The National Register. — London, England, 1809-03-12 00:00:00

171 rizours of the siege, and the inflexibility of their de fenders, and made signs to the French, inviting them to occupy the town. The latter completely la into the snare, and detached a corps of 12,000 Alen to take immediate advantage of the apparent conta gion. They had no sooner entered the streets, than they were furonslv assailed by these very women, the townsmen, and a part of the garrison ; and, it is reported, that the carnage was dreadful, that only 800 of t he bri gands escaped. Six hundred of these generous ftmales - were killed on the occasion. We received on Friday, a series of Monitenrs to the 28th ult. Their contents as far as they refer to Austria, are blended with rancour, misstatement, and ill-disguised hostility. The only article of importance they contain is an intercepted letter, said to he written by the Editor of the Vienna Gazette to the Editor or the Hamburg Cor re•spondenten. This letter, which the French thought of sufficient importance, as to consider it deserving of pub- Ccity, corroborates our observations relative to the ARCH DUKE CHAHLEN, and the Austrian 'Military force. The following is a faithful copy of this letter : " N t, FEn. 4.—The question of peace or war, and the part that Austria is to take, has been for a long lime the subject ,►f much uncertainty in conversation. This uncertainty arises from our ignorance of how Austria actually stands with Russia. Within th2,e two days the rumour of war has gained much ground. The whole Austrian force is to he divi►led into three ar mies. The Emperor in person will take the command of one Of them, with Qaat ter-Master-Geo. Chastoler under him. The 2d will be commanded by the Archduke Charles, with the Prince of Lichtenstein and Quarter-Master-Gen. Moyer under him. The third will be confided to the Archduke John, wiih General Bach for his Quarter-Masser-General. This army appears des tined to take a position in interior Austria. The Counsellor of State Fassbinder, and Counts Taurau and Charles Zychy were appointed to it -yesterday." A Russian Messenger has certainly arrived in this coun try. He came over in the Auckland packet, and was landed, oa Wednesday List, at Aldborough. The pretended object of his arrival is to bring dispataks to Admiral Sr ; but we are positively informed that he is the bearer of dispatches to our gvr►erntnent. We long an. ticipated, as our Readers will recollect, a change of Rus sian politics; and were convinced that the presence of the Qu EE 'V of PRUSSIA would effect a revolution in the political system of the Court of St. Petersburg. We always concluded that the journey of that amia ble and illustrious woman was undertaken for that purpose. Those who had an opportunity of observing the conduct of the QUEEN after the battle of Jena, of admiring her meg• nanimity and imperturbable serenity, after the disaster* . which beret her country, are alone capable of appreciating her character. She never bent to the tyrant, she never at tempted to appease him in the very zenith ()figs success,and in the declension of her own fortunes. She remained con alstent and great to the last, detesting the ravager of country, and despising the wretch, who had employed all the arts of hell to blacken her fair name. An Austrian Alessenger has also arrived in the Auckland packet,and is said to have brought to our government a formal notification► of hostilities with France. Since his arrival, it is stated, that the Cabinet of Vienna has made a demand of six millions as a loan, and an army of 60,000 men. We confidently trust, our Government will comply with both demands. Extra ordinary sacrifices and exertions can alone save Europe and ourselves. Among other rumours it is said, that 70,000 Prussian troops arc in readiness to take the field, iu conjuctiou with Austria. We haVe long anticipated this war. We have, for several weeks, endeavoured to direct the attention of the public to an occurrence, the most momentous whisk could, perhaps, occur within the range of the possible. But the contrary opinion was too deeply rivetted, to be weakead by any mode of reasoning,. however acute, how- THE NATIONA L REGISTER: ever ingenious. The idea of a new Continental war, was, therefore, regarded as the delirious dream of a feverish visionary, as the. wild fancy of an over-heated fanatic. —But our conjectures rested on the immutable laws of human feelings, whi. h act with equal force, allowing some trifling differences for peculiar institutions, on the Danube, the Spree, the Scheldt, the Ebro, and the Thames. The nations of the Continent were lost in a momentary trance, is consequence of the dreadful, the 'unexpected reverses they had sustained ; and as long as this paroxism lasted they were insensible to the accumulating outrages which were inflicted on them. This excessi, e torpor induced the torturer, and even those who most sympathised in the fate. of the Continent, to conclude that every spark of feeling, of honour, of patriotism, was extinguished. But excessive injuries, we long foresaw, would recal life, and with re turning sensibility, the keenest sense of the inflicted injuries. Austria has been at lac kicked and bulfetted out of her torpor ; and even Prussia is g iving s:.inplonis of returning life, whilst a few groans procl aim the resuscitation of Rus sia. It is impossible to deny that a total change has taken place in the sentiments of the Continental Cabinets, and, what we consider of far greater importance, in those of their subjects. The excessive danger, the accumu lating insults, the never ceasing exactions, have over come every remoter consideration ; and, notwithstand ing the experience of the past, dispiriting as it is, the resolution has been silently and progressively matur ing, to make another ett'ort, formidable from the despe rate conviction that it will be the lasf, to recover former dignity and independence. Every delusion is now over ; every petty prejudice and alarm have finally vanished ; and the slightest demonstration against Austria excites as much interest and apprehension at Berlin and Dresden, as at Vienna. The provinces on the Rhine, the Oder, and the Elbe will feel the blow as acutely, as those situated on the Danube. We cannot help, on this occasion, alluding to the gross` misrepresentation which predominates in this country, re lative to the actual resources of Austria. They have been always very considerable; and great moral causes have now contributed to double their effect and extent. A Go vernment, mild and humane in its operations, which has at its control a population of 24,000,000, inhabiting the most fertile provinces in Europe, may defy the united ellbrts of the Continent, if it only know to make an adequate use of its moral and physical means. Great abuses, and grosser -errors, incidental to human affairs, have prevented the complete Sevelepement of the national energy ; and pre judices cadmic:lay and overweening confidence, the unfor inmate inheritance of States, as well as individuals, have occasioned the recent misfortunes of that power. But the infatuation is now over ; and the film is as completely re :moved from the eyh of the Peasant, as from that of the. .Statesman. This operation has taken place, three years ago, and since that lime, they have seen clearly and dis tinctly the danger that menaces them. The late organization of the military force on a plan suf ficient to alarm all the jealousy of the enemy, and the :appointments to the command of the eight corps, into which it has been divided, shew that the rentine and ar rangements of ordinal) , times have been totally exploded from the Austrian councils. Officers of talent, of twenty years service, of tried integrity, of experience acquired during fifteen campaigns, fill the places, formerly occupied by the miserable creatures of intrigue and improper in fluence. The genius of the Archduke Charles, seconded by the efforts and wishes of the enlightened and patriotic, has succeeded in introducing a reform, which has extended to the minutest branch of the military department; and the Army has not only increased in physical, but also in moral, strength. We have lately given an estimate of its numerical force; and we still believe that its regular army, in opposition to the Paris article inserted, by authority, in the Leyden Gazette, amounts to more than 300,000 men ; exclusive of we nave lately given an esurnate of thea n d tv - e Parisstill a t believel article that inserted, Gazette, amounts to inure than its liumericas 14/[lr ; it s regular b a ri ; iz a o r i m .i j y y , ii . ) opposition i e o y n d e t: 300,900 men ; exclusive of . • MARCH 12. t;