The National Register. — London, England, 1809-11-26 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGJATEA. plains. Under 414 - theso circumstances, we highly applaud the resolution evinced by Government of reinforcing the British army in Portugal. This policy accords with our resources ; and does honour to the feelings and under standing of the persons who support it. We feel a plea sure in praising the measures of Government, when they deserve commendation ; and shall never, from party motives, or caprice, refrain from paying that tribute, whenever we think it due. We wish the force we had , there were more numerous; for it is universally ad mitted, that it were of incalculable advantage to pre serve the independence of Spain ; or, in case of fail ure, to render conquest aseostly to the enemy as possible. Lord WELLINGTON possesses great talents ; and were he at the head of an army of 50,000 men, with a more compe tent Commissariat, and the means of securing sustenance fur his army, we should not entertain the slightest appre hension for the safety of our troops, whatever force of the enemy he may have to - contend with. There is a strong prejudiCe, we know, entertained by a considerable part of the Public, against a powerful and effective interference, on our part, in favour of the Spaniards; but this proceeds from passion, ignorance, and misrepresentation; and should, consequently, have little weight upon the conduct of Go vernment. if it unfortunately produce an injurious influence upon the resolves of the Cabinet, and our troops were, in consequence, ordered home ; this we can predict, that the men who are now loudest in their disap probation of active measures, will be the most virulent in censuring the opposite conduct, should it hereafter be adopted. We tremble at the idea of the complete subjuga-: tion of the Peninsula—it offers the enemy so many means of annoyance against the most vulnerable part of the Empire. A statestnan•must look beyond the twelvemonth, and cal culate what the naval resources of an active enemy may . be in five years from this date, if he obtain undiSputedpos session of Spain and Portpgal A terrific calm has prevailed for some days, in the political hemisphere, portending, we have no doubt, some dreadful storm, The man, whe impels or arrests the whirlwind, is represented as amusing himself, in the mean dime, in the fo'rest , of I' Ontainbleau, in a spe cies of subordinate warfare, preparatory to some new enterprise, when men, .not boars and deer, are to . be the ganke. The modern INtIfIIROD seems to conclude, where his great prototype began ; and . happy were it for.mankind were his activity and passions confined, for the future, to his present employment, He is a dreadful and unaccount able man Accustomed 'to restlessness, and anxious to fix • the attention of mankind, he seems, from clay to day, to fc , 4 a stronger repugnance to tranquillity and inaction. Pe now hunts, with the same ardour, and impelled by the same motives, in Fontainblcau, which mark and urge the career of his conquests. His mind, his heart, his passions, are impregnated with so large a composition of irresisti ble ardour for fame, distinction, and notice, that it would be as easy to arrest the course of the planets, or change the order pf the seasons, as to induce him to spend his.days in the 4alita of retirement, or tbe innocent enjoyments of 7.51 domestic life. Few, cry tew, are in the habit of reflect ing on the dangers, which this ungovernable resAessue4s in such a man implies against the tranquillity and freedom of mankind. This indifference is to be accounted for, upon the same principle. which exrlains the apathy that succeeds the find terrors of a seise, or the horror of an epidemic disorder ;—habit accommodates, by de grees, the pliable mind of man, to familiarity with the most painful objects.—This observation will ex plain the insensibility of the Public to the . move ments of that extraordinary mortal. He is, unques tionably, the boldest, and at the same time, the most prudent ; the most unprincipled, and most plausive vil lain, or hero (too frequently sinonimous), that we can dis cover in the history of the world. He miites the genius of CASAR with the habitual temperance of CIiATME;; XII.; tho boundless ambition of ALEXANDER, with the policy of his father; the military genius and boldness of BANNinAL, with the perfidy of AGATITOCLES ; and combines, in a word, the greatest qualities of mind that raise and honour .the species, with the most flagitious qualities of the heart, which mark its affinity with the tygcr. This composition of Demi-god and Devil has, we grievously apprehend e ‘not displayed as yet half the powers of his destructive mind, or half the passions of his ferociouslieart. Exclusive of the natural irritabilitY of his temper, and the insensibility of tfis heart, custom and unrestrained lust will gradually - infue into his character a .bold indiffereuce for opinion, foria, rights, and human feelings. His silence and tranquillity, in this moment, appear to us to portend seine dangerous explosion. it is the dread ful calm, which precedes the hurricane. We cannot, pog sibly, devine his future projects, or mark his eeccatrie course: He seems to have mastered a little the irritability and ostentation of his character, which formerly betel \ ef.l him into disclosures and professions, which h;: frequ.ntiv regretted, and the latter of which he was unable to fis!Ill. Spain will, probably, be the first object of his attentio , i, and call into action all the talents, the ferocity, and the vindictive passions of his heart. But he will not.move a step, nor make a demonstration, nor betray by a single word his intention, until his means are in complete readiness. This is, ' probably, his motive for net appearing in the Senate. He gave that assembly strong pledges twelve months ago, on the subject of the Peninsula, which he has not redeemed as yet; and is pro bably unwilling to re-appear before them, until his means to that purpose are completely organised. The frivolous in Paris may be amused with the anecdotes of the,life he leads at Fontainblcau, with the preparations for the feasts in Paris, and the arrival of so many Kings and Princes s but mem of !clue are anxious to penetrate his.views with regard to Spai i. This curiosity he wishes to elude; and this may be one of his motives for retn,ining.atsome dis tance from the metropolis. Exclusive of the King of §:trxorty ; the Kings. of 134ViritIA. WURTEMSERG, WICIITPHALIA, and the Grand,„Huise' of WURTZBURG Are expected to pay their homage to the head of the Confederacy. This circumstance has given rise tolbe opinion, Opt he means to get himself crowned Emperor of NOV. 26. >..