Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1866 edition. Excerpt: ...The justice of his views and the force of his arguments were fully recognised, his recommendation was adopted, and in compliance with it, a corps of marine artillery was established. But, while hostilities between us and the French were proceeding thus languidly, an occurrence of great importance took place which rudely tore away the flimsy veil beneath which the Spaniards sought to conceal their subservience to France, and their consequent enmity to us. Though at the time of our declaration of war against France nosimilar motions had been adopted towards Spain, our relations with that country were notoriously of a most doubtful character. Seven years before, Spain had agreed to furnish France with an armed contingent, and at the end of the last year, 1803, the force so to be supplied had been commuted for an enormous annual payment of nearly three millions of money. Our minister at Madrid, Mr. Frere, had addressed to the Spanish court more than one remonstrance on the subject; declaring, with truth, that a payment of so great an amount was manifestly, and in its very nature, a war subsidy. At the beginning of the year of which we are speaking, lb04, it became further known to our Government that detachments of French troops had been received at Ferrol, and that the Spaniards were equipping a powerful squadron at that port, which could hardly have any other object than an attack upon us. Mr. Frere now addressed to the Court of Madrid fresh remonstrances in a more peremptory tone, requiring Spain to desist at once from all naval preparations, which could only be looked upon as a defiance to Great Britain, and declaring that our Government would view the continuance of such preparations as an indication of a resolution to attack us so...
