The National Register. — London, England, 1808-12-04 00:00:00

mow ~;~.! 7q771 mligM THE NATI9NAL__. REGISTtite I -AA • • , • • • .1 • sub tato. .;•,„ Out Iting, eonott g EMBER 4,18 US. No. 49. SUNDAY, DE( POLITICAL DisQulsrrioN. tion of superior abilities, she maintained a decided prdpOne &tante over her rivals; but as soon 84 Ihdt period cesaed; which lasted from the beginning of the fir4t Median till towards the conclusion of the Peldphaesian war; she suck into insignificance and debility. From the epoch of the capture of that elty by Lysander, Sparta exercised the most inconceivable influence recorded in the arthatil de nations: That small community, consisting of ;thing 30,000 active citizens; though the dins of Littlfguil halt lost considerably of their purity and effect, exercised UM most unlimited controlsl over the tlands and the Ciintis tinent ; confirmed and displaced Kings on the Eglptiatt Throne, and meditated the subversion of the Mighty tin= Aire of Pertia; During this intbtval of her greatnesii; hdt Councils were guided; and her Armies conducted; by Agesitaw; ; --ene of those wonderful then, who, in what. , ever country they appear; arc sure of raising it td distinction and ?superiority. However before the dole of his splem+Sd career, the apparition of A Still mord ettrabidinary mortal, in a state not remarkable for such appearances; destroyed in an instant the prtpohi deranee of Sparta; and the magic (Meths of her institationst the fame of her virtues and exploits; the Martial spirit of hee citizens, and the distinguished abilities Of their lender, were unable to resist the stiblitne ascendancy a Epatninoti das. Thebes figured for crone years after the death of het' Nero, till Philip of Macedon and his son raised a new efe pire on the ruing of Greece and Asia. This observation i 4 so general and bile; that vie do not find a single exception td it in the pages of history : even the inilitary Virtues of Rome cduld oppose no impediment to Hannibal, till she produced a citizen of equally inperior abilities. After the decline of the Roman empire, down to our own time; the remark holds true; and it is only necessary to name Char. lensasTne, our Edwards and Henry; not to target the Mike of Marlborough, Clisstavut Adolphus, and Charles XII, Turenne, Peter of Russia, Frederick 11 and lastly Bona parte, to be cOuvinced that the genius of a single dual is sufficient to raise even petty comMunities to great ness ; and that the most powerful anti Opulent states, with armies remarkable for their dis6illitie and courage, can effect nothing, Unless their institutions, civil and mil's.; ,tart'; offer encouragement and facility to the groii - th of in: ktllectual superiority: We May Illy it down; thetefore, ag tin Exitirn; that the resource; of the stuck extensive and populous empires, to. tether With numerbui and fotmidabld armies, are insra 4 cleat; in moments Of extraordinary emergency, for their prdserVation; unless keniug Prealdeit Over the war depart• ment, and the direction of the Military force be entrus!ed to offieers of tried e*periencd and abilities. Whibst we cOn• skier the above remark 84 an incontrovertible truth I 'wc think, at the same time; no idea trove eminent:4; air Mu• sory than the haeknied one, that a certain or a ref . - tain climate, is wore peculiarly adapted for . the cultivviort of talents th:mn others, General maxim , : Of this kind, :IS favourable to sloth and egotism, ntr, therefbre, tsilaittgty believed arid industtieutly.ftevatated 3 but a little reCee-i _ - --- - *UMBER FORTY=EInIIT. DUB. ARMY AND MILITARY ARRANGEMENTS. • (('oncfaded from our last.) Nothing can be more dangerous and criminal than at tempting to commend, or palliate the defects of political establishments. There is, perhaps, no kind of flattery more pernicious, or execrable than this; because the prejudices, presumption, and obstinacy of communities; iu proportion as they are.more comprehensive; may be said to be, in al most the same degree; more inveterate than those of indivi duals. Where conviction it so difficult, and frequently painful, even offensive; where; cOnsequently, rekormation basso many impediments and prejudices to encounter, that even well intentioned, and ardent individuals, shrink from the duty, and almost despair: of its practicability. If this be adopted as a general maxim of political; as well as moral philosophy,. equally referring to every age and country, it is peculiarly applicable to the present time, when only the 11411 exercise. of public virtues, the undivided and well-applied energy of sound institutions, arc adequate to bear up the state against the storms that assailit. In adverting, however; to the defects or ieet or so:. tial and political institutions, or. proposing remedies for their eradication, it is necessary to proceed with the caution end delicacy; shewn by physicians in the treatment of ca pricious and obstinate patients, labouring under habitual diseases ; besides the whims of the sufferer, he has all the prejudices, scruples, and impertinence of supposed friends, to encounter. Besides these difficulties, the ptftitical writer is constantly exposed to the misrepresentations of malignity, and the insinuations of selfishness ; he is, there fore, obliged to devote a considerable portion of the time he would enyloy in the investigation of hiK Subject, in endeavouring to acquire the confidence of his readers, in order to ensure a favourable reception to the truths he wishes to disseminate. Quitting our digression, which will appear, perhaps, displaced and ututecessary, we will resume the subject of last week's disquisition. In no social establishment has the influence of genius been more immediately or directly felt, than in 4fie mili tary. horn its extraordinary effects on the operations of armies, we were almost tempted to say, that perseverance, courage, bodily vigour, and patience under privations and fatigues, • Were almost nothing ; we maintain, however, that these great attributes of the soldier, never produce • any considerable result, unless they are enli teneiii and di rected by ;,renins. The justice of this observation will be instantly acknowledged, on recurring to the events of every War, both ancient and modern. The Greeks were invari ably successful against their neighbours, because their : insti tutions favoured the growth of talents ; and that state had always the ascendancy among them, in which circuritstances favoured that culture, or accident produced it spontaneously. An long as Athens retained, in any kind of vigour, the insti ' Int , i "s a Solon, which were so favourable to the propna. `'oti L— No, SLix• Rig 1 1 ~~ ; 1 I • t I . • • I I