The National Register. — London, England, 1808-08-07 00:00:00

5o AUGUST T. 7 7. fleet. ad of oa to ;any! are Mer- COM.. inc, it in NS a :eat. cx- •son, we it is :ale outi 8. Itton the )ked very tire, °pie NATIONAL REGISTER. have no cause to blush for the infamous surrender of a gallant army, in consequence of the cowardice or ignorance of such a General as MACK. . According to the last accounts from Sweden, a part of the army of the gallant Geri.*yes has suffered a consider able loss in Finland, and was obliged to retreat in conse quence of the great superiority of numbers on the part 'of the Ruisians. This account is taken from au official .report to his Swedish Majesty by 1 1 .,:ld Marshal Count KLINGSPOR, and in regreting this check to the arms of oar magnanimous ally, we cannot but admire the candour with which it is communicated. We hope, however, sin cerely duo we wish, that this disastrous war will soon cease, and that the Emperor of Itessts, instead of employing the resources of his vast empire, in order to overwhelm his august brother-in-law, and late ally, that he will use them in a manner more suitable to his dignity, and the great expectations that were once entertained of him. It is even said he has made overtures of a peaceable nature to Ci us /Ayes, but that his Swedish Majesty declined entering. into any negociation, without the concurrence of England. This account coincides perfectly with the opinion we ought to entertain of that high spirited Monarch ; and as long as the Councils of this country .are actuated by the same principles, which so honourably distinguish them at pre sent, they will never forget the great engagements this country owes to this magnanimous Sovereign. We seize with pleasure this opportunity of recteling to the atten tion of our cotemporaries the unequal struggle he is en ;aged in ; and it would be something worse than levity, it would be ingratitude of the most shameful kind, if we could forget for a moment, that his present difficulties originate in his attachment. to this country, and his honour able adherence to his engagements. Unfortunately our time cannot vaunt many such examples ; and shall we turn away with indifference from the only Sovereign and Nation on the Continent, who generously spurned the slightest concession to the common tyrant. We think our brother journalists have been too severe in their animadversions on the unfortunate toast of Sir Flaw cis BAKING. They all seem to insinuate that the worthy Baronet, though not in a state of beastly drunkenness, was so overpowered by the number of toasts he had previously given, that some allowance must be made for the patriot ism of the chairman, who had no objection to get drunk for the honour of his country. This remieds us of a cele brzted letter of ?MADAME PE MAINTEMON, containing in strictions to a French ambassador to the Swiss Cantons, in Me reign of Lewis the X (VIII. Size expresses on that oc casion, a desire that he will have no objection to get occa sionally drunk for the service of his MA3ESTY. She sur mised that this would ingratiate him more with the cele brated topers of that country, who were proverbially so at that time than all the arts of diplomacy. As we have ob tained the honour at present of being considered the first in that respect, there is every reason to imagine that Sir Fesscrs was willing to support this reputation. This is at least the most satisfactory, and most charitable explanation of the mistake he committed. We know at the same time, that the generous grape pro duces different effects on different persons. In some it ex pands the heart, and opens it to every honourable feeling— it makes others reserved, selfish, and artful. If it should happen to have the latter effect on the worthy Chairman, it would he as uncharitable to blame him for this Constitu tional failing, as it would be for his falling asleep, after copiously enjoying all the luxuries of a turtle dinner. The :write,' in vino only proves, that he is more au American than an Englishman, and taking this circumstance into consideration, we see no reason for surprise, that he should neglect the prudence he would not lose sight of in a more sober moment, and toast the President of a country of 'which he is in his heart, and from interest, a citizen. How. ever, the English feelings of the rest of the company soon effaced this trilling interruption to the hilarity•of the Meet ing. The feast was every way worthy of the guests and of the Merchanti of London ; and we have the satisfaction to observe, that on every occasion where the interests and dignity of the country, or the honour of the Metropolis, are in question, they act iu a manner worthy of the first Mer chants and first City in the Universe. PRIVATE CORRESPONDENCE, RECEIVED LATE LAST NIGHT. We have the greatest satisfaction in being able to rem_ municate to our readers a letter from the Lower Rhine, which has been transmitted us by our Corresponiim is Hamburg!). It is of a very recent date, and throws a great deal alight over the present state of the Continent. We wish the writer had been, on 80111 C subjects, more ex plicit ; but he appears to have been writing to a person, to whom some prior events were known, with which we are not -satisfactorily acquainted. However as it is, it is unquestionably the most important account, which we hai c received for several months from that part of the Conti neat. " COLOGNE, JULY 29, ISW. " The most contradictory reports have been in circulation for the last two weeks, and alternately believed and rcjvctetl. However this quick succession of rumours must cons lice the most indilkrent, that very extraordinary occurrences are looked to, as well in France as in the neighbouring States. Lvery private account from Paris, Holland or the Soutl► of France, tends to confirm this opinion. The expectations of the people here are already extravagant. Were you willing to gibe credit to these, the French will be expelled, before the beginning of winter, from every part of Germany, pursued across the Rhine, and, as mar• be expected, driven like a flock of sheep out of the former Ecclesiastical States. Suck are the speculations of our Cologne politicians. It is true they are not much biassed in favour of the French, and though bitterly disappointed, during the course of fifteen years, in their hopes of being relieved front their trouble;o►ne guests, or, more properly speaking, ►ua-ters, they are still as sanguine and indefatigable in their wishes, as if they had never been frustrated. In this confused mass of ru mours and co n jectures, to discover the real state of allairs is not easy. The restraints the Newspapers lie under, in which every article is revised by an Agent of the Police before it is printed, tend to increase the difficulty. However as this is universally known, their silence with regard to Spanish and Austrian atil&s is considered as a convincing proof of the desperate state of French influence in these two countries. No account, ter:di:g to invalidate the resistance of the Spaniards to the nomination of Joseph Bonaparte receives any credit ; and those, whiefi speak of French success and triumphs are laughed a:, and uni formly rejected. They have tine times here at present, as the greater part of the Urns d'd rmes and Domineers have been called away ; and as their destination and the object of so unparalleled an order cannot be discovered or accounted for, it has been sometimes asserted that the French were all cut to pieces in Spain, that the English had lauded with 40,000 men at the Helder, and that the Archduke Charles had entered Bavaria at the head of 180,000 men, whilst the Archduke John was pe• netrating through Franconia with an army of an 100,000. Whilst these reports were credited, it was a real jubilee here in Cologne, and among our neighbours in the Duchy of Berg; and one of my friends, who had been up the Rhine as far as Mayence, and had afterwards gone to Aix la Chapelle, Iseve and Liege, has told me, that the same extravagant joy was felt, and the same hopes were entertained in all those towns. lou may conclude, that. when such sentiments are manifested here, how animated the feelings of the Brabanters and Dutch must be speaking, masters, their wishes, as if nfused mass of ru- • Late of attairs is not in which every before it is printed, .s this is universally Ind Austrian desperate state o account, terAli:g to the nomination and those, whi&a nighed a:, and nu . -- at present, as the ::) - 8 have been called t of so unparalleled 1 for, it has been .11 cut to pieces in 40,000 men at the 1 entered Bavaria .uke John was pc • ny of an 100,000. a real jubilee here e Duchy of Berg; e Rhine as far as la Chapelle, Iseve agant joy was felt, hose towns. lou e manifested here, tad Dutch must be