The Prose Works of William Wordsworth: For the First Time Collected, With Additions from Unpublished Manuscripts. In Three Volumes.Wordsworth, William
General
The Prose Works of William Wordsworth: For the First Time Collected, With Additions from Unpublished Manuscripts. In Three Volumes.
Wordsworth, William
English literature -- 19th century
Thus much for the Portugueze, and their particular interests. In one
instance, a concern of the Spanish Nation comes directly under notice;
and that Nation also is treated without delicacy or feeling. For by the
18th article it is agreed, 'that the Spaniards, (4000 in number) who had
been disarmed, and were confined on ship-board in the port of Lisbon by
the French, should be liberated.' And upon what consideration? Not upon
their _right_ to be free, as having been treacherously and cruelly dealt
with by men who were part of a Power that was labouring to subjugate
their country, and in this attempt had committed inhuman crimes against
it;--not even exchanged as soldiers against soldiers:--but the condition
of their emancipation is, that the British General engages 'to obtain of
the Spaniards to restore such French subjects, either military or civil,
as have been detained in Spain, without having been taken in battle or
in consequence of military operations, but on account of the
_occurrences_ of the 29th of last May and the days immediately
following. '_Occurrences_!' I know not what are exactly the features of
the face for which this word serves as a veil: I have no register at
hand to inform me what these events precisely were: but there can be no
doubt that it was a time of triumph for liberty and humanity; and that
the persons, for whom these noble-minded Spaniards were to be exchanged,
were no other than a horde from among the most abject of the French
Nation; probably those wretches, who, having never faced either the
dangers or the fatigues of war, had been most busy in secret
preparations or were most conspicuous in open acts of massacre, when the
streets of Madrid, a few weeks before, had been drenched with the blood
of two thousand of her bravest citizens. Yet the liberation of these
Spaniards, upon these terms, is recorded (in the report of the Court of
Enquiry) 'as one of the advantages which, in the contemplation of the
Generals, would result from the Convention!'
Finally, 'If there shall be any doubt (Article XIV.) as to the meaning
of any article, it shall be explained favourably to the French Army; and
Hostages (Article XX.) of the rank of Field Officers, on the part of the
British Army and Navy, shall be furnished for the guarantee of the
present Convention.'
I have now gone through the painful task of examining the most material
conditions of the CONVENTION of CINTRA:--the whole number of the
articles is twenty-two, with three additional ones--a long ladder into a
deep abyss of infamy!--
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