The National Register. — London, England, 1811-10-27 00:00:00

I • IT, R. • TM NATIONAL REGISTER • e * . • 4,Ar•A...i,- O u r , ondtiturfon, ant) 11..abm. 111 PRINTED AND PUBLISIIRD AT NO. 5, PICKETT-STREET, STRAND, NEAR TEMPLE BAR. SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1811. N°. 200. POLITICAL DISQUISITION. No. 187. ESCAPE OF FRENCH PRISONERS. Whilst the operations of war remain suspended on the b'inks of the Coa, and our arch enemy spends his-time in hearing the adulatory Addresses of his Bataviap subjects, let us glance at homc occurrences, and trace the most remarkable. L. , Importance does not always reside in an elevated sphere. The bustle of office and the pomp of power are frequently intended to conceal its ab sence. We shall therefore glean the sttbject of our remarks from a department which is generally con sidered as an; inferior one, although we are in debted to it for internal security. We mean the Police Department. The exertions of its indefati gable agents have lately been directed, and we re joice to find, with success, to check, and we trust, ultimately to prevent a secret act of disloyalty, which by its frequency, threatened to become most serious in its consequences. It was . discovered some time ago, that an unusual number of French Priso ners on parole were missing. Hitherto they had been easily retaken, as, on account of the'ir imperfect knowledge of our language, and their general igno rance of the-roadt, •they could not proceed to any distance without betraying themselves. But now the case seemed on a sudden reversed. In vain was the most active search made in the neighbourhood of the towns and districts within which they had been confined--:no trace of them could be found: Diligent and more extended inquiries met with the same result, and a particular degree of attention having b e en attracted by this circumstance, the most able police officers were detached to discover both the means employed, and the men by whom they hael been adopted to effect these repeated es capes. It was at last perceived that the places within the boundaries of the French prisoners on parole were haunted by a large number of caravans and covered carts, such as usually attend fairs, or convey goods from the country to town markets. It was also observed, that instead of pursuing the direct roads, they always moved through cross ways, and generally in the night. During the day they remained hid tn the woods. It was imme diately suspected that the French Officers had availed themselves of tbese conveyancesafter jrol► tV. No. CC. 7.651,1,7F117g11/ A sl 64,7 pi•jl-4:, S;',,, •"f .3. •,,N ) :, , ' % • Pnrer. 94. their owners, and had ►hus eluded the vigilance of their pursuers. Some of these vehicles were stopped in consequence, and f►n cibly searched, and in all of them French prisoners were found concealed. These, on examinitiun, prove to h.►ve belon , !ed to districts, in some instances, several hundred miles from the place where they were retaken. Secre•ed. in this manner, all their wants were supplied by the - d►ivers, who were the only, persons visihie an..l :rll •the chances of discovet y depending on defective pronunciation, foreign appearance, and the personal description given in the public prints were thus avoided. When on the sea-side they were carried over by Smugglers to the oppoite coast, who pro bably received a reward from the French Govern. ment for every Frenchman they conveyed, propor tionate to his rank. The traitors engaged in these nefarious transactions, who have fallen into the hands, of justice, are shortly going to take their trial for their offence, and the recaptured Officers have been sent to To:hili•felds Bridewell, to learn, in close confinement, that respect for their word of honour, which ought more particularly to dis tinguish military men. It is astonishing that in a country like this, wl.ere the feeling of rivality and jealousy, which, more pow. erfol than our barrier of waves, ims during many Centuries kept us not only independent of our irn bitions neighbour, but on a footing of - pr tuf equa lity with him", even in the unexampled fullness of his might—it is astonishing that in a country where that feeling pervades all classes of people, and where the Briton born in the lowest s;here is conscious of superiority over the slaves of France, men should be found, who saciifice for the gold of the latter, not only their duty and' loyalty to their King, but the very prejudices coeval with their powers of thought and feeling. Such conduct is not only illegal and fi: t gitioils, but it is, degrading. It is not only an act of treachery to their country, but an act of injustice towai ds their Countrymen, who at this moment languish in the prisons of France. How can tlioce unfortunate men ever hope to regain their liberty, if those French Officers who might he exchanged for them, are set free without any exch inge in this secret arid disloyal manner? By the corruption of an insignifi::ant and useless clown, it may happen, that the captivity of -ave Officer may be prolonged, and that his cola.