The National Register. — London, England, 1813-05-09 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER. W . , 1 Cur Zing, Conotitution, anD lab3o. PUBLISUED AT No. 11, NEWCASTLE-STRVET, STRAND. SUNDAY, MAY 9, !Sl3. No. 2SO. POLITICAL DIS2U.LSITION. MINISIERS AND 'THEIR OPPONENTS. It is an old observation that, a bye stander can see more of the game than a player," and it is in no small degree amusing, to mark the pains which some of our contempora ries take, to prove it to be a true one. The wisdom, vigour, and foresight of the out, is quite gratifying; but it must be I generally felt that inasmuch as these qaalities so displayed, I are honorable to the country, and calculated to raise it in the estimation of the world ; it is desirable that these sages should abstain from taking office, as Were they again to get in, there is but too mucli reason to fear they would sink to their former folly, inability, and blindness. The present Ministers have been incessantly taunted as weak and incapable, and it must be admitted that they have not that self trumpotting skill, which distinguished the me morable adminiAration of 180(1. If they do not display that dazaling constellation of talent, which was once se e n at the ; bead of our affairs, they have (or at least they give the country) one advantage (and it is not a small one) civet. some of these boastfully strong adMinistrations. They have not that arrogance which has !mmetimes marked the conduct of the government of this land, and which would not permit them to suppose, that any thing on which they had once resolved, could by.possibility be wrong. The present 1! Ministers, when serious objections are raised to their plans, do not disdain to re-cousider them. If inconveniences are pointed out as likely to result from them, which did not occur to them before, they have felt it their duty not to turn deaf car to such ois ; but. have in more than one instance aba.lcioned the designs they had formed, or so modified them, as to obviate that which was a • subject of complaint. This conduct is characterised by opposition candour, as !narked by weakness and indecision. From such a quarter it could not be expected that a disposition to correct errors should be overlooked ; but the nation at large must derive from it much rational satisfaction. They must feel that their voice was never more attended to than it is at present. The administration of the day, often as it has been called weak, is in truth uncommonly strong, for that Government which, without compromising the interests, consults the feelings of the nation, may boast the strength of its whole pspulation as its support. The best proof of the strength of the present administra tion is to be found in the feeble opposition given to their most important measures by their avowed adversaries, and in the peevish eagerness with which mere chadpws are caught at to. arraign their general policy. A short time since The Morning Chronicle stated the paLific overtures • of Denmark, CCLXSX. PRICE 9(1• to have been rejected, in consequence of a previAus agree ment entered into by Ministers to assist the CROWN PRI KCE of Sweden in subjugating Norway. The Aforning Chron;(...re repeated its assertion as one which it was impossible to answer, and in a few days its correctness was placed beyond all doubt by the arrival of the Danish Ambasodor lip to this period we bad been dolefully told of the awfal consequences whirls might be anticipated, from that crooked policy which went to dismember our natural friend Dennruk (who was at war with us) to aggrandise t-wealen, our natural enemy. (who was not only at peace, but in alliance , with us'. These reflections were rather unpleasantly interrupted by the arrival Of Count liceNsTort FF. It wan 3ainit"ea that a hope might be ent'r'ained that all yet would be repaired, but still a strong. impression was left that Ministe:s had done too much to eeneiliate and gratify Sweden. ks . e, however, are told by tlae Chronicle of Thursday last that " we are now, at the beginnieg of lay, without an ally ; that there is no such thing as a common cause against France, reelueei by treaty into any detiti4te meanieg that we hey? lost an_ chance of engaging /`,.tistria to take lent with us; and that we hese so bewildered ourselves With crass negoclationi, and contradictory propceals, between Sweilen and D:.nerat . k, as to have disgusted the former, and pethans last her co-opera tion for some months, and (Liven the Leer; for her own de fence, absolutely into the arms of France:" It will, perhaps, he news to some of •our reamers " that there is no such thing as a common cause against ..11 - atice." We shrewdly suspect the Editor of The Mareing - Clieenicle (Ulcers.. materially from the g;eat olject of his adelhation, 13e ON AP A RTE I on this point. It is also a pieced intelli gence communicated exclusive y by this Journal, that " we have lost all chance of engaging A to trAe part with ua ;' but surely those who are so eager in the puh.suit of knewleclee as-to seek it in the columns of The Chrnuic.'e, will be Asto nished to find, af;er the recent language of that Print, that we ha‘'e "disgusted" Szreclcal Why did not - the writer of the article ‘vc have quoted, say how we have disgusted Hweden ? Have we disensted her by pnrchasieg her . friend: ilp at too high a price ? or leive we refused to pay that price which it had been stipulated we should give ?. have we refused to sup port her in her clesigus on Denmark ? but this cannot be' because We are told in the same sentence, that Denmark has been driven for her orcii dc:l; , ncc, alemlutely into the arms of France." What pity it is that this talent is nut at the head of the diplomacy of the nation, for who so fit to reconcile clashing interests and contradictory propoAtions, pis the writer who gave this article to the lierniee Ch , nnic!c, provided he can also reconcile the apparently iuconsistent statements it contains, awl make that which W.' have quoted any thing but a mass of incamprehensible alrurditv. The asiumptien that Sweden is faithless . , is founded os