The National Register. — London, England, 1809-05-14 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER. Our tiling, Conatitutian, anb Lau4. No. 72. SUNDAY, MAY 11, ISO 9. PRICE 9d. POLITICAL DISQUISITION. NUMBER SCVENTY. REVIEW OF THE EIENCH EXPOSE. The Report of the French Minister for Foreign Affairs %cif! be read with an interest proportionate to its impor tance. These reports are in fact peculiarly characteristic of the French Government. They are the annual narra tive, not only of the actual state of the kingdom, but of the views of the Government, and of the general policy of the Sovereign. In their general • purpose they resemble the speeches delivered from our Throne—they differ from them only as being more explanatory—as dealing more in detail. The French Minister of Foreign Atkirs is in every thing the shadow and echo of his master. He treats all foreign governments, and foreign ministers, with the same hauteur, with the same proud candour, and bold avowal, ule;ch characterizes his "master. He already assumes the tone of a Minister of a Supreme Empire. This Expos, for such it is, consists of matter too various to admit of a complete analysis. It discusses every point connected with the present breach between Austria and France. It would be equally interesting, and useful, to follow it through all its misrepresentations, but as this is not within the possible compass of our paper, we must con tent ourselves with a cursory review of its leading points. The main purpose of this instrument seems to be the ac complishment of two points—in the first place, to throw all the blame a the breach upon the Austrian Government, — and in the second place, to prepare the minds of men for the ultimate designs of the French Government,—to vindi cate the policy which it intends to observe towards the Austrian Government, and to cover its sweeping ambition under the veil of expediency and common defence. It is urged on the first head,—that at the close of the Nvar concluded by the Treaty of Tilsit, the fate of Austria was in the hands of the Emperor NAPOLEON,--that the Em peror of AUSTRIA importuned for mercy and moderation, and received it,—that under this French generosity the Em peror of AUSTRIA arose anew—that the Emperor FRANCIS vowed an eternal gratitude,—and the Emperor ALKXAN o isa was so con% inced of his sincerity as to guarantee it. In this statement are two very material errors. In the first place, that is attributed . to French moderation, and French generosity, which resulted only from a masterly plli vv , and a well-measured ambition. The Emperor NA.. VOLVON is equally characterized for his military vigour and his civil l,r: n Ile knows precisely what to leave and what to take—his ambition very seldom defeats itself—he imitates; that celebrated conduct of the Roman Con querocs—he never attempts too much at first. If he Can shake the tree by its first shock,—if he can so wound the master-roots as to render its fall certain, he is satisfied, he asiumes the appearance of moderation, and leaves the finishing blow to a future opportunity. lie - thus loses nothing of his ultimate purpose, and in the mean time con- Pe. LX.VII. ciliates opinion, and eludes that general outcry and indig- Lion, which might equally indispose his own people, and create a defensive union amongst foreign nations. The second error is hi charging Austria with ingratitude. When there was nothing conferree, there could assuredly be nothing due On the score of obligation. Austria would have been ungrateful, if France, in affected modera tion, had consulted Austrian interests. But when France consulted not the of Austria, but her own situation with respect to Russia, Austria had a just vi3ht to regard. the Treaty of Tilsit as any thing. hut a cot` cession. Tt.e real disposition of France is seen in the inaaner in which the French EMPEROR has conducted himself towards the Prus sian Monarch. Where nothing intervened to require mo deration as a measure of policy, the conduct of France has been that of a tiger, who having given its prey a deadly blow—or at least, having cot ()Iran possibility of escape, at seeming libetty, and plays with it with a ferocious levity. The Report next proceeds to charge Austria with insin- ' cerity and•dubious intentions during the war which termi nated in the annihilation of the Prussian Monarchy. There cannot, we think, be any reasonable doubt, but that Aus tria, menaced as she was by the fate of Prussia, and by the near approach of the French armies into the very heart of her country, felt a very natural alarm, and this alarm would doubtless lead to defensive precautions. But were not these precautions a necessary consequence of the rela tive situation of France and Austria ? and was it reason ably to be expected of Austria, that as a consequence of peace, she should put lwrself into a situation which would leave her at the mercy of France? Is it reasonably to be objected to Austria, that, surrounded as she was by armed powers, she should refuse to divest herself of arms; and should he content to remain in that state of nakedness and imbecility, in a season of active warfare, which none but the weakest nation would exhibit even in a period .of perfect peace ? This state of things, says the Report, that is to say, the groundless suspicion on one side, and the ge nerous confidence on the other, continued till the year 1807, when the Emperor NA poixoN granted to Austria the Treaty of Fontainbleau, which decided all matters in dis pute by fresh concessions to Austria, and rendered the two powers in perfect amity with each other. The report then procee{l4 very singularly. .FEnut si ND the 7th, as is known to all Europe, is the Monarch at present acknowledged by the Spanish Patriots. The Report, therefore, with the most insitlioiis desi4as, endeavoors to brand the character of FEP DINA NU with something of the guilt of parricide. kin; CuaaLcs is said to have been driven from his throne by Priuce FERDINA ND, his Son, urged on by the Councils of the Duke del INFANTA DO. The best answer to this part of the Report is in the able Memoir published by i3,►. 'NUM° C !ITALIA% We do not intend to give any opinion as to the personal trcrits of this reputed Patriot,—he certainly is a very snspitieus, wea thercock character; hat there are parts of his Memoir, wbicb, by their innate coherence, must be believed iu de-