The National Register. — London, England, 1809-10-08 00:00:00

oCT. 8. na, and under WELLESLEY at Vimeira and Talavera. If those hardy and intrepid yeomen, who once triumphed at .Agincourt, were once . more recalled to life, and habituated to our mode of discipline, they would have been discom fittei, and, , perhaps, sacrificed, (they were not in the habit of turn'ng their backs to Frenchmen,) had they been employed in the late expedition. We cannot, therefore, comprehend this silence on the part of the P:thlie. They can attach no blame to themselves, or impute the disgrace to want of bravery and discipline on the part of the army or navy. There is nothing so imposing, or awe , inspiring in the minds, and persons, and services of Lords Cu&rIIAM and C.tmertesen, which should prevent inquiry. Millions have been expended ; the lives and health of our countrymen uselessly thrown away; and, what is, •in the scale of moral calculation, of more fatal consequence, the honour of the country has received a deep incision, which the balsam of time, which cures most things, or our former reputation, may not be able to close. Silence upon questions like these is not humanity, iior is it loyalty ; and certainly evinces no respect for the Sovereign. We have waited, with the most painful anxiety, to see what measures would have been taken in this unfortunate busi ness. We did violence to our feelings, in order not to de prive his Majesty's Ministers of the merit of originating the investigation. For a time we. were willing to impute the delay to the dissensions in the Cabinet. Again we were inclined to impute it to the new Ministerial arrangements; all this.time not entertaining the remotest Suspicion of any intention to screen the delinquents. • But the disunion and the arrangements are now concluded ; and no offer of ex planation, or satisfaction to an outraged and insulted peo ple, has been plqposed as yet. What does this silence mean ? Does it imply a future precedent, that.the people have no right to interfere in such matters; that it is be yond their evisiiirebension and jurisdiction ? .Thisis a very coavenient gooteleoe to some persons; biltit is unconstitu tional and unprccedcatcd. Cerman Papers were received yesterday. They guard the most scrupulous siience relative to this neguciations at Altenburgh ; nothing is permitted to transpire. It would ke presumption, therefore, to hazard a decided opinion, when there are no data upon which to found one; and folly to waste time and paper in conjectures; which the seat arrivals from the-continent may prove to he false. There Arc reports in ahundanc9 ; but they are vague cor.tradic tory and unsupported even by an air of probability.. The publiC have been so frequently disappointed . by speculations upoh this subject ; so often Juisled by the passions and pre judices of the retailers thereof: so much nauseated by the dogmatism and self-importance of these Cabinet-secret mongers; that they would not owe us much thanks, were we to entertain them with ingenious conclusion drawn • • perhaps from the falsest premises. An article from Vienna, of the 2d Sept. says, " Our hopes decline. The French Bead-quarters have been re moved from Schoenbrun to Presburg ; and the French army is collected, prepared for action, on the line of the armis tice." It appears, however, that the armistice, which • • • TILE NATIONAL REGISTER. 643 •was to have Wininated on the 30th of August; was pre longed for three weeks, from the 31st to the 20th of iept• The reason assigned, in these Papers, for the prolongation, is, " the great distance of the , Court of St. Petersburg. wjikh is .materially interested in the negotiations; otherwise no further prolongation would have taken place." Both parties are reported to be extremely ac Live in reinforcing their armies 'IV the approaching contest.' which the private letters represent as; inevitable.• The positions of the armies have been cl anged since the armi stice.- The Austrian main army has quitted Bohemia, and is concentrated along . the Raab, leaning on the strong fortress of Coinorn. There is a second army, under the. command of tho Archduke FErtnu;AIND, which covers 131,- . hernia and Moravia. Count Gurr,Av is with a corps ift Croatia. The French army have for the most part drawn towards the right bank of the Danube; a movement • whicb seems to indicate defensive more than offensive measures. They have thrown np . the most formidable works in the neighbourhood of Vienua. These move. reents would not appear to us to be, absolutely indicatiVe . or hostilities; but they receive considerable importance front the Impediments which appear to multiply at every stage of the projected pacification. 0 . The General Orders published by the Emperor FRAWCII I / 4 contain an aniinated appeat- to his armies and people. He' expressly declares thereiu that he will not submit, to any sacrifices inconsistent with the dignity and safety of the'Esn.' pire. There is a tone of dignified firmness in these Ordera: l and of conviction in the support of his people, which leaves no doubt that he will resume hostilities, should Buoy*. PA Rik insist upon his rigorous proposals. We would hope that the Autrian Cabinet has not been remiss in their pre. parations to meet the possibility _of a new contest. . The dignified and menacing posture they have lately taken ap pears to confirm these hopes. There is nothing so. erroneous . than to judge, without some restrictions. from precedent. Though the Austriaps were hitherto uusuccessfuJ against the enemy; it is worse than to reject all experience, to maintain, that they must of necessity be so for the 'future. Our political speculators in this country vein to reawsa upini this principle, and reject as an absolute absurdity. a single speculation even remotely tenling to keep our hopes in favour of Austria alive. We tremble in like manner, for her safety; because it has no inconsiderable influence upon our own, and because theeause she is cena tending for, is inexpressibly dear to us. Wheiher N in the event of a new war, she will be assisted by the armies of Prussia and Russia, we have not sufficient data to decide; reports'opeak of a general movement op the part of the army of the former power. That it is their interest to- do so ; that honour, policy; and foresight, recommend'an ac tive and vigorous ethane° on their part, with Austria, tie• body will call in question; but there,is no reliance upon the good sense, the energy, or foresight of ei , hee: If the war be renewed, Watcheren, as a military.statioo l ie• of incalculable advantage. We can soon reinforce the array we have already there. The Dutch—and the .Flemish. if they are not unfortuately disgusted, by the disgraceful result of the eareditiou, ardently wish for the apesrauce of a . . - • • 1r .