The National Register. — London, England, 1808-08-28 00:00:00

V•PrI...V•• a. r 3.7 ~ ~ . - s~.~l[~a ~~~ AUGUST 48, The axes to this self-indulgence, and resume This insurrection of the Outman, will now , most incredulous; that lite military and financial resources of BolgerAnse are eatirely incompetent for his plan of ambition and sublugat►on. Spain he cannot abandon. and his means are inadequate for its conquest. He will be, therefore, reduced to the fatal necessity of a defensive War on his own frontiers. What an circa this will have on the unfortunate and degraded people he now tyrannizes over, can scarce he appreciated, when they see th'eir own country participating of the misery and devastation which his law less ambition and perfidy have so profusely spread over tither nations. These v►le instruments of his rapacity, when they see armies of Spaniards rushing towards that v e ry city where the Tyrant announced to some of their de ge:ierate Grandees. his promise of extending to their coun try the blessings of his empire, will perhaps awake *them from their shameful apathy. The keen sense of their ion •of thin, misery and degradati( was somewhat mollified by the victories ~of their countrymen on the Vistula, in ,•saxony and Moravia. They seemed to overlook, in this splendid series of conquests and successful battles. the misery they suffered from the usurpation of a stran ger. But when they begin to suffer themselves, without yen the miserable compensation of seeing the armies of their Tyrant victorious, they will feel in all its poig nancy how deplorable their present situation is. Whilst the South-West of Europe presents this cheering prospect, the affairs of the North and the East portend as happy a change. Russia begins at last to rouse from her lethargy. lier conduct, since the peace of Tilsit, has been the most (thaineful anti unjustifiable, we believe, a powerful nation had been ever guilty of. But could she still continue, after the outrage offered to the Royal. Family cf Spain, to 'pur sue the same disgraceful system of politics, her govern ment would have been the most worthless and imbecile that ever dishonoured a nation. Every account from the continent corroborates the intelligence of the Emperor Avaxsanea having bestowed the most unqualified disap probation on the Corsican's perfidy. All these accounts coincide, at the same time, in stating that the harmony existing between the Courtsof.Vienna and Petersburgh has been never greater. A considerable Russian army has as sembled in Poland; and, it is universally believed on the Continent,—wild co-operate with Austria, for the pur )ose of liberating Germany from the oppression of the Frelich. The strong works the French are throwing up in the suburbs of Warsaw, give a great appearance of proba bility to this rumour. The greater part of the Prussian territory has been already evacuated by them; and their soldiers are hastening in all directions towards the Austrian ltontiers. The latter are not remiss in their exertions to repel the attack. Their army is stated to be much more numerous than it ever had been in any former period. Their Ambassador at the Hague has positively quitted Holland, and even stated that Count METTERNICK has been recalled from Paris. Though the latter report may be p , reinature, there is every cause to expect this event daily.. I h e Court of Vienna has lately given unequivocal proofs tit a hostile spirit towards the French. Whilst it gave the Russian government permission to draw very considerable supplies of corn fetid; Galicia, for the use of its army in Poland, not a bushel was allowed to pass the frontiers of Bohemia fur the use of the French in Silesia, though re- Prated applications had been made to that purpose. An other circumstance worthy of notice is the assembling of he main body of the F renc h arm y f rom Sil es i a t o W arsaw. 'There is every reason' to believe that an attack on the Austrian provinces from that side is much mote difficult , flan if it were made from the side of Bavaria; it would be north while to examine the cause of this deviation from former wars against' that state. By adopting, this mode, they !cent to have principally in view, to recruit their ar mies in Poland, to retain possession of Prussia, and thus prevent the Prussian Monarch from taking an efficacious inn in the contest, but pariicillirly on •account of the • present paign, they appear to hate adopted a system of ope ration which is tar better qualified for • defensive than an offensive war. What was formerly most admitted in BONAPARTE'S operations was, his collectio , 'l6O whole force into one great mass, and thus overwhelming the enemy by its irres.stible weight. If that mode was admirable, wily does he seem to abandon it at present? These ditierent armies must have different Generals. IN can himsolf only regulate the operations of one, at the considerable distance they remain from one another. None of his Generals at present in Italy, in Poland, or in Germany, nas ever had any other but a secondary command, except alassena alone. Davourr is a distinguished officer, so is NEIC ; but they never yet had a separate and principal command of a numerous army. Why will BONAPARTM try the dangerous experiment at present ? Is he afraid of risking his reputation in another general engagement I Or does he fear the genius and expeiienee of the Archduke CHARLES, who commands the Austrian armies in Bohemia and Moravia? This departure from his usuil mode of war gives matter for various speculation. His• confidence, his audacity, his promptitude, seem to abandon him, with hie fortune, at the other side of the Pyrenees. That his difft eulties are great, and much greater than was hitherto supposed, may, however, be fail ty presumed; and his oe a arrangements prove, that be looks to a very tedious contest. We must also give him a prospect of employment is Hanover and in Italy. Could Denmark be retrieved from her infatuation, and prevailed on to return to her former lucrative neutrality, which would soon heal all her wounds, BONAPARTE would be obliged to keep near 60,000 mat °for the defence of the country lying between the Elbe and Rhine; but as long as Denmark retains her hostile spirit, he can withdraw Hie greater part of his troops from that quarter, and confide a part of the service to the Danes. Her conduct, however, will be greatly regulated by that of Russia; and that the mission of Count MATTEROSA, on the part of the Spanish Patriots, to that Court, will be attended with the desired effect, we sincerely !cols to. The follow ing Extract of a letter from Konigsberg will throw wine light over the affairs of the North : " An extraordinary activity has appeared at our little Court, since two weeks. Count Mutt v LE)? has arrived here some days ago, on his way to Petershurgh, whither he is going as Extraordi nary Ambassador from the Court of Vienna. lie has every day conferences with the K t No, which sometimes last several hours. The only Minister who is admitted on these occasions, is the Minister Von Boas; who enjoys at present the greatest con• ficlence of his MAJ nsT v. Prince DoLeoltoucxy arrived here the day before yesterday, and lodges in the Palace. lie is said to be going to Dresden, and afterwards to Copenhagen. fir was present yesterday at the conferences held in consequence of the arrival of Count !quay ELD - r. The Russian army is ia. creasing considerably on our frontiers; and it is said to amount already to more than 60,000. Prince Do cco ctottcstir and the Austrian Ambassador have sent yesterday Couriers to their respective Governments. The several Regiments of oar little army have made some movements within these ten days; and the whole is now collected between this place and Memel. This. concentration of the remains of a powerful army, once the terror , and admiration of Europe, now reduced to about 27,000, bal l been occasioned by an account our Government is said to have received, of a plan forayed by Marshal DA VOUST to disarm sr, part of it. However, if he entertained such a project, it is now too late : they are out of his reach. Our distress here is every day increasing. Not ship enters our harbour, in conseg ~we of the severe vigilance of the French Consul. Our pot i Kiva, whom misfortune has rendered doubly dear to ns, does every thing to alleviate the general misery. His table is not emtlier than that of the simplest citizen: no more than three dishes are • • THE NATIONAL REGISTER. 553 our subject. great number of tortresses which may cover their now convince the eetreat in case of discomfiture. Their former confidence financial resources tlien has considerably abated. In their present cam- , V: »1 1 i } --~-~ a 411 ,•~~ .. 7 1 4_,