The National Register. — London, England, 1812-11-29 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL EGISTER,, II • • ...• :• Cur Conztittaion, anD Eatoo. PUBLISIIED AT NO. 11, NEWCASTLE-STREET, STRAZ;D. N" X 57. SUNDA 1 7 , N V E B 11; it 99, IBIT. 1 .) ::1E Pd. POLITICAL DIS2ULSITION. Sr.ITE OF EUROPE AT OPENING OF THE NEW PAHLIAMENF. The bustle of the general elect iron is over. The flood of ray spitit.and eloquence which latciy deluged the land, is repre;sed within fixed boundaries, and corfined to st. rci)hen's Chapel. The natn,n has done he:- part, and her. ripresentativcs, invested with full powers, have now to per furiu their duty, at a more iinp, , rtmt era than any yet te corded in tl,e history of nr,n. 11 hen the la.t sea-;on. cl.-,sed, and the natural decay of Padiairent was . antic , H:ted by an act of the Soye eign will, Lich decreed its tk. - ;(mlutr-n, the riteasule excitc:d no and encountered little hlatue. he o!d and regular Oppositi , n were generally nt. I).rt!iots expres-ed their satisfaction bein,t able to reinqui , li their public duti:!-, in addre , ,sts to their constituents, ever who.,e interest, they refused any.longer to watch. The. Ministers, conscious (4 Alen - cncrea , ed popularity, saw with satisfaction an °mini:- tunny of augmenting their numbers arrive; hut whilst the choice of the nation realied their bope, a fourth party, maimed :crf deserters from the banners of Covernment, ta;:ied its voice aloud, and, regardless of all former pro f ~ions and conduct, as of all fixed principle, vented throuAli the organ of the press, the anguish of its disappointed ambition in empty threats and groundless , prophecies.— MMisters had seized the present hour, they exclaimed, to appeal to the people, because they knew that afew months later, such a tide of external and internal ruin would bUrst upon the nation, as would rouse her from her slumber, and . instead of supporting a set of " doves in war and tygers in religion", would make her drag in vengeance her unworthy administrators to the scaffold. The few months are past, the representatives arc sworn, and on Monday the business of the Session will commence : but unfortunately for the prophets of ruin, the political at- mosphere instead of lowering with tempestuous cloud;, -'ems clearer than usual. At the 'hne the dissolution of Padiament took place, though the rays of .BritiAi glory 'il aunted the west, the Last was wrapped in the dat ket. gloom of discomfiture and woe. The laurels of victv;ry, b ut lately planted in the plains of Salamanca, waved fie.h. crer our advancing' legions: but having passed over the ashes of consumed towns, th . e. wangled corpses of thousands of hum an victims, and basked in the deep glare of a blazing capital, our enemy, posted in the heart of the Russian empire, threatened nothing less than its total destruction. Scared by his conquests, thinned by the sword, and divided by his manseuvres, the Russian. armies remained awhile,. ( untied, inactive, or powerless. Europe thought the l'ghty contest terminated, the throne of the Czars laid V Ol, V. No cuvlr. low, and all her vassal kings rejoiced, whilst their imagination feasted on the spoils of the fallen. The pop k i. lation of Poland in ardn ruihed to join the Conqueror. Re united to the parent stock, Lithuaeia, Courland, Samogi!ia, and even Volhynia, turned in vengeance again,t their late masters, end the Polish elvie, in fancied liberty, sprcad.onee hiore his broad w:ngs to the sky. Such were- the menacing features of the time chosen to dissolve Pat l'anfent. Such the momentary gleam, which, Unless caught as shone, w-uld set so soon, we were told by the adulators of an ex statesman, that in the night of calamity %%hien would iisevit- . ably follow we should be induced to hang" (`Jr unworthy Tilers! What then is the complexion of die present? For we have reached that future, armed by VE t us W•th so many terrors. has defeat dimeled the honour of our aims, aLd : withered our laurels ? Have we even, without stifle, ing any st:iin on our military fame, lost the benetioal cOnsequences of our triumphs?—«'e have retreated from Bulgos and from Madrid before an accumulation of force too welt to be encountered by our divided attaie , . We have united them on the field where they conquered, and where they will . • again repel the foe, or should his overlJea:ing superiority continue, whence they may securely retire into their for tress, Portugal. But we have not resigned all the f• nits of our victories. Asturias, Callicia, Estremadura, Andalusia, Grenada, Jaen, Cordova, and Cadiz, freed by our advance, have not been re-enilaVed by' our retreat: The enemy drew all his troops 110111 those provinces to compel us to fall back : to prevent a renewal of our advance, he must keep them to gether in our front. He cannot, therefore, retake the prey which he has been compelled to abandon, even should it re main defenceless. But when the benumbing pressure of his power is removed, will not Spanish patriotism at fast burSt" all the shackles of national prejudice and superstition, and , ceasing to envy time greatness or suspect the sincerity of Al lies who have bledin repeated battles for the independence of the Peninsula, co-op rate so effectually with Them, as Ztt frUstrote the designs of the enemy, and ultimately drive him *: from the ground he still occupies ? The changeln the - Spa - nish campailja *is, therefore, little more than one of position,. which does not impair the brightness of its prospects, al- • though it may delay the expirlsion of the invaders. But even allowing that our hopes have experienced a partial disappoint ment in the Peninsula, have not our fears met with a_ fir.; greater in the north ? Where is that tide of ruin which wAs s to overwhelm us through the •destruction of our Allies ?. • The enemy, left triumphant amidst the wrecks of Moseow.jit now flying from the desolation his advance has created. His • van, his flanks, his rear, exposed to the sudden and inlpe 7 tuous attacks of the Cossacks, suffer incessant losses, %hich the wretched state of his cavalry renders him unable o.) w • .: '~ N AA