The National Register. — London, England, 1812-07-26 00:00:00

7 : 71, ',,g' 7fl 1 • TOE NATIONAL " PO 17C .11, DIS2UISITION: NILIiV •:)i . I'ASING EVENTS. tvAR WITH AMERICA-DIFFERENCES WITH THE BRAZI• LIAN COURT--TRIUNIPIIS IN SPAIN-RESTORATION OF POLAND-RENEWAL OF rif E WAR BETWEEN RUSSIA AND TCfIKCV. The wonders of our age are not yet exhausted; and the Ili.torian who had closed his account of the last four and twenty years, as forming a complete digest of scarcely credi ble events, now resumes his pen, astonished at the fecundity of time, and the endless revolutions of fortune. If the sta ture of man has decreased since the youth of the world, the effects of his passions and talents, of his crimes and genius, have assumed a gigantic character never more prominently displayed than in the momentous features of the present,. At the end of the last century we beheld the extinction of a powerful Monarchy, seatel on a Throne reared on the ruins of the Roman Empire, long before the rie. of all the cx►st in; kingdoms and dynasties of Europe. At the opening of the present era we witnessed the humiliation of all these Powers, and the sudden elevation of a new Empire, rising like a mountain formed by a volcano, from an agitated earth, and amid surrounding desolation, to crush and terrify the world. Scarcely had it attained its height, and cast its roots deep and far, When we saw it pour forth the flood of ruin it contained, overwhelm and annihilate the weak, and break down the Mighty. Against us the torrent had no power. A barrier of waves Was raised before us, which repelled its force. We preserved, undiminished, the sacred 'rights of Freemen in our Isle, and unquenched, the sacred flame of PreedOm in our hearts. Nay, we held out the hand of fel lowship to sinking mitions, half wrenched the scale of their destiny from the grasp of their oppressor, arid still keep it undecided, notwithstanding the violence of his struggles and the magnitude of his power. To counteract this sncces - ..ful exertion, of British energy, the grand enemy of Europe.ui independence sent forth his bravest legions and most ante mat shats to drive our troops from the land, whose resistance they rendered effective, whose freedom they threatened to redeem. The shock of armies, however, defeated his hopes, and augmented the ho nours of the British name. When we first took part in the Contest, he was in possession of nearly all Spain, and cf the whole of Portugal.- The success with which he has fought is written in characters of Gallic blood all over the Peninsula, and may also be read in the position of our troops. At the end of three years war, all Portugal is free; Galicia and Asturias have witnessed the flight of their invaders, Tariffa, Alicante, Ciudad Rodrigo, and Badajoz, the courage of our men, whilst Leon, Old Castile, and Estramadura, ball our r•L V. Nei:ccxxxix. REGISTER. 1 ettr Ming, Conattution, anti laths. PUBLISIIED AT NO. 337, STRAND, CORNER Of EXETER 'CHANGE. __ Parct 9-d. banners, which a':e also planted on the dittint rocks of Cata lonia. bestraring of victory in the field; and unwilling to abandon his prey, be has lately adopted a new policy. lie has set all the springs of intrigue into action, and availed h.".inself of the influence which he possessed, or purchase. ed, over foreign nations, to create us fresh enemies, and compel us to recall those troops Which he no longer dared to face. To these attempts, on his part, may be attributed the present troubled aspect of the political world, as to his boundless ambition, the new eventt which are now filling mankind with anxiety, astonishment, and fear. At an hour so fraught with interest, and in which the grand question of Continental slavery or independence will most likely be de. finitively settled, we shall bring into a focus the momentous circumstances of the tunes, and illustrate the picture with remarks fcninded on information and matured consideration. NAPOLEON long thought, that the most effective step to procure the recall of our armies from Spain and Portugal, would be to induce America to declare war against us. Well acquainted with the importance of our transatlantic continental possessions, he kizew we should not abandon them without a struggle. and as the troops by which they were occupied in time of peace, were not sufficient to defend them in case of war, he thought that we must either leave our native shore bare of soldiers, to send them to Canada and New Brunswick, or else so considerably reduce the force we have in the Peninsula as to disable it from acting on the offensive, and perhaps even on the defensive. His exertions were long frustrated by the timidity, 'not the honesty or patriotism of the American goverument. Sold to him, they wished to obey his dictate, ' hut feared, lest their eagerness to oblige him should betray their corrupt subser. viency. Hence the various arts they adopted to exasperate the people against us, and render the idea of a war with England popular. Whether the" succeeded to the utmost of their wishes, or as it is more probable, received a direct order from NAPOLI:ON i , to commence hostilities about the 'same time he should attack Russia, it is at least certain that they have declared war against us, and that too at a period, when they could tug be ignorant that concessions had been made by our Government, which when publicly announced, would disarm them of every plea, even for . dissatisfaction. • They seem to have expected, and to have hastened to anti. cipate by their declaration, the arrival of the official dis patches, which would inform the nation that the Orden in Council were repealed, and every pretence • for complaint removed. We therefore entertain but very little hope, that this information will produce any change in their policy* and induce them to rescind their hostile measures, although totally unjustifiable. Whilst, obedient to his call, Nortlx America role ;Darns SUNDAY, JULY 96, 1812.