The National Register. — London, England, 1815-11-05 00:00:00

• ' ... , -01 THE NATIONAL REGISTER. Our Wing, Constitution, anti Laths. PUBLISHED AT NO. HI NEWCASTLE.STREET) STRAND. No. 410. SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1815. POLITICAL DISQUISITION, Peter 9i4 ENTERPRISE AND EXECiII'ION OF MURAT. Imitations but seldom succeed in politics as in litera ture or science. In the former, however, they are not only atte:ided with disgrace, but with ruin and death. A striking example of this injudici-us spirit of emulation now lies before the world. A new Icarus has fallen from the sky, and like the first owes his destruction to his own ; mprudence. A rash attempt which astonishes by its novelty may end fortunately, because the powers of judgment are confounded, and the mind, awake only to the idea of sudden danger, can neither measure its extent nor devise means to arrest its course. But a repetition of the same, though in another country, must fail, when the fame of the former has not only spread over the earth, but still lives in the fears of all nations, because it then finds minds and hearts prepared to meet and repel it. The originality of the enterprise more than the treachery of thearmy and the people, opened a way for Napoleon to the French capital. lle came, accompanied only by a few adven turers, to dispossess a family wielding all the resources of France. But he came as a thunderbolt falling from an unregarded cloud, and smiting even before its flash can be perceived. It was thus he paralysed the strength of a mighty empire : for though it is certain that he was after wards assisted by traitors, yet had not the suddenness and rapidity of his attack instantly astounded the exist ing Government, no defections would have taken place from a cause which would have appeared to retain the power of guiding the force it possessed. With less interest in the hearts of the friends he had left behind, less influence over the minds of the people whose Sovereignty be had lost, less glory and inferior talents, Murat at tempted a repetition of what Napoleon had only effected by surprise and the fascinations of his fame. lie also committed the enormous fault of waiting till the downfall of his prototype had proved that preliminary, does not al ways lead to ultimate, success. A good officer, but a bad commander, he did not even possess the confidence of those who were disposed to undertake a now revolution. *nee, when he appeared, he found the hearts of the r Va. III: No. CC U% ~^ ~ 2.: PUBLISH] No. 410. SU POLITICAL DISQUISIT • ENTERPRISE AND EXEC:III'ION Imitations but seldom succeed in polit tare or science. In the former, howeve only atte:ided with disgrace, but with r A striking example of this injudici-us spi now lies before the world. A new Ic from the sky, and like the first owes his his own ; mprudence. A rash attempt It by its novelty may end fortunately, beca of judgment are confounded, and the only to the idea of sudden danger, can n its extent nor devise means to arrest its repetition of the same, though in anc must fail, when the fame of the former spread over the earth, but still lives in all nations, because it then finds min( prepared to meet and repel it. The I the enterprise more than the treachery of the people, opened a way for Napoleon tc capital. lle came, accompanied only by turers, to dispossess a family wielding all I of France. But he came as a thunderbolt an unregarded cloud, and smiting even before be perceived. It was thus he paralysed the mighty empire : for though it is certain that wards assisted by traitors, yet had not the and rapidity of his attack instantly astounde ing Government, no defections would have from a cause which would have appeared tc power of guiding the force it possessed. interest in the hearts of the friends he had left influence over the minds of the people whose be had lost, less glory and inferior talents, tempted a repetition of what Napoleon had 01 by surprise and the fascinations of his fame committed the enormous fault of waiting till ti of his prototype had proved that preliminary, i ways lead to ultimate, success. A good officer commander, he did not even possess the cor those who were disposed to undertake a now I *nee, when he appeared, he found tile hearts Vol. III: No. COW-X. pie closed against him. Ills accomplices, if he had any l a the inte r i or o f the country, felt that the Government nas on its geard, and would not be overthrown, like the Boer_ bons, by the mere intelligence of the landing of a throned monarch. They shrunk from an early diselosere of their intentions, which alone could have turned the tide in his favour, and passively waited till he should either have struck a blow which would leave no doubt of his suc. cess, or should have met with a repulse which would render his cause hopeless, without considering that their silence rendered his defeat certain. All this Murat ought to have foreseen, but he rus h e d on blindly to his fate. Bad he even taken the same precautions as Buonaparte, he. might have secured, if not success, at least a safe retreat. When the latter landed at Cannes he did not put himself at the head of the first party he sent into the inteiin r to summons the neighbouring towns. hied he done this, 1:1-3 destiny might have been the same as that of his brothel.- in -law, for his first messengers were surrounded and made prisoners. But he was more prudent : lie remained on the shore with the bulk of his followers, and when he advanced, passed through places where the fame of his return had already spread, when the attempts to arrest him were known to have failed, and where the people were already prepared to give way either to fear or to inclination, and to-receive him. Far different was Murat's conduct; he went forth, the first herald of his ow n lauding, and met the fate of a common messenger. Not only in point of time, therefore, was his enter prise ill planned, its execution was still worse. As to his end, although it may be contended that Feral_ nand had no right to treat as a rebel a man- whose title to the crown had been acknowledged for ten years by all the Sovereigns of Europe, whose alliance had been courted by them, and whose armies had fought with theirs against the common enemy, yet as it is said he was tried by a law of his own making, inflicting the penalty of death on all invaders of the Nea politan dominions, and chiefly directed against the Princees of the Royal House of Sicily, who call pity him for having fallen into his own toils ? As a Kin 7, he had been mild and beneficent towards his people—but weak, vacillating, and deceitful in his relations with fo reign Powers. nis tieachery to his Benefactor) mll - sue;' • . _ I I