponded with their words ; they were vi¬ 
gorous, prompt, and decifiye ; a variety of reforms were 
made, and attention was particularly paid to recruiting 
and difciplining the regular army, and to the formation of 
officers fit to be intruded with command. The regency, 
in March, directed a circular addrefs to . the people of 
Spaniffi America, fettir.g forth to them the arduous Itrug- 
gle in which the mother-country was engaged with an 
implacable foe, and the falutary labours ol the Cortes in 
forming a conftitution for the general benefit; and ex- 
prelfing their hope that their American brethren would 
aid the caufe by a voluntary fubfcription among all ranks 
and claffes, to be depofited in the royal chefts, and re¬ 
mitted to Spain. The Cortes, about this time, gave a 
further proof of the liberality of their fentiments, by a 
decree to enable all Spaniffi fubjefts of Mooriffi origin, 
either by the father’s or mother's fide, to take degrees in 
the univerfities, and to enter the religious orders, or the 
priefthood—privileges of which former bigotry had de¬ 
prived them. 
The 18th of March prefented an auguft and intereftino- 
fpeftacle to the citizens of Cadiz, and to all the Spaniards 
aflembled for the purpofe of witneffing the completion of 
the labours of their reprefentatives. On that day the 
General and Extraordinary Cortes held a folemn lifting 
for the purpofe of a public fignature of the articles of the 
Conftitution. Deputies from all parts of the Spaniffi mo-, 
narchy were-prefent, and 184 perfons figned two copies of 
the conftitution. A decree which had been approved at 
a fecret fitting was then read, relative to the fuccellion to 
the crown, the objeft of which was to guard againft its 
coming into the pofleffion of thofe who werejultly con- 
fidered as enemies to the national independence. It was 
to the following effect : “ The General and Extraordi¬ 
nary Cortes, confidering that, the welfare and fecurity of 
the ltate are incompatiole with the concurrence of cir¬ 
cumftances in the perfons of the infant Don Francifco de 
Paula,- and the infanta Donna Maria Louifa queen of 
Etruria, brother and lifter of Don Ferdinand VII. have 
refolved to declare and decree, that Don Francifco dc 
Paula and his defcendants, and Donna Maria-Louifa and 
her delcendants, remain excluded from the fucceffion to 
the crown of the Spains. In confequence, in default of 
the infant Don Carlos Maria and his legitimate delcendants, 
the infanta Donna Carlotta Joaquiana, princefs of the 
Brafils, and her legitimate defcenclants, lhall come to the 
fucceffion of the crown ; and, in default of her heirs, then 
Donna Maria Ilabel, hereditary princels of the two Si¬ 
cilies, and her legitimate delcendants; and in default of 
thefe three neareft relatives of Ferdinand VII. and their 
defcendants, then lhall lucceed the other perfons and lines 
who ought to lucceed according to the conftitution, in 
the order and form which it has eftabliffied. Ae the lame 
time the Cortes declare and decree excluded from the fuc¬ 
ceffion to the crown of the Spains the archduchels of 
Aultria, Donna Maria-Louifa, [emprefs of France,] daugh¬ 
ter of Francis II. emperor of Aultria, by his iirlt marriage, 
as alfo the defcendants of the laid archduchefs.” 
A commiffion was then appointed to carry the Confti- 
tution to the regency, which received it with profound 
refpeft, and engaged to guarantee its obfervance. in all the 
Spanilh dominions. On March the 20th, all the deputies 
affembled in the hall of congrefs to fwear to the conftitu¬ 
tion ; which being performed, the Regency entered the 
hall, and with due lolerunity took the oath of office pre- 
fcnbed 
