tion broke out, and the greatest hatred was expressed towards the French. The Bishop of Oporto, an enlightened ecclesiastic, was appointed governor, and a junta was formed upon the model of that of Seville. The British ministry, who had so liberally and generously supplied the Spanish patriots, was not unmindful of the interests of Portugal. Sir Arthur Wellesley was sent with an army of ten thousand to the assistance of both the Portuguese and Spanish patriots; finding his cooperation not desired with respect to the latter, he proceeded to Oporto. Here he stationed his troops while he held a conference with Admiral Sir Charles Cotton, relative to the expediency of forcing the entrance of the Tagus. Sir Arthur afterwards marched the British army towards Lisbon, and General Junot having been informed that reinforcements were advancing to the English. army under Sir John Moore, determined to attack Sir Arthur before his army was 'strengthened. Accordingly he left Lisbon, and met with Sir Arthur near Vimiera. On August 21, a battle took place, in which the French were totally defeated, having three thousand men killed, or wounded; thirteen pieces of cannon, and twenty-three ammunition waggons were taken from the enemy. The loss of the British amounted to near one thousand men. The gallant Sir Arthur, after this advantage gained over the Duke of Abrantes, marched his victorious army to Cintra, where Sir Hew Dalrymple had arrived, to take upon him the chief command of the army. The laurels which the British General had so bravely won, were now tarnished by a singular and unexpected event, which excited the utmost astonishment throughout Europe. Soon after the arrival of Sir Hew, a flag of truce arrived from Junot, soliciting a cessation of hostilities for the purpose of arranging a convention by which the French would evacuate Portugal; and while the public mind in England was wound up to the highest pitch of expectation; the mortifying intelligence, the miserable supplement to the brilliant victory of Sir Arthur Wellesley, arrived the convention in Cintra. By this disgraceful proceeding, it was stipulated, "That the English government should be at the expence of transporting the whole of the French army to any of the ports between Rochfort and L'Orient; when the army was arrived in France, it was at liberty to serve again immediately. All the property of the army, as well as the personal property of individuals of the army was to be sacred and untouched; it might either be carried off into France, or sold in Portugal. In the last case, full security was to be given by the British to the purchasers, that the property they had would not be taken away from them, nor they themselves molested on account of the purchase." Another article, stipulating that the Russian fleet should be allowed to remain unmolested in the Tagus, as longas it thought proper, or return home, was properly rejected by Sir Charles Cotton. Nothing could exceed the general indignation in England at the convention of Cintra. The City of London took the lead in remonstrating, and petitioning for an inquiry into the causes which led to so inglorious a treaty. Alderman Ansley, the Lord Mayor, with the Corporation of London, waited on his Majesty with the petition from the City of London; the answer to which specified, “ That there was no necessity for their interference with respect to instituting an inquiry into the convention of Cintra.' It was, however, deemed requisite to set an inquiry upon foot. The Board of Inquiry reported, "That on a con-sideration of all circumstances, as set forth in the report, they most humbly submitted their opinion, that no further military proceeding was necessary on that subject. Because some of them might differ in their sentiments respecting the fitness of the convention in the relative situation of the two armies, it was their unanimous declaration, that unquestionable zeal and firmness appeared throughout to have been exhibited by lieutenant-general Sir Hew Dalrymple, Sir Harry Burrard, and Sir Arthur Wellesley, as well as that the ardor and gallantry of the rest of the officers and soldiers, on every occasion during the expedition, had done honor to the troops, and reflected lustre on his Majesty's arms." His Royal Highness the Duke of York having in a letter to Sir David Dundas, then commander in chief, animadverted on the Report of the Board, another assembled when the following points were taken into consideration: "Whether under all the circumstances that appeared in evidence; it was their opinion, that an armistice was advisable; and if so, whether the terms of the armistice were such as ought to have been agreed upon? And whether, upon a like consideration of the relative situation of the two armies, subsequent to the armistice; and when all the British forces were landed, it was their opinion, that a convention was advisable; and if so, whether the terms of that convention were such as ought to have been agreed upon? At the meeting of the board, there was a diversity of opinion on the question proposed by the Royal Duke. His Majesty, however, gave an express declaration of his disapprobation of the convention, which was communicated to Sir Hew Dalrymple. The measures which Napoleon had pursued towards Spain and Portugal, excited great dissatisfaction, both at the courts of Vienna and St. Petersburgh. A correspondence between Count Metternich, the Austrian minister, and Champagny, the French minister, took place, in which great professions of friendship and attachment to the Emperor of Austria were set forth: with respect to Russia, a conference took place between Bonaparte, and the Emperor Alexander, at Erfurth, a city in the Electorate of Mayence; Alexander was attended by his brother, the Grand Duke Constantine, and a long suite of nobles. Bonaparte was accompanied by Berthier, Talleyrand, Champagny, Caulincourt, and many others. Many important subjects were discussed in the conferences between these potentates. The Emperor of Russia mediated for Prussia, and obtained a promise from Napoleon, that the French troops should evacuate the Prussian territories, after the contributions imposed (which he greatly reduced) should be duly received. Another subject, which formed a topic of consideration in the conferences at Erfurth, related to Great Britain. The part England had so generously taken, with respect to Spain and Portugal, naturally led Napoleon to wish to make some pacific overtures at such a crisis; and it is probable it might be from an intimation of the Emperor of Russia, who might have wished to have acted in this respect as mediator, that on October 21, a flag of truce arrived at Dover, with a French and Russian messenger; the latter was permitted to proceed to London. In this overture it was proposed to enter into a negociation for a general peace; in concert with his Britannic Majesty's allies, or to treat on any basis which might be offered. The answer of the British cabinet was favorable VOL IL-32 |