The National Register. — London, England, 1809-11-05 00:00:00

TUE NATIONAL REGISTER. ,XOO --~~ VW kingdom. nerd only hi.' kept up to their full complement, in order to bailie all the attempts or the enemy. " If the peace he renewee between France and Austria, it %Hi he impassible, uithout great inconvcuience, to suddertly irsobport the brave trnops who % ill have conquered it, from the Banks of the Daeube to those of the Guadalquivir. This r •mark has not escaped the paternal attention of his Majesty; and let us he persuade:4, that after such glorious exertions, be i desirous, and w ith justice, that the conquerors should re ceive the testimonies of public gratitude and general admiration. --These .points, Gentlemen, w ill I.e explained to you by the Orators of the Council of State, nod more particularly in the Report of the Minister of %Via; which the Emperor has or dered him to communicate to you. . The levy required is, more over, much less than his Majesty could draw from the classes by which it is to he supplied; besides, it will be rendered as little burthensome as pos , ible. In this crisis the Senate will be alxious, as on former occasions, to forward the intentions of our aigust Sovereign, for the honour and glory of the French people." xr.poßT MADE Y 0 HIS MAJESTY TAE EMPEROR AND KING, PROTEC'7OII OP THE CONFEDERATION Op, THE RHINE, BY HIS EXCELLENCY COUNT D 1 HUNEBURGII, MINISTER OF WAR, SEPT. 15, 1809. "SIN f the numerous victories of your Majesty, and the extraordinary succe,ses of your armies, he at the sn►ue time the work of your genius, the result of the most scientific military combinations, of your inherent intrepidity, and of the courage of so many brave men, these victories and successes are no less ow ing to your forejght. his this w hick has inspired your Majes ty with the idea of assembling at first in the interior of the Em pire, whatever might be the complexion of atiairs, the youth of France who are successively called to serve their country, and of making them cons:V.:tidy pay their contribution to the safety of the State, at the same time Thai they accustom themselves to arms. " The temporary dereliction of this system, would he pro ductive of some danger to the Empire, and it would he placing rather too great a reliance on the future, however flattering ap pearances inay he at pre*cat, to suffer the depots in the interior of France to want the regular supply of recruits, whatever part of the youngsoldiers who fill them bhould he called into actual service. " A short glance at the state of your Majesty's armies will be suffiAent to shew that the levy which I feel it my duty to propose, is sufficient at present. " Master of Vienna, and of more than half the Austrian Mo narchy, your Majesty is at the head of the most formidable army France ever bad beyond tile Rhine; and to judge of what it is capable of effectiniv, it is only necessary to mention, th•et. it was hardly formed when it conquered Austria iri the fields of Thaun, of A bersherg, and of Eckmuhl. Whether the negotia tions at Altenburgh terminate in peace, or whether the war coutinue, your Majesty has iu your depots troops enough, fit to take the field, to recruit your army in Germany. " to the mon:h of January, your Majesty pursued the En glish a•my in callicia. 1\ bile you were eneaged in it, yonr Ma jesty was infixined that the Court of Vienna interded to break 116 engagements. Though such an event seemed to call the prin cipal part of your forces into Germany, your Majesty neverthe less thought proper to leave your veteran army in Spain ; not that the whole of that army was actually necessary to complete the subjugation of the Spanish rebels, but to deprive Englaud of the possibility of prolonging that rebellion, of which she is the cause. That paw er, seeing in the new system established in Spain, the presage of her own ruin, did not, however, despair of overturning it ; and her efforts upon this occasion have greatly surpassed all that we have seen her make upon similar occasions. " General Moore hail no+ been able to bring oil' from Galli cia the half of his troops. The immense losses which his army sustained, did not dissuade the English Government from send ing a fresh army, consisting of 40,000 men, to Lisbon. It pe nctrated.to the centre of Spain, awl rallied around it the various corps of insurgents. The banks of the Albert he and the Tagus witnessed their flight and their confusion. Compelled to retreat to the further side of that river, and pursued at the point of the bayonet, they totally evacuated Spain, and the Portuguese saw then return In disorder to their territory. " At the same period, an army of equal force suddenly made its appearance at the entrance of the Scheldt, with the intention of burning the dock-yards at Antwerp ; there our enemies were covered with confusion. At their approach, Flushing was pro- J . -_,_—......r0 W i G k •.t vided with a numerous garrison; 12,000 picked troops marched from St. Omer, under the orders of the Senator General Ram too ; and eight demi-brigades of reserve, iv hick v. cre at Bou logne, Louvain, and Paris, proceeded, post, to, the points that were menaced. 46 These troops were of themselves sufficient for the defence of Antwerp. That place, which is covered by a strong rampart, and the advanced works which your Majesty caused to he con structed four years ago, is still further protccted by extensive inundations; and on the left bank of the Scheldt, the fort of La 'lee de FlandreN which is itself surrounded by an inundation of 2000 toises, secures the communication of .Antwerp o itit our fortresses in the North. " The English Expedition was formed upon the supposition. that Antwerp was only at, open city, whereas that fortress could not be taken but after a long siege. Independent of troops of the line, your Majesty saw, at the first signal, 150,009 na tional guards ready to march, :Ind at their head the Alajors of your infantry, officers of the fifth battalion, and veteran offi cers; you found in their ranks a number of old soldiers. " Numerous detachments of cavalry of the line were pre ceded by the Gens-d/armerie of Frame. The English were not aware that this branch of force alone could, at a moment's no tice, assemble at any given point 60 squadrons, compo,ed of men that had seen sixteen years of service, all equally experi enced, equally well disciplined and armed. as these brave cuirassiers, who, under your Majesty's orders, have brought to so high a pitch the glory of the French cavalry. " As by enchantment, the dispositions prescribed :by your Majesty caused to appear, at the same-instant, on the hanks of the Schelt, and at the rendezvous of the Reserve at Lisle and Maestricht, four different armies, under the comand of Mar shall the Prince of Ponte Corvo, and Marshals the Dukes of Cornegliano, Valmy, and Istria. " The sudden developement of such a force, and the national impulse which continued to multiply its numbers, struck the enemy with cotoaernation. Their enterprize calculated upon false data, completely failed. " Europe has witnessed the realization of that which your Majesty's penetration anticipated, when you pronouneed that this Expedition originated in ignorance and inexperience ; and when, sparing of French blood, and directing that a plan merely defensive should be followed, you wrote to me;--` We are happy to find the English crowding into tht! marshes of Zealand ; let them he merely kept in check, and their army will be speedily destroyed by the had air, and the epidemic fevers of that country. " Whilst our troops were distributed in comfortable canton ' ments in the environs of Antwerp, or stationed in that fortress, the English army, encamped in the midst of marshes, and desti tute of water fit for drinking, lost upwards of one-third of its soldiers. But the facility which the English have of going by sea from one quarter to another may lead us to expect that all that will have escaped the disasters of this expedition will be sent to reinforce their army in Portugal. 46 Sire, the various fields of battle in which your armies have distinguished themselves are ton remote from each other to ad mit of your marching, without inconvenience to the soldier, one of your armies from one scene of action to the other ; and your Majesty, so highly • satisfied with the zeal of the troops •, whom you command beyond the Danube, is anxious to spare them from the fatigues of the war in Spain. Besides, the French armies beyond the Pyrennees now consist of 300 bat talions and 150 squadrons. It is therefore sufficient, without sending any additional corps thither, to keep up at their full establishment those already there. Thirty 0,4 p sand men, o col lected at Bayonne, afford the means . of acct . t hing this ob ject, and of repulsing any force which the nglish may cause to advance. _ _ " In this state of things, 'I conceived that it corresponded ith your Maje.ity's views to limit the levy necessary at this mo ment to the contingent indispensably requisite for replacing in the battalions of the interior, the drafts which are daily made from them. The returns which will h , ! laid before your Majesty will inform you, that of the conscriplioa for the years Ibo 6 7-84 and 10, there still remain more than 80,000 men, who, though balloted, have not yet been called into actual service. This im mense reinforcement might march against your enemies, should that measure be rendered necessary by any imminent danger to the State. t propose to your Majesty to call out only 56,000, and to declare all those classes entirely free from any future call. " By Allis means, your armies, Sire, w ill. be maiotaiacd at • . • • . NOV, 5. NOV, 5. .. _ . •n; 12,000 picked troops marched ders of the Senator General RAM- of reserve, which v. ere at Bou- proceeded, post, to the points that ,emselves sufficient for the defence ch is covered by a strong rampart, h your Majesty caused to he eon- ill further protccted by extensive milk of the Scheldt, the fort. of La !!If surrounded by an inundation of muuication of Antwerp w itit our I was formed upon the supposition, open city, is hereas that fortress long siege. Independent of troops w, at the first signal, 150,003 na- 1, :Ind at their head the Alajors of fifth Ilattalion, and veteran °lll- s a number of old soldiers. r)f cavalry of the line were pre .. iff Frunr e. The English were not ,•ce alone could, at a moment's no- point 60 squadrons, compo,ed of rs of service, all equally experi- lined and armed. as these brave . • Niajesty's orders, have brought to he French cavalry. dispositions prescribed :by your ~ . the same-instant, on the banks of vows of the Reserve at Lisle and Mies, under the comand of Mar-. irvo, and Marshals the Dukes of trig. • t of such a force, and the national multiply its numbers, struck the .. l'lteir enterprize calculated upon e realization of that which your pated, when you pronouneed that i ignorance and inexperience ; and Mood, and directing that a plan Mowed, you wrote to me;--` We sh crowding into the marshes of kept in check, and their army will had air, and the epidemic fevers of distributed in comfortable canton- Nerp, or stationed in that fortress, in the midst of marshes, and desti- lost upwards of one-third of its hick the English have of going by ler may lead us to expect that all isasters of this expedition will be a Portugal. f battle in which your armies have ton remote from each other to ad- out inconveulence to the soldier, scene of action to the other ; and isfied with the zeal of the troops the Danube, is anxious to spare the war in Spain. Besides, the 'yrennees now consist of 300 bat- It is therefore sufficient, without thither, to keep up at their full there. Thirty 0,4 sand men, col-: ot e means . of acct.. thing this oh- nye which the nglish may cause • I conceived that it corresponded limit the levy necessary at this tno- ensably requisite for replacing in r, the drafts which are daily made ch will be laid before your Majesty , lascriplitia for the years 1b06,7-8-9. re than 80,000 men, who, though ailed into actual service. This Im- arch against your tamales, should .essary by any immtneut danger to r Majesty to call out only 56,000, Ism entirely free from any future mien s Sire, will.liemaiataiacd at - , 111