The National Register. — London, England, 1811-07-28 00:00:00

~ •:. Ti! NA lay the Chosen warriors, the Midi, and the inde. pendence of the Austrian , empire. Peace, how. ever, sprung amidst the wrecks of war. The con. queror's sword, which no shield could check, was de poi ited at tlit feet of youth and beauty. The daugh ter of the haughty house of HAristuto became an Usurper's' bride, and for the first time, in the en joyment of connubial delights, the vain prophet's voice was hushed. He, who till tl en, seemed to take his chief delight in the ravages of war, relin quished its guidance. Flattery became his food, and flow to please his bride his study. Enervated and inactive, .he scarce followed with his eye the operations, Successes or defeats of his Marshals in Spain, and in order to give up all serious thought, at last invested MASSENA with the chief command of the army intended to invade Portugal, and with the character of Prophet, which he had ceased to wear with honour, but which recovered no credit in, the hand of izs new possessor. For a few weeks atter MAssEsik had, from the tr. , wers of Ciudad Ru ch igo, revived the old and almost forgotten predic tion that cur army should be driven into the sea, he experienced at Busaco a most st.vcre and san guinarv'repulse from that very army whose destruc tion be So confidently a nt:cipated. A few months later, he sunk both his military and prophetic cha racter into still deeper dishonour, wi,e:l he fled hack through wasted Portugal before our pursuing legions. Untaught by the mortification and teat. of his . colleague, SOULT also ventured to predict ; and, when leaving Seville, informed his soldiers he led them to certain victory ; but on the red hills of Al bucra learnt the vanity of boasing,, and proved the ' keen edge of the British sword. Such defeats awoke • NAPOLEON from his lethargy. He looked abroad ; but his means were wasted and his treasury , empty. Cornpeled • by his own practice et for mer ) ears, to introduce the subject of war into • his :1111111:11 Expose, how charged was Lis guage. Unable to claim a si:,g-le triumph, he could • only state that several actions had been fought ho nourable to the French arms : an artfully equivocal expression, since a defeat may be honourable to the congtrred, when the victory has been bravely contested. As to the duration and issue of the war, he vainly called perversion of truth and reasoning to his aid. He vainly told his people that he puipo3e/y protracted hostilities in order to exleurq our blood and resources ; they saw C-grough the thin veil of his deception. They perceived, not only, as lie • told them, that we had be come principals in the war, but that we, whom he used to represent as unable to contend single-handed with France had now ail the advantage of a series of land campaigns on our side. They laughed at his threat of conquering England on the Peninsula, where his armies, repeatedly defeated, were scarce ly able to retain their footing ; and in his fresh at tempt at effecting the recut of our troops, whose expulsiwz he finds impracticable, by forming a camp at Boulogne, parading the harbour with a fev: rot ten boats, and renewing the unsubstantial show of invasion, they will only see a public acknowledg veakness and inability to cope with n Spain or Portugal. 1 •1 • • . ita t(Pt aI V t • . • I IF, , . • . ' I* 1 ,4Zii 4 , ''. vII - .....s, •:i.. ... : •7.y i • *o . lz t r ~ • . . 404 ..., :it -•. • - !.. - ' vt ' ot • Ade,' ‘ -'-'" tu) ie.. XI uhV . s QNAL, REGISTFR. BONAPARTE TURNING PROTESTANTI It is not an easy task, perhaps, to point out the connection there is betwaea the triumphs of Bonaparte, insurrections in India, discontents of the Ame• ricans, and the Cua►srlAN RICLIGION: and awn thoughtful only for the present life, a►►d its enjoyments, are not disposed to moor to consider; but GOD sees! Hg who made tl►e overthrow of Babylon, and the victories of Alexander, instrumental to fulfill prophecy, now sees the end from the heicioning, and from ancient times the things that are not et drbue:r..--new connects causes and events; and will overrule the commotion of the nations. fur his own honour; and, we hope, for the true gior., of our land. Vide The 'Watchman; for March ISIO. TO THE EDITOR OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER. SYR—Turning over the number of the National Register fir Sunday the (.23d of June last, I find that your attention was cisu ally attracted to that portion of Napoleon Bonaparte's speech to his Legislative Body. on June the 10th, which relates to what he styles " the affairs o. religion." Your words are these. Glancing at his religious opinions, but dilating more on his political ones, 4 4 his views rApecting the Roman Catholic church are," you " in some degree unfolded;" and you think " he gives a pretty good hint that he will not suffer it long to continue in its present state, hut will establish a kind of Geleral Religion. composed, (according to his own phraseoh v) of those truths and principles which belong to the whole universe." Bonaparte's declarations on this head will be found of considerable importance. whilst you, therefore, are more immediately engaged in following up his political seminients and achievements, permit me to dinFt the thougles of your readers to the religious intimations, Mum such they seem, of this extraordinary man. • Bonaparte's speech attributes the separation of one half ot - Lru• rope from the Church of Rome " to the contradiction which has never ceased to exist, between the truths and the principles of re which belong to the whole universe, and the pretensions and interests which regarded only a very small corner of Italy." None can inistalre him here. Se:posing that there are certain ' truths, and prineiples of religion which belong to the-whole universe," perhaps he meant to Europe, or, properly defined, the " Com monwealth of Clitistendom," that certain truths were common to our common faith,—assuming this fact as the ground of Ms proceeding, no thinking person can be at a loss to apprehend what he means by " those pretensions and interests which," opposed to cf re ligion, '• regarded only a very small corner of Italy." Rome papal is clearly meant. Keeping this in view, we aleo know what Napoleon means when he says " I have put an eed to this scandal for ever." Popery is divested of supremacy. This " state of the third order," this politico-tfieolog,ical state s ceases now to rear its head. The Pope of Rome is not king. Though there should be a King of Rome, however, there may still be a Church of Rome. Divested though he is of most of his teirperalities, the Pope may still have his spirituelities. Although he corrolaitis that " the affairs of religion have been too often mixed amid sacrificed to the interests of a state of the third or• der," boasting that he has " put an end to this scandal for ever," Bonareerte still assigns " Palaces to the Popes at Rome and. at Paris." Perhaps this indulgence means nothing. • . Notwithstanding the respect apparently paid to the Popes by still allowing them 46 palaces at Rome and at Paris," and the anxious parade evinced by the present Archbishop of Paris (Cardinal Maury) in order to remedy " the scarcity of priests" arid " the urgent necessities of his parishes," Bonaparte's con duct is on the whole slid' as tends to bring the religion of po pery into utter disgrace, if not to ensure its destruction. His memorable Conference with the Catholic and Protestant Clergy at Breda, on the first of May, 1810, since published in the Ga at Dorpt, sufficiently indicates his real sentiments respecting the Catholic Church. 44 The Popes, by their hierarchy," said Bona parte, to the Catholic Apostolic Vicar, " set Europe in flatries. Perhaps, it is your wish :o establish scaffolds and racks ; but it shall be my care that you do nut succeed. Are you of the rell-