The National Register. — London, England, 1809-10-08 00:00:00

6'6 succession, his sword, or his policy, nothing may be said to belonp, to the present monarch, but the narrow girt of sand) barren laud, between the Vistula and Niemen. Denwark has thrown herself fettered at his feet. Sweden im.dores his mercy and protection. The Autocrat of all the Russias, the descendant of Czar Peter and of Cathe rine, whose mighty ambition,grasped Bumps and Asia, be has bound up in swaddling clothes. Of the civilized work!, .ocily Spain and Austria, together with this country, resist his power ! But how long shall. the two former be axle to maintain the generous, but unequal contest, is • doubt which fills mind of the patriot with unutterable anxiety I It is painful to anticipate disasters, when virtue is struggling with - crime and ferocity and we shall still hope as long as a dim ray of light twinkles in the remotest skirt of the political horizon. Freedom still rears her sacred banner in the Peninsula, and in the mountains of the Tyrol, Hungary and Bohemia. But supposing, that this noble struggle may be unsuccessful, and this last' spark of European independence extinguished. In' such an event, who can contemplate without dismay, the war of subterfuge, or open aggression, of fraud and in cessant alarm, which the tyrant will wage. against this country. He will threaten our Empire in India and Ireland , at one - and the same time; and when the state of both those countries is considered, we shall be pardoned if we express considerable anxiety at the possibility of a large French force being transported to either ! We can as little dispense with the possession of the one as with that of the other, in the present enormous increase of the national expenditure. We have carefully avoided touching even remotely on the subject of the discontent mailifested IDS our hush brethren ; but when four of fellow-sub- Jects complain of real, or imagi iary wrongs; and consi der themselves aggrieved ; it is a subject deserving the suatur;st and most dispassionate consideration, 'whether it be prudent to let this discontent rankle in their bo.,:oms? It is not discretinu, it is not a mark of attachment to our religons, or civil entablishment, to be silent on this deli cate subject. In spite of our ill-advisel prudence, did we shew it ; and nAwithstauding any reluctance which we feel, the discussion of this ill-ornened dispute cannot be long deferred; and if the diGience can, (Jr ought. to be arranged, it is better to do it, witbaut the intervention or a third party ! It is a mark of superior *tom, as well a; humanity, to listen, upon some occasions, with a meek Ind yielding spirit even to unjustifiable pretensions ; and we appeal to the good sense and liberality of a British Public, if this conciliatory disposition was, at any time, more imperiously urgent? It was necessary to take this view of our situation, pre sent as vell as prospective, in order to corm some estimate of the new Administration to decide whether their talents and firmness be sufficiently.great to resist existing, • and meet future, difficulties;—whether they poises, liber ality enough to assuage, and wisdom to Obviate, discon tent; and, in short, afterhaying discarded the most effi cient member, they can pretend to wield, with greater • vigour and success, the energies of 'the Empire,. than the late Ministry did ? We .acknowledge the great addition of ability and confidence they would acquire by the accession of Lord WELLESLEY. Wca,iip confess that the tsieMbers .• possess, respectively, habits of iadustry, knowledge of busi ness, sad great integrity. Eut-Witkallthese,adbaritgit, anti: OCT. 8. many more, we are still unable to discover, deprived as they are of the preponderating abilities of Mr. CANNING, what claims they can advance to greater popularity, or greater success, than when they acted in unison with that distinguished statesman. This is a perpleziug difficulty which a short time will probably solve. For our part, we seriously apprehend, that their existence is like that of those ephemeral and busy insects, who buzz for a day, and expire at its termination. POREIGX INTEALIGENCE. TRENCH, DUTCH, AND GERMAN PAPERS. PA acs, 8 art. 14.—Aecount of the Military operations of the. Scheldt, from the surrender of Flushing till the evacuatiou of the Fort of Betz by the English.—Moniteur. Every circumstance relative to the military operations on the Scheldt, during the siege and bombardment of Flushing, is so important, that it has been thought proper to publish the ori. ginel pieces themselves, orextracts ofthe official correspondence. The latter operations, from the surrender of Flushing till the evacuation of Batz, do not require to be detailed so,minutely; it will, therefore, be sufficient to sketch their outline. After taking possession of Flushing, the enemy seemed to em ploy the period that elapsed between the 15th and 19th of August, in collecting all his force round the fort of Batz, situated at the extremity of South Beveland, at the point where the Scheldt divides itself into two arms. Every thing seemed to indicate in the enemy an intention of transporting his army over the Eastern ScSeldt, on the right bank, between the Saudvliet and Bero•en. op-Zoom, whilst his flotilla and men of war should attack the forts on the banks of the Scheldt and our flotilla on that river.— Meanwhile the Prince•of Ponce-Corvo, who arrived at Antwerp on the 15th, availed himself of the time spent by the. English in making this hostile demonstration, to execute the orders of the Emperor, organise, dispose, and animate the troops, accelerato defensive labours, inspire the army with confidence, and snatch from the enemy the possibility of attack* Antwerp. Ills Ex cellency, General Uejean, who arrived on the 16th, co-operated in for warding these dis posi tions, as Minister Director of the War Administration, and First Inspector-General 'of Engineers.— Vice-Admiral Missiessy, the Generals, the Officers of Artillery, the Naval Prefect, the Prefect of the department, all the au thoritir e, displaying in their various functions, the same zeal sod talents, directed by the same spirit, presented a noble senior' of w ill as well as resources, tending towards one single end, the disgrace of the enemy, and the glory of the arms of France. Whilst the British forces were collecting round Bats, new troops, cavalry and artillery, pouring iu from every quarter, swelled oar army. at Antwerp. The two French and Dutch corps, posted near Beegte-op-Zoom and Hulot, were continually reinforced, and io readiness to fall on the rear and Hook of the enemy, wbilst the army should attack him in trout, and throw him hack into the Scheldt at the moment of confusion that would attend tit attempt to land on the dikes, or the sands and muddy gronnds that form the banksof the river. The French fleet ascended the Scheldt, and yielding for the ser vice of the army part of its sailors and mariues, co-operated in the defence of the land; whilst the flotilla, covered by batteries, and protected by guu-boats, grounded for thht purpose en the banks, formed a double line that flanked both Fort Lille and Fort Lief kenshoeck. New batteries were raised in the covered way of these forts, the strength of which defied attack to sweep the surface of the river. 'Soder the protection of this line of defence, a second was formed. The old forts were raised anew, and batteries were erected on the ruins of those which could not resume their former shape. Labourers, cannons, apd soldiers, covered alternately all those posts, forgotten since the famous siege of Aotvrerp in 1583 ; the ,fissts of St. Philip and St. Mary, which formerly de fended the bridge curt over the Scheldt by the Duke of Parma; k'urt Pearl, which covered the opening of the canal, cut during the siege, to facilitate the conveyance of provisions and ammeoi title from Gaud to the besiegers camp below Antwerp; the fort of the Cross, which protected °the dike of Cowestein, the brave defence of which prevented's flotilla from throwiug any succours Into this•town whilst navigating on the inundations ;—to all these THE NATIONAL. REGISTER.