The National Register. — London, England, 1808-06-13 00:00:00

JUNE 13. riled interest, we are sure that our Readers will rejoice in re ceiving an account of it; and we therefore subjoin an anal)sii of the principal reasonings, together with inch observations as it may seem necessary for us to add, in our capacity of Re viewers. There are in this kingdom a great number of persona, who deem our naval superiority to he so infallible a safeguard, as to Mace us beyond the necessity of any military provision at home. Lord Selkirk argues most forcibly against such a bvpothesis and he cites the authorities of Lord Nelson and Sir Sydney Smith. It is indeed perfectly true that invasion has often been threatened, and never seriously attempted, and we are :tinting the number of those who think invasion an event by no means probable; but we do not go the length of declaring that we think it by any means impossible. A successful invasion of England would not be at all more extraordinary than many other of the great political events which the last few years have set before our eyes. Four years ago, invasion was less probable than it is now : for at that time Bonaparte must have risked both his power and his personal safety on the success of the en terprize : now his situation is such. that neither of these two great objects will be staked, and neither, of course, will surer by a failure. We are opposed against an enemy, who not only bears to us a hatred the most rancorous and implacable, but pthsesses a genius the most magnificent, a force the most formi dable, every advantage, in short, and every motive, that can render hostility tremendous, and teach Great Britain the neces sity of exerting every muscle to its highest tension. No sacrifices ill be deemed too great, if they can purchase our destruc tion : the lives of an hundred thousand men will he estimated as an inconsiderable price : and to an enemy thus desperately de-• termined, it is hut too probable that some opportunity must occur. We are certainly inclined to place a strong reliance on the maritime force of Great Britain : but we see the difficulties that may fall in the way of our naval exertions. Not only may our fleets, by contingencies of weather, be disabled from intercept ing the passage of the enemy, but it may by some unfortunate accident occur, that bad judgment may prevent the proper ope rations of those fleets. English Admirals are not apt to neglect or mistake their duty ; but instances of error have been known, and when the misconduct of one man, the mismanagement of a single day, may open our country to that foe who has already overrun the Continent, we cannot think it unnecessary to pro vide ourselves against the consequences of invasion. " Since then," says Lord Selkirk, " the obstacles to the pas " sage of the enemy are not physically insuperable, it is at least " a possible supposition that they may succeed in landing an " army of 100,000 men on the coast of Kent or Essex. It be t: comes us to consider coolly whether our means of defence are " now sufficient to allurd a certainty or even a fair probability, " that we may overcome such an invading force. No one I " presume, will venture to assert, that our regular forces are " adequate to the contest, even with the addition of the militia. " (if the numerous army maintained by this kingdom a great " part is detached into distant colonial stations, while those at " home have so extensive a tract to guard, that there is much "difficulty in collecting any considerable number in one place." It would therefore, (as Lord Selkirk :votes at greater length thin we can afford to do in our narrow limits) it would therefore he probably the wish of our commanders to avoid a decisive ac tioa. But in a small country highly cultivated like England, protracted warfare could not he as successful as it sometimes has proved itself to he in an extensive territory thinly inhabited, mid full of forests, morasses, or mountains: so that our army would most likely be unable to avoid an engagement for any very lonx while. The regular force being thus insufficient, we must rest uur hopes on the support that our army may obtain, from the vo!untary zeal of the nation at large. We are willing to lime that the n a ti on a t l arge are not yet conv i nce d by tbeirde magogues, that they have nothing to fight for. He then argues • thus:— " In the history o f t h e most courageous nations in t h e wor ld , " instances are recorded of the erects of panic; and what is " su likely to produce a sensation of this nature, as a state of so unusual; one which the people are not prepared to meet, one whi c h o f l ate years t h ey h ave ev e n b een sedulous "ly taught to believe remote from all prohabilitv ? if the " Struggle were to be of long duration, the inherent spirit of the " nation might overcome every disadvantage; Britain has had " her All re d and her Wallace. : and such would yet again ap :: pear, if the circumstances of our times were similar; but we Dave not now to expect a protracted struggle. We have an antagonist rapid and decisive in his movements, vigilant to pre' Serve every advantage yy Web he gains; mad Wore the nation THE NAtiotglit RgdisiTit. " would have time to discover around whom they might rally 46 with confidence, the struggle would be at an end. Against an 64 enemy such as we have to contend with, the natural resources 66 of the country can be of little avail, unless they be In full rate " dines for immediate employmente" It is on the necessity of this constant readiness that Lnid Selkirk seems chiefly to ground the arguments for that ex cellent plan which lie then proceeds to disclose, and which we shall lay before our readers in the next Number of TIM NATIONAL. ItEcasTL:n. 4 ~.c FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE, 'ROM THE FliliNCir AND aorrxsamm pdpsßs. . -~,,.- FRANCE. Pa a ts, Mat Y 25.—0 n Monday, at noon, the King and Qtreati of Spain arrived at Fontainbleau, accompanied by the Prince of Peace and a numerous retinue. Every preparation was made for their reception, under the direction of the Prefect of the Imperial Palace, and the Inspector of the Iloushold of the Crown, both of whom had arrived at Fontaltibleatt a few days before, to give the necessary orders. A squadron of Horse Chasseurs, and a detachment of the Imperial Foot Guards, had also Arrived some days before; and, not withstanding the present time of the year isnot the proper season for lading, the Empe ror, who knows the predeliction of his Royal Guests for this enjoyment, has seta the whole Imperial -hunting stir to _I.. un tainbleau. Their Majesties reside in the apartments intended for the King and Queen of Holland, and known under the appellation of the Pope's apartments. It is in the same part of the palace where Charles V. lodged in 1359, when he passed through France to quell the insurrection at Ghent. The Prince of Asturias and his brother Don Carlos arrived on the 19th inst. at the Castle of Valencey, belonging to the Prince of Benevento, and situated in the department of Indre, at five leagues distance from the town of [Aurelia. Several persons of the first tank rode to Fontainbleau, yes terday, to pay their respects to the King of Spain. In the sea-ports the following decree has been publishet), which was issued by the Emperor 'at Bayonne, ou the tiOth of April : " Napoleon, Emperor of the French, &c. considering that the French ships, have, for a ,long time . past, not found any safety or protection on the coast of Sardinia; that several of their vessels have been captured by English ships of war and privateers, in sight of the Sardinian shore, without any ever tion being made on the part of the Government to cause its neu trality to be respected by the enemy; that English privateers are publicly fitted out in Sardinia; that the warehousing of pro visions for Malta and Gibraltar is constantly permitted there; that the Sardinian Government, after having engaged, by an agreement concluded on the 10th November, to make good all vi,dations, and to prevent them for the future, has absolutely refused to fatal its engagements: we have decreed, and it is hereby declared, that an embarg o shall be laid upon all Sar dinian ships in the ports of our d ominions, and of the countries occupied by our armies." It is asserted that Marshal Kellerman has obtained the title of the Duke of Valmv, after the village in Champagne, whence, in 179'2, he compelled the Prussian army to retreat. 11AY 26.—The letters from Madrid, of the 14th instant, state, that the hot weather having set in, has rendered the encamping of the French troops impracticable. Several large houses and public buildings were preparing at Madrid, to serve as barracks. In old Castile, of which his Excellency Marshal Bcssieres.is Governor, all k quiet. Twelve Portuguese regiments are on their march to Bayonne. The first regiment of Poluguese Cavalry had. already arrived there on the 21st instant, :sod passed in review Wore his Impe rial Majesty. The said corps d'aitnie is commanded by the Marquis d'Alorna, and will proceed to Languedoc to receive a new organization, and then to be employed on au important ex pedition, together with an equal number of French troops. This day the heart of Marshal Vauban was conveyed to the Church of the Invalids, in military state, aad placed in Of* tomb there erected for him. The Persian Ambassador, who is shortly expected at Paris, is loaded with valuable presents from his Sovereign for the Wn aeror Napoleon : amongst them are two sabres, taw W . which belonged to Tamerlane, and the other to Nadir4llhah ; Cashmere ItiltiViS, a carpet of the same sttif, and usitel yell ( tft ' parts, jewels, rtibles wad 411;140066 II .M. •,