The National Register. — London, England, 1808-10-30 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER. 691 piest and most innocent people upon earth, whose wisdom and moderation had preserved them fur almost three ten. tunes in a state of constant Peace, with all their neigh bours i lie gave uo other than g hat he assigned in vindi cation v►t his conduct tow arcs the Spaniards :—That their independence and form of Government were incompatible with the happiness of trance ! Just Heaven's t if the feli city and security of one state, or rather of one individual, C:171 only he maintained by the misery and debasement oi the rest of Lurope, we have not a stronger proof of the degradation and apathy of the nations of the Continent, than their not having long since risen to a man, in order to extirpate a commenity, which avows so monstrous a pretension. Under this very pretext, revolting as it may appear, he committed so many outrages on the Swiss ; and what is more irremediable, destroyed the innocence anti integrity of their character, by inoculating it with the pes tilential virus of French manners! However these facts were known ; these atrocities were committed, when a number of individuals in this country had thought fit to recommend peace and amity between the British Nation and the Ruffian', N% ho was guilty of all these crimes. They are now silent, because the horror of the perfidy, with which the Spaniards have been treated, is too recem and deeply impresied in the rrinds of the public ; but as soon as any reverse occurs to our Allies, or to our our selves, they will a-gain raise their impious voices against the honour and loyalty of their country. They were also silent, as lung as the Swiss were contending for their free dom and property ; but as soon as their oppressors ha: succeeded in robbing them of both, they reiterated their cries and remonstrances in support of their favourite pro- Let us now say a few words on the object and tendency of these overtures. if every impression of the past be not totally effaced troin our re;ollection ; if we are not volun tarily blind to the gigantic events of our time, we calm)! he at a great loss to make a satisfactory conjecture on that head. We have, certainly, no right to pretend to a more 1 )‘ al and equitable treatment from Bonaparte, than Austria, Holland, Italy, and Spain, have received at his hands. We have don,: ;Lore to lndlie his designs, and resist his power, than any of those States ; it would be, therefore, eildish to imagine he hati more deference or friendship for us. There is no individual so enamoured of his opinion, or s.) infatuated by his prejudices, as to expect from a man we have ofl•nded, beyond the power of pardon or reconcilia_ Sion, inure honenrable treatment than those nations have received, who have made most sacrifices to acquire his es t..!em and good will. We expect our Headers will spare us tile recapitulation of what they suffered, and still sustain in i:ousequence of thcir submission and confidence. It is, however, perfectly useless to indult , , , e in all these conjec tures : for Itoriarirte, knowing well what ought to be the smtiments of the People of this Country with regard to him. and pretty well convinced of the penetration and en • ' LT, y of our See etary for Foreign Affairs, entertained no expee'ations of iinposin on our Cabinet by any of ers he may be led to reconcile the Russian induct of their de graded s agents the alarm ing acgn LI and in order to prevw crisis of his for tuntisi 4:than by shewin; . .. .. % . - , ki•llMlMOMMmlberruk—___ _ . OCT. 30. eircuinstance s ,7 i a disposition to negociate. Under these g a question of the highest importance to decide what answer our Cabinet ought to have returned, to overtures mane so nsidiously, and under such pressing necessity. To send no swer, but to treat them with contempt, as the sincere. with which they are made is not unknown, should be, pe r . haps, not advisable : But, we are firmly of opinion, that wnatever answer Ministers have given, should be made known to Europe, and that immediately, as the spirit of it caunot fail to coincide with the wishes and feelings of eery State on the Continent : and we are as strongly persuaded, ; . hat, as our sine qua non is the immediate evacuatio n o f Spain, Finland, and Naples, no other communication of anT kind should be permitted with this country, till these points are consented to. That Bonaparte proposes some mischief. or treachery in these overtures, nobody doubts ; but that ne has done it in consequence of some unexpected embar • rassmeuts, exclusive of those iu which he has involved hire. self in Spain, many may not he inclined to believe. 'tilt extraordinary restrictions, however, ordered in Holland afford strong ground for surmise, that events of an impoe taut nature have, or are on the point of breaking out either in Russia, or in Germany, which he is unwilling we shoula know. Why should we then be guilty of the weakneo to assist in extricating him from those difficulties,- by turning the attention of the Continent from the present cause of its discontent to the attractive novelty of a Nege• elation. It would be unpardonable if our Government could he guilty of such an oversight. The stand we have made against the united efforts of Europe, and the tornii• Jabte army we have sent to Spain, are a favourable spec men of our resources, and of the extravagant bombast of the tyrant's menaces. Let. every village and town, from Gibraltar to Moscow, know this ; let the Cabinets be like• wise sensible of it ; and a spirit of union and resistance shall be diffused over that large tract, which it will not he in the power of Bonaparte to counteract. This cannot he effected by an inclination on our parts to concede; it is onr energy, and the independence of our attitude, which alone arc capable of raising the courage of nations, and of in spiring them with a desire to fall on their oppressors. by simply adopting the language of defiance, we have already done wonders. Mankind look up to us with astoaishment and veneration : they were led to believe that our dome was pronounced, and that no exertions could even defer the fulfilment of our destruction. What must be their opinion of us at present ? There we stand, that devoted cammunity,after having not only weathered the storm which menaced us, but more powerful and secure than we had been in any one period of our history ! Will this make no impression on the neighbouring States, or pro duce no re volution in their sentiments ? The more pains the enemy takes to depreciate our resources and situation, the nor^ falsehoods he accumulates in order to paint our weaknce and despondency, the more unfavourable and disastrous the eousequences will be for him, as soon as the truth is known. Whatever edicts he may publish, whatever 6,1; 01 ' 015 restrictions he may enjoin, it n ill finally burst out, like . thunder, and confound him, the people he at present enslaves. Let us not p revent, whilst it enlightens and einies weakness or an act. of false policy, what must eventuoev. happen. As we have profited so much by a displav 0, energy, and as no nation gained any thing by pusillaiiimoe s concession but bl ows and outrage, we have reason ... ..1..... .f disposed to make. lie wish i Noble ail 'l,Nk4fl. the col x. t /n . 1. 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