The National Register. — London, England, 1812-11-22 00:00:00

NOV °e• of a batdß had been received at St. Pctcrsburgh, yet the Gottenhurgh Mail brings reports of such an event, which had reached Swi-den by the way of Itiga, thotylt without ( t oe . :i s to time ; and with no other specification of olacc, than that it was fou,ht between Moscow and Smolensk°. It is iidded, that 15,000 prisoners were taken, and that the enemy's military chest fell into the bands of the Rmsians.— With ali oua villingness to credit intelligence of so pleasing convleNion, we must pause before we can yield full belief to statement, in its present twat' thenticated form. 'the letters k the last Mail estimated the number of the French tick and wounded who were left at Moscow, and of course became prisoners there, at 15,000 ; and they also noticed the fact of a military chest having fallen into the hands of the Russians. These reports, therefore, are probably built on the same foundation. FRO POSITIONS FOR PEACE BY BUONAPARTE. The following particulars of an interview, said to have taken place between LAußtsrort and KotusorF, and Mu- RAT and BENING • EV, were given in a paper of last night, ! with the assurance that " although not of so late a date as the last dispatch from Lord CATUC A RT, yet it believed it might plede itself for their authenticity." Notwithstanding this declaration we give them no credit. We do not doubt that an application for peace was made by BUON AP A RTE,. and that LA i RISTON was the person employed ; but it is evident that neither he nor MUR AT would have exposed the intention of their master to retreat, as they are represented to have done, as such a knowledge would have enabled the Russian Generals to defeat their purpose, or to render its execution still more difficult. " We pass over that part which relates to the situation of the French troops at Moscow, for the purpose of directing the attention of our re::ders to the propositions made by LAURISTON to Marshal KUTOUSOFF, in the name of Mu- NAP ARTE, and by MURAT to General BENNIOSEIC LAURISTON was sent to KUTOUSOFF, after the failure of a proposal contained in a letter from BUON APA RT E—LAU -11:SIoN had an interview with the Russian Genetal, and proposed an ARMISTICE as preliminary to a negociation for Vea " NUTOUSOFF replied, • that he could not listen to any proposal for an armistice till the French should have re ero,sed the Vistula." "Then," said LAURISTON, " we must retire with con tinual fighting, for your armies arc marching on all sides." " KUTOUSOFF rejoined, that " the Rusians had not in vited them to come to Moscow, and that they most get out as they could, or that some arrangement might be entered kto, causing it to be understood that it could only be by capitulation, for the Ilissian campaign, instead of being at an end, only began at Moscow. " LAURISTON then took his leave, to report to DuoN PARTE the manner in which his oiler had been received. " Mu RAT, some time afterwar3c, repaired to tke advanced posts of his army, and desired a conference with General BENNICSM.—The proposal be m„de to the General was perhaps more with the view of getting him into conversation and of sounding the views and intentions of his Government —Be this as it may, he requested an armistice, and peace for lihnself as King of NAr LES. " General BENNIGSEN broke off the conference at once, laughing at the proposal, and assuring MURAT, that he could not take upon himself even to mention it to prinfT huTOUSOFF." TILE NATIONAL REGTSTER. 709 VICTORY OVER MURAL. General BENNIN EN's account of his victory over MURAT on the IRth ult. was receivtd yesterday. It coincides ge nerally with the report of the same action already given by Prince KuTcsor F. The enemy were driven from their po— sitions with the loss of 2000 killed and wounded, 1 too prisoners, and 38 pieces of cannon, besides MuttaT'a equipages and the baggage of the c,ffi_•ers. It appears, how ever, that the report of Prince PONI ATOWSK I'S death was unfounded. The French lost only one General Officer, and the Russians, General BAKAWUT, who was unfortunately shot at the beginning of the engagement. SPANISH CAMPAIGN. Disappointed hope frequently sinks into unfounded and unjustifiable despondency. Such has been the effect pro duced on the public mind by the intelligence received from Spain during the course of the week. This is in some de gree the fault of those who, through good motives, endeavour to counteract the melancholy forebodings of political ravens, by running into the other extreme and exciting too san guine expectations. For when the public find that they have been deluded with flattering, but unsubstantial visions, they instantly revert to the prophets of ills, and if they dis cover the smallest coincidence between their denunciations and the event, give unbounded confidence tb the whole, until the powers of unbiassed judgment revive, or fresh circumstances wise to work a new conviction To us, who ever since we heard of the junction of SOUL T and Su- CII F.T on the borders of Valencia, have expressed our firm opinion that, unless Burgos should fall, Mad , id must be eva cuated as a matter of prudence, the abandonment of that city does not appear fraught with so many terrors. It is certainly lamentable that the inhabitants who had displaced so much exultation at being freed from the yoke of the Usurper, should be once more compelled to submit to his authority ; but it is evident that the safety of our armies is of much greater-importance to Spain itself than the integrity of its capital. Followed incessantly as Lord WELLINGTON has been by SOUHANt's army, superior in numbers and in cavalry to his own, be could not have proceeded to Madrid to join Gen. HILL and protect that city auainst the 50 or 60,000 men headed by Sou LT. without allowing Soul-IA Mto pass behind him, intercept his line of communication with Portu gal, and reduce him to the necessity of fi ghting a general action with two-armies at once, the one advancing against his front, the other posted in his rear. By recalling General ITt r. t. from Madrid, his Lordship has avoided these manifold dangers. As soon as the two armies had joined, he will no doubt have taken a strong position rather nearer the frontiers of Portugal, so as to provide for the worst, by securing his retreat into that country through the road of Ciudad Rodrigo, should he find himself unable to contend with the superior numbers of the enemy; and where, should he think proper to fight a battle, he may engage in a situation in which he cannot he turned. Should even his Los dship're-cross the Poi twguese frontiers, it is not to he supposed that his invasicn of Spain I was undertaken without fair prospects of success. It libeT rated more than one half of the kingdom from the pressure of the enemy, and afforded the people of Leon, Gallicia„ Aqurias, Castile, Estremadura, Andalusia, Jaen, Grenada, Murcia, and Toledo, an ovoii unity of rijug in the great cause of their country, and bv their hearty co-operation ‘vith us, of completing the °yeah! ow and expulsion of the in vaders from the Peninsula. On a ir , neral insurrection in those provinces, as they were evacuated by the French, there is no doubt our Commander gi ea• I v relied. Ile thought tkt volunteers would spring from every hamlet the enemy had 1