The National Register. — London, England, 1813-06-13 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL .. .r.. • !`-de - . lo t* - - , * - • • . A1m.... I REGISTER...s. Our lung, Cometttntion, anu it : ' • , i• , PUBLISHED Nci. 11, wEwcAsTtik-iTtrEET, STRAND. i! •.•P . c SUNDAY, JUNE LS, 1813. 0 iv 0 no. 4,7,411• POLITICAL` DIS2UISITION. ON THE PRACI IC IB' Ll fY OF PEACE. After the tremendous concussions lately experienced on the Continent, as after the most violent storms in, the atrnoi phere, there is now a decided tendency to a calm. Whether it wilt, can, or ought to take ,place, will form the obje4ts . or this disquisition. The subject is important, as it involves the present welfare of mankind, and may influence the fate of fu ture generations. Like . the temple of the Divinity, it ought to be entered with a. heart purified from all earthly prejndices and individual affections. When the interests of a whole world are concerned, all private feeling should be hushed, all partial , views.relinquished, and the writer whose pen assumes the no ble task of illustrating the wants, embodying the hopes, •and . assisting the councils of mankind, shotild be guided in the execution -of • his duty by the strictest principle of universal justice. With such a conception of the requisites we should possess to carry on this investigation properly, it would be useless to add, that we shall endeavour to attain them and to . _ prove our theory by par practice. The first point we have, to consider is, whether the calm, consequent, in the operations of Nature on' its most terrible Convulsions, be likely to folloW the revolutions of the moral and political %valid ?• This is not a question of abstruse rea soning, but of demonstration by the mere evidence of facts. Were it otherwise, the dispo3ition of man e and the necessity of rest after great and continued exertions, might furnish an ample supply of metaphysickl arguments, At present, however, the inquiry may be solved'by looking at the state of Etrrope. This shall he done rapidly. France, armed with almost the whole military farce of Germany, in addition to a large pro portion of her own, rushed last year upon Russia, to con summate her ruin. Four months or successes were followed by an equal period •of the most decided reverses. Three fourths of her army were swept off by winter, famine, and the sword. The rest were scattered among numerous fortresses, ond only exchanged the horrors 'of their disastrous retreat for those of a siege. The chieftain who had led ttiem to the field, fled back to his capital, whilst his commanders en deavoured to collect some corps in their rear, to form a new army, and maintain ,the ground they had for six years oc cupied. Their efforts were vain. , One of his allies rose against him, and from that moment be lost. all confidence in the rest. His enemies continued to advance, his new battalions were f.rced to retreat. All Potand and Prussia were evacuated. A portion of Germany which he had united to his own empire, shook off the heavy yoke of his despotism and gave the signal for a general insurrection against him. At that time the Continent, which had long panted after freedom and peace, hoped to receive 'that double boon from the triumphant hands of the Allies. Joy and ex- Vol VI. No.CCLY XX V. PR ICE iDde Azk, uttation diffused themselves throughout its population, and a simultaneous. effort was on the eve of taking place r: when Kings checked the energy and patriotism of their sub., jects. Trembling for the existence of their crowns, should` the success of popular' insurrections teach the people U.S . : strength, they preferred letting exhausted - despotism revive t . . and holding his delegated authority, 'to reigning over free„ . . and therefore, they imagined, discontented ind:disloyal na tions, They refused-to join the . advancing liberators of Germany, 4nd would have even opposed them, had they not , ' thought the power of -France reduced too low to prevent' their being devoured at once; if resisting, by her conquerors: Thus, at a'moment when they clearly saw, that bythrowing, • their weight into the balance, they could annihilate that, revolution'ary despotism, whose galling fetters they Stith wore, and whose exi:nence, if allowed to rise again, would he supported , at •the expetrce of the best -blood of their' subjects, they —remained impolitically passive, and by their infamous . • .nentrality, — full of suspicion and of menace,. arrested the course of 'Russian victories, gave France .a * breathing and arming time, and repurchased the slavery of the world.. A. few weeks of hope .quickly. elapsed, _ and , joy was once store clouded with fear.— Repellid by Cold.neutrality, where they expected lirarm co , 'operation, the Allies bad ceased to advance. The flame of patriatiism kindled .to early by - their approach in Hanover and Holland, Mettilig ivitlV no . support, was overpowered and quenched. The Gallic Ciantbad been' stunned, not' slain. He began to MOve,, and .. perceiving the indecision 6'l hii *enemies and the fidelity of his friends, silently collected. 'his ‘strengt)i to_prepare:a new and a mortal blow. Blinded h r ., 'their successesAis adversaries feared him not when single, ands whilst they relied. on the.sufficieney of • their means to over.; come him, if unassisted, they only laboured to prevent his receiving that assistance, avbich'they .suspected .his late va s. sals were still'willing to give. • Russia spoke of reinforcements, but drew them sparingly frOin her distant frontiers. Prussia talked of a levy-en-masse ; but delayed calling it out' when•it might have been easily disciplined, through the unfounde4, principle which seems to pervade every continental court, that it is dangerous-to entrust the defence. of a country the people. With a.victorious army, bitt grea'ly diminished by its very successes, and by the astonishing march it hati just performed through the depth of winter, with scanty food and in incessant conflict with the enetry,A did Russia prepare to meet his recruited le l .lions. Prussia, conscious that by deserting his staudards, she had incnrree,,, !his implacable hatred, now brought against hini the fortei? she bad so lately lent him, encreased with all her ie4lll/...t5-- , and some regiments of volunteers. tnitcd, the twa a:. mies formed consid&rable numbers. superior, in imagina tion, to those which France would be able to collect. But . ; •