A History of the Campaigns of the British Forces in Spain and Portugal: Undertaken to Relieve Those Countries from the French Usurpation, Volume 1

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T. Goddard, 1812 - Great Britain
 

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Page 425 - France, under the government of the emperor Napoleon the First, has violated towards Spain the most sacred compacts — has arrested her monarch* —obliged them to a forced and manifestly void abdication and renunciation; has behaved with the same violence towards the Spanish Nobles whom he keeps in his power — has declared that he will elect a king of Spain, the most horrible attempt that is recorded in history — has sent hit troops into Spain, seized her fortresses and her Capital, and scattered...
Page 425 - France, to the friendship it has shewn her, thus treating it with the most dreadful perfidy, fraud, and treachery, such as was never committed against any nation or monarch by the most barbarous or ambitious king or people. He has in fine declared, that he will trample down our monarchy, our fundamental laws, and bring about the ruin of our holy catholic religion. — The only remedy therefore to such grievous ills, which are so manifest to all Europe, is in war, which we declare against him.
Page 402 - ... professing insidious peace or declaring open war, is the common enemy of all nations, whatever may be the existing political relations of that nation with Great Britain, becomes instantly our essential ally. In that event his majesty's ministers will have three objects in view. The first, to direct the united efforts of the two countries against the common foe; the second, to direct those efforts in a way which shall be most beneficial to the new ally; the third, to direct them in a manner conducive...
Page 431 - ... the animosity of the troops which have entered this kingdom, with the declaration and promise of not committing any the smallest hostility, and knowing also that they are most particularly destined against my royal person, and that my faithful subjects would be less alarmed were I absent from this kingdom, I have resolved, for the benefit of my subjects, to retire, with the queen...
Page 400 - Buonaparte has hitherto run a most victorious race. Hitherto he has had to contend against princes without dignity, and ministers without wisdom. He has fought against countries in which the people have been indifferent as to his success; he has yet to learn what it is to fight against a country in which the people are animated with one spirit to resist him.
Page 423 - All persons of education in the provinces should be stimulated to frame, print, and publish frequent, short discourses, in order to preserve the public opinion, and the ardour of the nation, confuting at the same time the infamous diaries of Madrid, which the baseness of the late government has permitted and still permits to be published in Madrid itself, and has caused to be circulated abroad...
Page 417 - ... of' different nations, dragged into service, and who anxiously desire to break their chains. — The positions they have taken are exactly those in which they can be conquered and defeated in the easiest manner; they are besides weak and dismayed, because the consciousness of guilt makes a coward of the bravest man. All Europe will applaud our efforts and hasten to our assistance; Italy, Germany, and the whole north, which suffer under the despotism of the French nation, will eagerly avail themselves...
Page 399 - I wish first to declare, that, in my opinion, we must not deal in dribblets : we must do much or nothing. Why do I make this declaration ? Because no cabinet which has hitherto existed in this country — not even excepting that with which I had the honourof being connected — has pursued simply and plainly one clear and distinct object.
Page 401 - That an humble address be presented to his Majesty, that he will be graciously pleased to give directions that a monument be erected in the Cathedral Church of ST.
Page 419 - The reasons of this resolution are many, and such as any one will discover who has the use of his understanding 2. A war of partisans is the system which suits us ; the embarrassing and wasting the enemy's armies by want of provisions, destroying bridges, throwing up entrenchments in proper situations, and other similar means. The situation of Spain, its many mountains, and the passes which they present, its rivers and torrents, and even the collocation of its provinces, invite us to carry on this...

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