The National Register. — London, England, 1812-01-05 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER. ConEitutioal anb ILak:r3. S N D Y, 3A N Alki.): 5, 1812. N° 210. POL I i ICAL DINQUISITION. No. 197. POLICY AND CONSEQUENCES OF THE PRESENT WAR EXAMINED. (Continue! from No. €208.) We are now come to the consideration of thi3 point, txbether we are at present exposed to greater dangers than at the opening of hostilities. To he able to form a just opinion on the subject, it is necessary to retrace the re spective situation of England and the Continent, at the time die enemy's infracticn of the Treaty of Amiens led PRINT L'D AND PUBLISIIIED AT No. 3, FICKETT-STREET, STRAND, NEAK TLAIPLE BAR• Pruer. 9d. and which their subsequent overthrow has proved to have Irecn ruinous. However, at the time the Continental peace was renewed, both Prussia and Spain remained un impaired in their means ; the former with an army of 300,000 men, deemed the best disciplined troops in Eu rope ; the latter with a considerable navy, a host of Colonies in both worlds, and all the wealth and resources of South America et her command. At that period Prussia ap. peared to he entirely ruled by French counsels, and Spain was -so intimately connected with France, as to send to Paris almost all the revenue derived from her South Ame rican dominions. The military strength of the one, and the colonial ric:es of the other, were thus diverted into a foreign channel, and instead of insuring the independ. ence and prosperity of the country to which they belong. ed, encreased the power of a treacherous ally. Aggran— dised by the losses of her foes, . and- supported by the blindness of her friends, Trance only spared the latter, lest she should derive herself of the advantages which they yielded, until they should have ceased to prove use ful. With re- rd to Ittessia, distance which had shielded her from dar.gor, had also blunted her efficiency : Tri timplient in Italy, her troops' had been defeated in Swit zerland. With their reported invincibility, the terror which they inspired had vanisho; and having once withdrawn from the field, they could find no sceoe of action on which to meet the . French anew without the co-operation of some allied power. _ The Russian early, though but little reduced by the vicisitudes and toils of war, was therefcre no longer calculated to excite anxiety or alarm, whilst confined withiO its frontiers, and hostility on the part of Russia towards France , could, at thei time, have no other efFect . than that of an armed neutrality. Such was the situation of the Continent, when hostill. ties broke out between England and France. It was par ticularly favourable tr.e the 'latter. Surrounded 'will '?as sals, obedient allies, and enemies pacified, because ee. hausted, she dreaded no- diversion in cur fevour, and could safely collect all Le' . forte to bear at once upon us, and. attempt Lo over‘ehelm ote. i c',istanco. 8! e wgs the more powerrul at that period, as the instability of her government had•0e. , , , ...d. T;ie , plrrl-s, which for many years wrenched the !,elyn cff St -r* from each other, and by the introduction ef verici 4 ie se2tems of policy distrac' ed her Ceunc;ls, though still were overpowered. They lay pr, -,, :tra.e at the feerof one of their former tools a taan, -alio had only olwyed, in order to c 'm nand ; who had o'-'y professed principles to establish the most arbitrary de , ,potism, raised to the Chief ...- . TaQ.istracy of the lie, armed w.g7 - ) the ci.ly dela ~~i ~ ,~ and %an now, sclf. pretended Repub. tyed absuming to a renewal of ill? conte , t. Dismembered and exhausted by the ravages of a pro tracted war, chiefly waged in their provinces, and some times in the heart of their dominions, most of the Euro- pean Powers had - purchased peace at the exFence of im mense sacrifices. Engaging in hostilities with France at the r! time they possessed numerous and well appointed armies, ! composed of disciplined veterans, they had wasted their best 11 troops, and lost their most experienced ofli-,:ers in the con- 11 test ; whilst the French, who opposed them at first with an un.lisciplineci rabble, had, in their turn, formed vete- !i rans and able commanders. At the dose of the war, the !I situation of the various parties concerned in it was there fore completely altered. The on', weakened by the loss I of extensive territory, had only new levies to guard what remained; whilst the other, at the head of several hun dred thousand soldiers, trained by constant practice. to arms, hardened by a long struggle with difEculzies and dangers, and exercised in victory, found herself su:round ed with Generals. able to wield her vast military means, and to secure, or in the event of fresh campaigns, to en- H large her acquisitions.. Such was the relative situation of France with those Powers that had so frequently, and un fortunately so v3inly, coalesced against her gigantic am bition. Others had sunk in the contest, anti had- either seen their territories added to the -dominions of the con queror, or holding a nominal independence on no other tenure than that of French alliance, after having been the victims, were now the vassals; Senn to becothe the tools of despotism. Two' kingdoms, it is true, presented a • different spectacle. They mourned no losses, and amidst the devastations of war had enjoycd undisturbed security. Engaged in the first coalition against France, either fear or venality had disarmed them at an early period ; and they beheld the ruin of their former Allies with the watchful eye of selfishness, that - seeks for adVanta ges even in the heart of desolation. They followed the policy which present interest seemed to dictate ; „which the experience of past ages dcm.mutrated to be wrong; Vol. V. No. (TX. he oub 61