Star. — London, England, 1814-01-29 00:00:00

/ I , - _ FRANCE TXE DISTURBER`OFBUROPE. • The following Observations contain a decisive an swer to the contemptible Historical Sketch; in which the French Government has attempted to impute the . general wars of Europe to England. ` They arsi. chiefly extracted from the political reflections in Mr. GAIT'S Voyages and Travels i gg France, both from her situation and character; has long been the great influential nation of the con - tinent. Her central situation makes her the natural barrier to the ambition of the other nations ; but her enterprizing character makes her, more dangerous to them all than any other, while her position facili tates the execution of h e e schemes . The rivalrys' however, with which - she is regarded by Britain, cows. . teracts the effects that arise from her character.--;.. Britain by her situation, is enabled to become the ally of the enemies of France, in such a manner u greatly to impair the advantage which France de-, rives from her place on the continent. The weight, . of Britain, in the political scale, lessens ao much the, preponderancy of France, that th independence of other nations depends on the - opposition which she is enabled to afford. Thete is, therefore, a natural predisposition in all the continental nations; arising wholly from political considerations; to connect their& selves with Britain. •-• - 64 France, by her central situation, is inimediately. interested in the movement of. all the surrounding states ; and is neiessitateci . to take a lively interest, and an active share, in all-41We intentions.- by her insular position, not being immediately aft. : fected by the political fluctuations of the continent, is the natural arbiter of the dispittes among the conti nental nations. 66 France has, under no change of circumstances, ever altered her settled purpose, to become the ruling nation - of the Continent. This ambition is the ac tuating principle of trench policy ; and in succes sive wars, during a course of upwards of three hun dred years, it has been so clearly manifested,' that it cannot be ascribed. to the fantasy of any individual, however extraordinary his fortuaes or his measures.. 66 This national 'passion of France is of great anti quity; though not observable, in any authentic form, • earlier than the reigns of the Tudors in England.— Henry VII. of England could not pretend to the in heritance of the crown of France, merely upon his - riarht as a successor of Henry - W. ; but only by re viving 'the ancient claim of the ,1 3 lantagenets, in • right of ,his wife Elizabeth, the daughter of Ed-' ward IV. He was too muelrpkupied with• the esta blishing of his own throne, to think of reviving so obsolete a claim. The French monarchs, being thus , relieved from the a'rttient pretensions of the English kilfgs, turned their attention to the recovery of that grand preeminence which, they believed, they had taherited from Lewis I. • t 4$ Charles VII. of France married the daughter of Lewis lle king of Naples, by whoM he had • Lewis XI. Isiisuccessor on the throne of France. This Lewis, afcer.a turhuient reign, was succeeded by his son, Charles VIII. in whose time began those famous Italian wars, of which Guicciardine has written the history. % He pretended that Naples had been ceded • to his grandfather, (although his father had never . set forth this claim) and, on that pretence demanded the feudal subnlission of the Kingdom. He col lected an army, and proceeded to Rome as rapidly as General'Bonaparte, where he was acknowledged by Pope Alexander VI. to be Emperor of the West. l e th.gr'went fin-ward to N.Tl , ts, having subdtied or intimidated all the ptincipalities of Italy, and seated himself on the throne ; bat the Italian States reco vering courage, theNeapolitatts rebelled, and the rope, with the Republic of Venice, and the Duke of Milan, leagued to intercept his return id 'France, and gave him battle at Toiniivo, where; nowever, they %ere defeated ; but he liud. not much to' boast . of by the victim y. Hre died in WA: Thus ended the first direct attempt of France-co : recover her an-., tient pretended superiority. -, , _ _ , d Charles VIII. was,Wcceeded by his consin,,the puke of Orleans, Leyns XII. who a4opteJ the pre-'' tensions of his predecessors on Italy. But, nuiimi- Kin, the German Emperor, who was fully as active and no less ambitious, greatly thwarted his schemes, • and the Italian 4tates and Princes, headed by the . martial Pope Julius 11. comprehending - all the pro .. ject, opposed them with unexpeetpd vigour and suc cess. Disappointed of reducing Italy - by force, France had recourse to fraud, And, fostered dr it fa mous schism in die Church, which drew Henry VIII; of England to be 'a party in thy war. The boarded .treasures of Henry's fathir,- enabled him to attack France with'a force and superiority not unworthy of the Plantagenets themselves. 66 The peace which Lewis adroitly concluded steer the taking of Tournay, may he regarded as tbetfai lure of the second grand attempt of France to *wo ver her supremacy. In the ,enterprise of Charles, there was only a rash Macedonian spirit of conquest, but the schemes of Lewis embraced, in the means of accomplishment, all the artifices of diplomatic -dissi.. - sbulation,andabe pretensions4d.religiun, at, well as the force - of arms. Lewis died soon after chiles* and was succeeded bylerancis I. 66 Francis, on his accession, assntried, in addition , to the ordinary titles dl the French Kings, that of • Puke of Milan, which duchy be claimed on some pretence, as little valid as that of his predecessors tQ the kingdom a Naples. At the death of Maximi lian,, Francis aspired to the Empire of Germany ; but was thrown out, in the election by Charles V. He then undertook to indemnify himself in Italy for the 4s . / disappointment. The proceeding's' of the rival' po. senates indticed England to contrive gut balance system, which she maintained with so much glory • ,and success WI the epoch of the nench•Revolution. Tist tfround work of this system was laid in lava of London; most ably concluded by Cardinal Wolsey, Its consequence of this great compact of rations, Henry VIII. took the part of Charles V. till . the event of the battle ' R I Pavia threatened to render' she House of Austria as, dangerous as the French nation to the freedom of the world. From iheaime of Francis I. till the accession of the celebrated Henry IV. France was kept in such;e sta*of turbulence, by religious.factionit, that she - had no.4eisure to plan fo reign projects ; but lichg t the f*Tourite of contend' sag zealots was no sooner seated on she tbeone, than the national passion appeared, in all its original vi gour, in the famous scheme of universal peace ; a • • peace w h ic 4 vw.49be fe.4 11 .e4 by u 1 4 1 9 4% au inde! ..... ' I r= I ... I s ,• 1 ' r • $ . , - I , •••• a• . pen deal stain The fortunate death of Heal' rescued the world from the conflagration of his fla gitious purpose, and tehninated the third regular de. sign. He was succeeded by Lewis Xnl. " In the reign of Lewis, the French at home, were again occupied with murder and iniquity, for the sake of . Religion, as they were lately for the sake of liberty; and • by the distressses of France, the world had time to breath. He died in 1643, and was suc. seeded by his son, Lewis XIV. 64 The very name of Lewis - RIV. is equivalent, in the history of Europe, for ambition. In his time, the ancient imperial pretension of France began to. shew itself, and was, as the former attempts, strongly resisted. The peace of Riswick failed to procure for Europe the repose which should follow a treaty of that kind. It was a hollow truce, an experiment of the time, like the treaty of Amiens.'" The death of the Spanish Charles H. in 1700, occasioned the war of the succession. Charles left, by his will, a French Prince his heir, whom Lewis the XlVth, im **dieter), on his death, sent to Madrid, where he was, proclaimed King by the name of Philip V. The German Emperor put in a claim, in Tight of lineage, Air one of the Austrian Princes. This being opposed by France, a war ensued—Britain took the part of robe Emperor. • . ." The events pf the war form one of the moat. glorious periods in English history ; but the treaty of peace in 1710, was not such as might have bees :otpected to follow the achievements of Marborough. ' Still, however, the original objects of the war weft procured. Philip solemnly renounced all right and 'pretensions to the crown of France ; and toe other :French , Princes, - ft Weir part, all right to the crown of Spain & which they might derive from their rela tionship to Philip. Thus failed the fourth attempt of France to recover the Sovereignty of Europe. 44 Prance, disappointed in her coercive means, with her natural ingenuity, had recourse to others, unheard of in'the rivalry of nations before the age of Louis XIV. ".Smarting with the chastisement 'which she had teceilltedirom England, she put forth new pteten. siods : she set herself up as transcendant in the arts and sciences, as the paragon of civilization, and the mirror and example of all that was refined and ele.. gant in manners, philosophy, and dancing.- By the blazon which she made of her frivolous proficiency in trifles, she atquired no small ascendancy in the .minds of the admiring vulgar. It obtained for hes more real power than all the political projects of her Princes ; and had not the quackery been eiposed by the stupendousocrimes of .Paris, during the Revolu tion, we might still havg heard that Frenchmen were the models of social urbanity. 44 After the death of Louis XIV.. the intrigues consequent to a regal minority kept the French from molesting their neighbours ; but Voltaire, and others of his school and class, with the Parisian and dancing masters, were still advancing the great. Nation to the spperiority that it merited. 44 The Avar'of 1756, which began in movements among the continental nations, and was entered into by Britain, from the necessity of her natural position, AND AS HIE GUARDIAN OF TOE INDEPENDENCE OF STATES, furnished a more distinct view of the un quenchable ambition of France in the notorious com.' fact of the Bourbons—a treaty which has served as the substance. and model of that system which Napa reo ß is endeavouring tt carry into effect by his Tetate tives."-L-Fortunately; since this was written, that system has been put an end to. Mr. GALT then proceeds to observe, that in the year 1762 France was actually united with Russia, Austria, the German Empire (Comfrieration of ar Rhine), Spain, and Naples ; and over Denmark. she had greatinfluence.—But with all these, being un able to make 'war with success against the genius of 'the" first Pitt and the activity of Frederick of Prussia, she contrived thlit measure, by which the whole race of the Ben:tens' was incorporated into one political frathe— r under the name of the Family Compact.— The Author,.aftei- exposing the grasping and factious principles of chat famous conspiracy against indepen. :Jett States, tertninatesfiis vies of the war by consi. dering,the peace 01' 1788 aelstifting concluded the - fifth grand attethpt VI the French tanttain the poli tical supinnfaey of Europe. After pointing out what had been tl4 conduct of ,France during. the rebellioa of our Atherkan pro : , vinces, and-adverting to the effects of that succes s f u l treason, Mr. Galt continues : 66- Tbe French Revglution brings the whole sys tem of Fiance fully into view. The different factions, which, during that great commotion, so rapidly suc: ceeded each other, have. alj shewn themselves actu ated' by one unifOrm spirit, with respect to- odder countries. What began with an intention to ;mike slaves of all sovereigns, ended in a resolution to nialce slaves also of people. The peace of Amiens was ra ;cher an event.in the Reiolution, than the termination of the wart but it became an zra. Flom the date of that event, the obsolete pretensions to the• sove reignty of Europe in the person of the French ruler again became evident to all the world. The various occurrences, since the renewal:of hostilities, have placed the ambition of France in its true light." The Author having brought down his reflectioni to that period when the Continental Syste s m was at its greatest degree of completeness—namely, at the close of Isll, when his work was first printed, ob serves : . ,„ " But the very nature of •the *ley of' the British Nation will, more than their arms, enable them to overcome the hydra. Her allies are now mankind ; and the superiority,Of a commercial over a military .system begins to be acknowledged by the most fans: dcaj worshippers of - French glory. The aim ore commercial system is to maintain the existing state of things; because security is essential to the prospe r riff- of commerce. But the security necessary to commerce does not imply that the existing state of things should be forcibly maintained : on ,the con traty, only tijis, that it.should not be soddenly al-, tered. The tendency of a commercial system is to improve the existing state 6f things ; and improve ment is not at variance with, but the sustenance of stability." Having alluded•to the then state of the Contineit, he adds thit cruel. coercion, which has sent from the shores of so many States so many batm. less and helpless beings, cannot long endore.-4,6 it is already at an end. Each individual victim it that bigotrrwhich persecutes industry, even with' aa faggot, has his desire of distinction '. .1 t , u :rff' , , , ' ".% A 1 • • - • . • . ~._, strongly as the Princes of the Continent; and it is not in the nature of things, that this desire should not manifest itself,, t -Thank HILAyitN! it hal math, felted itself. But it is' not against the wretched ciples of the Prophet of Oppression (Napoleon) that the wrath or-mankind should be directed ; k is against that nation, which, for a vain-gloriohs pur pose, is the innate enemy of all that is just, vene rable, and holy. Until Fiance be reduced again to a moderate condition, there can be no moral advance ment, no hope of prosperity, to the Continent of Europe.' Happily for the world, Frailce is in a fair way of being so reduced. But the Princes and people of all nations should at this moment reflect on the va nity, the presumption, and the almost total dire lection of morality which has so long characterized the French nation. They should remember—they should have it written upon their standards, that there is not an individual• at present a member of the French Government who would not in every well-re gulated country be regarded as apart—that there is not one among them who is not an atheist in prin ciple, and who has not either committed theft, sacri lege, murder, or incest. No Ambassador can sit down in the company of any of the miscreants inte rested in the preservation of Napoleon's Govern ment, without being sensible that he degrades him self as a human being, arid that such is the humilia tion he commits, thati, every one pretending to the character of a gentleman—to the character of a man—ought to shun such a firmistet as an outcad4 ,There are about seventy persons in power in Frante s whoF outages on human maw and law:have been so Breit, • that before entering win any treaty with the nation, their heads •shaild be presented * as a peace-offering to the public of Europe. If this gang are permitted to escape, (confirmed in their usurpa tions they 'cannot be,) every one of the sovereigns concerned in it Oast cease to allow the punishment of delinquents in their dominionsor they must bei-ozoe criminals thelnselves. . • FRENCH PAP.EAL PARIS, JANUA.Rt SO. It is not without pain that we inform our readers, that the inhabitants of Macon have Suffered their town'to be entered by a small number of horsemen of the enemy, whom it would have been easy for them to have repulsed. What was the result of this act of inexcusable weakness ? it was,•that the city of Macon was loaded' with requisitions and contri butions of every kind ; for in war, courage alone is respected, and cowardice despised. • Such is the fate of the inhabitants Of towns who suffer themselves to be lulled • to sleep by deceitful promises : they must expeit -the contempt of..their fellow-citizens and the : ' i uin of their property. The conduct of the inhabitants of Chalons, and those dt Langres, is worthy of the highest praises, and - ought to servo as an example to all the towns menaced by the enenjy. His principal force is in cavalry. With that arm incursions are easily made, but not conquests. Detachments present themselves at great distances, but they are not suppnrted by corps of infantry, which.march more slowly; and an effectual resistance may be made to these isolated de tachments. The people of Chalons have made the experiment, as have the brave Langrese, and shewa themselves worthy of the French name. The tactics of . the enemy are now so well known, that it would be inexcusable to be their dupe. A party of cavalry arrives at the gates of a town, and announces a corps cParmee. They expot, by this false assertion, to intimidate the- constituted authorities and the inhabitant;, and levy, without fear, contributions and requisitions of every kind.— It was thus that the town of Dole suffered itself to' be surprised by a party not very numerous—the men 'cowardly enough to advise inaction were the first victims :.,their houses were pillaged and laid waste. It is very disgraceful to Frenchmen, who have to Maintain their reputation in the eyes of Europe, to suffer themselves to be terrified by troops of marau. de;s. 'We will collect with care the acts , of courage and patriotism swhich shall distinguish towns where the enemy shalt present hiinself. • The inhabitants of these towns may one day,shew to their children these titles to glory, and they shall applaud thew. series for having consulted their true interests in serv ing the common cause. Every thing is saved by courage—every thing lost,by cowardice. We learn that the Prince Viceroy preserves his `a¢ - vintageous position on the Adige. The passages.; the Great St. Betnard are guarded by French troops, stationed in the environs, and read? to proceed thither in case of need. THE BANK OF FRANCE.—(See the last page.) SITTINGS OF JANUARY 19. The Directors and Censors being assembled in a General Committee, presided by the Governor ; present, Messieurs Wier, Thibon, Davillier, De lessen, Flouinguer, Cordier, Moreau, Flory, Rodier, Roux, Guiton, Allivier, Lattte, Ducas, Martin de Puech, Robillard, Martin, son of Andre, the sittings were opened. The General Committee of the Bank of France invited 100 of the principal bankers, merchants, and traders of Paris, to assemble at the Bank this day, at eight o'clock in the evening. [Here follow the names of all those who attend- eg f ] The meeting being formed, the resolution was read, which'was taken by the General Committee of the Bank in the ex4raordinary meeting of yesterday, relative to the payment of 'bank notes,- and to the itneasures to be taken, to continue the discounting, and to anist commerce. The resolution of the Committee was read twice. Several members spoke on the situation of trade; .. * 'A • - • on the state of the Bank, on the neceuity which all good citizens ought to feel of seconding its efforts so support credit, and the facility of business. was found that the measure resolved on by the .general'Committee of the Bank to pay 500,000 franks per diem, till the receipt of the poraeuille shall al ,low this sum to be increased, is the only one which -is suitable to the state of the Bank and-the iuterests of trade I that it is dictated by necessity and by the interest~—that the Bank having in cash, and is hilts at short dates, MIMS superibr to the amount of the notes in circulation, and to the accounts cur rent, independently of the superabundant guarantee of the primitive capital', famished by the proprietors, under the name Commundits i and of the reserved pr t .- fits, which amount together to 111 millions .50.00 filmes, it would be contrary. to all reason that any siksrehension,should exist ooncernin the rytneut of the notes, 'and that all good citizens cannel fail to unite their efforts that the bank notes may continue • 'to be received as heretofore. In consequence, the Members of this meeting hatti. unanimously given their full assent to the resolutiui. of the general Committee of the Bank, passed on the 19th of this month, and declared that they would second the execution of it by all the means in their power, in order that the notes of the Bank et Ftane!.. may continue to tie received as hithervi, and thdt commerce may obtain all the facilities c.l discoGat of which it..stands in noel. The present proces-eerba.l Vr4s real, put to the vote, and adopted. The Governor, in the name of file general Com mittee of the Bank of France,' returned thanks to the Gentlemen present at the meeting, for their ready compliance tvith . the invitation made to iiaeok (A 4ascopy) •••• 11410"0141.4114 C one rat Commitaseablifb" wgntsULT. An advertisement froin the Prefecture of thello : lice, published yetterdayfinforms the pubii4, that from tAis day forward, acd till it shall be otherwise determined, no one am apply to the Bank of France to change bank notes, unless he be the bearer of a number, which shall have been delivered to him by the Mayor of his quarter. PARIS. JANUARY 23. The Moniteur of the'22ll of this month contains a decree of the Emperor, ordering twelve regiments oT Volunteers to be formed in Paris,- 'viz.—Six of volti. geurs, and six of tiralleurs, of the young guard. The men are to be between the ages of 20 atld 50, and they are to serve , till the enemy shall be driven out of the territory of France. On the 22d this decree was published and potted up, with the following Pioclamation of the Munici pal Body to the Parisians : PIMCLAMATION I PAnalzalea--His Majesty the Enspaipay and in his Speech - to the Senate, called on the French ot Paris, of Brittany, of Normandy, and Champagne, of Burgundy, and the other departments, to fly to the aidcit those of our provinces which were invaded. 'the city of earls brill not do less than Normandy, Brittany, and the other parts of France. It will nt4 remain behind, when the-situation is to shew„love of oufeountry, and of honour, at well a; the onalteta. bie attachment of the French to the Sovereigns has re-established the monarchy, and all whose t i houghts have fcir their object the glory and prospe tity of the Empire. The Emperoes honour and our country calls on us, erkat enemy, after having violated the neutra litystf sk nation whom they had flattered, wished to sow asks of diuention among us; thus adding to the ray.aaing of the country which 'bey occupy, an insult still more injurious to the French honour. 46 His Majesty invites.. volunteers to Serve in the young guard, 66 The citizens able to bear arms, and those whim circumstances deprive of work, willl be eager to obey this invitation. An honourable peace, which shall maintain the inteirityof France in us natural linsits. ‘ and, above all, the speedy deliverance of our territory; , this meat be our rallying cry. The paaple of Par* w.lio.have always given the example, by first furnishing their contingent for the different conscriptions, will now again give that of attachment to a Sovereign, to whom they owe limy thing, both as Frenchmen and Parisians. What Frenchman can be deaf to the cries of the people of Franche-Comte, of Lorraine, and to the voice of the Lyonese, who are threatened by the manly ? Who would not shed his blood to preserve etsullied the honour which we have received from our ancestors,' and to maintain France in the limits which nature has assigned to her ? Who would be -come the sport of Europe, and behold the fate of France, subject to the caprice and to the hatred ot Our enemies ? France, which till this moment leas. never needed protection, still less pity, from other. teople, and which, on the contrary, has given proofs of its generosity•and protection to the nations of the Continent. " Let these great and dear interests induce those who are capable of serving, and who from circum stances have quitted the professiOn of arms, to enter aunt these valiant phalanxes, which will fight under the eye of their Sovereign, under the standard of the first Captain in the world. . • , 46 The Municipal Body, with the consent of the Authorities) resoliteu.That this prueut rEgs Al tri