The National Register. — London, England, 1814-01-09 00:00:00

I THE NATIONAL REGISTER. Cur toting - , Confritution, awl tabus. 4 PUBLISHED AT NO. 11 NEWCASTLE-STREET ) STRAND. No. 315 SIT NI) .-LY,. JANUARY 9. 1814. r • • ► 4 ? Ir. • mot 1:7 1e - t 3 !T fl t ro.• ing his enemies. This last blow terminated at once his in dteision and his hopes. Ile sag, that beside the hosts by which he was nearly surroonded,theAustro-13avarian a! mrwas march ,ng to the Tinkle, and even threatenod to enter undefended France. lie rencothced his intended operations on the right hank ,xf the Elbe, and resolved to sacrifice every thing to cut his way through his enemies, and regaiu his ter. itorics. Leipsic, the witness of his former triumph, now beheld the dreadful conflict, which, after two days of balanced success. terminated in his overthrow. Abandoned by the troops of his vassals during the .t action, he saw their guns turned against him, and fled fromdhe field, leaving Leipsic, with the Rovd Saxon Family several of his favourite commanders, 40,000 prisoneis, aud 200 pieces of cannon in the hands of the victors. Actixelv pursued, the remains of his army, t about 80,000 strong mid once more to cut their way through opposing hosts ; anc n the neighbourhood of llanau a san guinary battle took place, in which NAPOLEON ultimately succeeded in forcing his passage, and seeking a refuge on the left bank of the Rhine, with 70,000 men and 100 pieces of cannon. Here, however, the intelligence of fresh dis a'ters awaited him, and he learnt that the " of his " sacred territory" bad been exploded in the west, and that the English, Portuguese, aml Spanish colours waved in triumph on the banks of the Nive. In Italy, his affairs wore an equally dark aspect. Dalmatia, Istria, Car niola were reconquered. The Tagliamento ceased to flow un der his laws, and his armies with difficulty maintained them selves behind the Adige. Scarcely had he called all the dispcst- We, troops from the Interior to the Rhine, than he returned to his capital to demand a new conscription of 300,000 men, and fresh sacrifices. These were. granted by the Senate, but he soon discovered the difficulty. if not the impossibi lity of carrying them into execation, and whilst be en deavigired to raise his conscripts in a country which his former wars had swept of its manhood and its youth, Holland, stripped cf soldiers, felt the 1-ive of indenendence revive its her bosom, and at one blow struck off the chains by which she had been so long yoked to the tyrant's empire. Etwhind had inspired her by her example, with the true spirit of freedom, England gave her back her kgitimate Prince, and the Nethei lands welcomed with joy the long banished House of Orange. Alarmed at this defec tion, NAPOLEON hastened to accept the preliminary basis which the Allies had proposed to him on reaching the bank; of the Rhine, and the outline of which was published Declaration issued at Ft ankfott on the lit of Decen Tiwse offers, however, had prol , ably been made in the pectation !hat NAPOLEON'S unheniing pride would r , them, for when, conscious of his wcakness, b e accc d e , the Allies of jetted to the manner in which he I in a nber. . e ex- .jest ecl to id it, . • • 1 POI,ITIC4IL RETROSPEcT OF THE YEAR. (Concluded from or last.) The accession of Austria to the confederacy seemed a blow unexpected by N A POL EON. Tie had relied too far on her in decision and on the ascendancy of his influence, to think it rossible that she should ever dare to emerge from her po litical timidity and renounce the connexion contracted with his family. Hence all his plans were frustrated when she took the field. Instead of being able to finish the con• quest of Silesia, and penetrate into Poland, be found his rear -threafened and turned by the grand - army of the coales ced Powers. The spirit of his enemies, rekindled by the British triumphs at Vittoria and on the borders" of France, slow blazed with unconquerable ardour. Their councils were' guided by the genius and experience of the hero of Holaenlinden, who now led the armies, by whose defeats be had acquired his mili.aty fame, against him for whom he had then conquered. Patriotic enthusiasm, supplied in the Land sturrn the want of veteran skill, and on every side, instead of tamely awaiting his attacks, the Allies rushed with eagerness tip the fight. His force was still powe:fil, but divided, and want f fidelity soon revealed itself among his troops. The desertion of superior officers alarmed him and betrayed Lis designs. It was thus dial his attempts to occupy Breslaw and Berlin wete defeated by the dispositions of the Allies, and his fate neatly sealed by their unexpected advance to Dresden in his rear. Though repelled with less from before the walls of that city, through the prodigious activity and eNertions of their opronent, and though their repulse Was emhittered by the fall of their experienced leaaer, the gal. lant .?11'.'RE A u, the Coalesced Powers had sti uck a (lead! v blow at the fortunes of :he French Desfert. In vain did he en- deavour by obstinacy to recover the advantages he had lost. All his efforts dgainst Silesia and Berlin terminated in dis grace anti disaster, and only served tc augment the glory of the CROWS Pntscr General BL CC II I:R. Defraigd at every point, his armies fell back to the Elbe, which their pursuers crossed iifoie them. A who!e corps was destroyed or c2.ptured will its commander amidst the mountains of Bo liemia,and the rest,confined to the neighbourhood of Dresden, lost in suspense and usele-s demonstrations that time which would have secured its retrelt to the !thine. The Allies who continued to advance on the flanks of the enemy, at last began to close in his rear. All communication with France wai interrupted, and N Pot. CON'S VaSOS now hopeless, of his ever surmounting his difficulties, ant dreading to be involved in his ruin, hastened to abandon his cause, and to purchacie the recognition and enjoyment of the titles_ gnd kingdoms which he had conferred upon them, b rol. VII. No,CCCXV P RI es 9d.