Poets, Spanish; Spanish poetry -- History and criticism; Spanish poetry -- Translations into English
Beyond his poems, Arriaza wrote several political pamphlets. The first
was published at Seville in 1809, after the battle of Talavera, when
the English, notwithstanding the victory, had to retreat into Portugal,
giving occasion to the French party in Spain to allege that they were
about to abandon the country to the French, and keep possession of the
principal ports. In this pamphlet, which he entitled the ‘Pharos of
Public Opinion,’ Arriaza combated these suspicions, and by a strenuous
assertion of the good faith of the English, succeeded in disabusing the
minds of his countrymen of what he termed “such malignant insinuations.”
The second pamphlet he termed ‘Virtue of Necessity,’ shortly after
the disastrous battle of Ocania; and its object was to stimulate the
English government and nation to give more assistance than they had
yet done, by money and otherwise. He proposed in return to give the
English free right of commerce with the Spanish colonies in America, at
least for a stated period, observing that they already had extensive
dealings with them by contraband, and that the free commerce would make
the English neutral, at least, in the question of the colonies wishing
to declare themselves independent, while otherwise it would be their
interest to have them independent. This pamphlet especially is full of
sound statesmanlike ideas, and proves how well he was acquainted with
the state of public feeling in England, on the several particulars
respecting which he was writing.
A third pamphlet he wrote in English, and published it in London in
1810, where he was then sent on the part of the Spanish government.
This he entitled ‘Observations on the system of war of the Allies in
the Peninsula;’ and he endeavoured in it to urge the English to send
more troops to the Peninsula, at certain points, where he considered
they would be of most avail in disconcerting the plans of the French,
and assisting the Guerrilla warfare the Spaniards were carrying on.
He explained the determined fidelity of the Spaniards to the cause of
their independence, but showed they would be insufficient to effect it,
without the assistance he came to seek. This pamphlet was favourably
received in England, and was noticed in Parliament; and the author
had the good fortune to hope that his efforts had been successful, as
he says, “The English government then sent greater reinforcements to
their army, which emerging from its inaction, acquired the superiority
preserved until the happy conclusion of the war.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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