The National Register. — London, England, 1812-12-27 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTEIL the certain consequences of what has occurred in the North; and only taking these into consideration, nor pre suming to calculate on the moral effect wnich we may reason ably hope will be produced on the suffering nations of the Continent by the calamity which has overtaken their ty rant, not venturing to set this down as any thing which may so essentially contribute to the destruction of his au thority and of him,—still do we contend, that viewing only that whirl! is certain, and .not ~ t hat, is probable, England may well congratulate heiseif on the aspect of affairs, acid view, in the humiliation of her must inveterate foe, the har binger of Peace and Prosperity. Those who differ f; our us, and whose delight it is to con template the gloomy side of the picture, arc exerting all their energies to make the Public believe, that because the victory of Salamanca has".not been tollowed by the imme diate eapulsion of the French from the Peninsula, we ought to despair of ultimate success, and regard our situation as more hopeless than ever. These individuals- magnify the fitilure of Burgos into . a serious defeat, and seem to -con template this us no "mean set off against the glorious vic tory gaimed by Lord WELLINGTON. It is, however,, well worthy of observation, that those very persons who make so much of the failure at Burgos, seem to think nothing gained on our part, by the French being forced to raise the siege of Cadiz. A fiaa zaeeks lost before Burgos by the l.ngli h, is described as a dreadful disaster, which loudly calls fur an inquiry ; but this advantage on the part of the enemy is not at all counterbalanced ley the French being compelled to relinquish their designs on Cadiz, after a two years and a half sieg,e!' To us we confess this appears to furnish grounds not of comfort but of exultation ; nor can we contemplate what has occurred within the last year in the Peninsula, that fertile field of Brit;sh glory, but with the highest satisfaction, and the sincerest conviction that our prospects are bettered. With America we arc at war ; but this, however it may be deplored in itself, is calculated to give us little more un easiness or alarm than the state in which thins stood at this time last year. It may even be doubted whether actual un disguised hostility be not preferable to that doubtful situation in which we were placed, by those tong continued nnavailing negotiations, which for . years mocked our hopes, while•thev served to inflame those differences it was their object to heal. The temper of America made an appeal to the sword inevit able. It is, perhaps, a subject of regret that the war on our - part has not been procecuted with more vigour. The disas ters, however, which America by her iirsolem za.;•_;ressions.leas brought upon herself,, in spite of our folbearauce, may dis. pose her to adopt a mute pacific line of conduct. Ministers have subjected themselves to censure for their backwardness to engage in actual warfare. Yet still there are the.:e who complain that we have not done enough to conciliate Ame rica. Our sentiments on this head are alleadv on record. We hope the enemy will shortly feel the full weight of that hostility which has been so wantonly piovoked. One calamity, great as irrepat able, we have to mourn in that atrocious act which bereft us for ever of the splendid talents and spotless interity el a Pt:act:vat,. We have, however, at least to rejoice that Vs death did not bring into power that arrogant but despicable fiction who could wan tiny sport with the feelings of a nation, at the crasis of it, fate, by engag' As which, how ever t heir att; ion, were too contemptible a from patriot: ism, in formi , 'eminent. The present Minh ves 3uperior to such conduce !tr to strew that 4 DEC , our triumphs in the course of the year were to be to any thing rather than to ability and wisdom on their i art; but as imbecility is uniformly imputed to Al,n 3 steis unfortunate, it - is but fair to give those who are su— e , fai some credit for talents befitting their si!cation. lie %to .id not be spared the.disgraco of defeat, and ought trot t. IT t:e nied a participation :it the glory of victory, 'That Yen has been glorious and triumphant, we thank after vim: have said, require: no further proof. We feel it 3isilAy when we recai the hopes and apprehensions of the la't Year, and still more strongly eo we feel it ':hen looking I:,rv.a dto the future, for we have a con% iction that such another Yea( of successful warfare would raise us to a height mole lime than we have ‘,.et occupied, and the adiniiin w or ld would own, with equal wonder and gratitude, that " ,I is in the zenith of her glory." g a ng in ap• t.v m Liabbte foi object tainine , - --- e.:• 14 v Maviip..ll , lbi . i •.7.r.' 4 - A_ to I,) , . 4 4: - ,, otion , . )4 . V,„,e1,11k • , .1, a . lis iQg t 7 ,‘; 11.,• , (~ fe \- — 4 6 l*, ..1 )-r IS-Tel • 1 1 ;,...,,- • L t pl ..vo oiselv - .:6" ir,,.. . 4 FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE. TAY ENTY-N INTH BULLETIN. Moledetschno, December 3. To the 6th of November the weather was fine, and the •movement of the army executed with the greatest success. - The cold weather began on the 7th ; from that moment we every night lost several hen. died horses, and numbers of men diet in consequence of be viouackiug. Arrived at Smolensk° we had already lost many Lava!) , and artillery horses. The Russian army frgm Volhynia was orposed to our right. Our right loft the Mir.sk line of operations, and took for the pivot at as operations the Warsaw litre. On the 9th, the Emperor was informed at Smolansko of the change in the line of operat lens, and conceived what tie enemy v:ouhl do. However hard it appeared to him to put himsall in movement during so cruel a season, the new state of things demauded He expected to arrive. at Mink, or at least upon the Beresite, befate , the enemy ; on the 13th he quitted Smolensk° ; t,u the lath tie aen at Krasner. The cold which began.on the 7th, suddenly increased, and ce, tie 1-Ith. 15th, and 16th, the thermometer was 16 act la degrees oelae the freezing point. The roads were covered with ice; the cavalry, artillery, and leg. me horses perished every night not only by hundreds but by thea sands, particularly the German and French 110ICS. In a few days more than 30,000 horses perished—our cavalry were on foot—Our artillery and our baggage were without conveyeee. was necessary to abandon and destroy a good part of our canticle la , munition, aid provisions. This army, so fine on the 6th, was very difKrent on the lath most without cavalry, ‘eithou r artil ler y , without trunsports. With' out cavalry, we could not reconnoitre a quarter of a league's distsncea without artillery, we could not risk a battle, and firmly await it: a was requisite to march, in order not to ba constrained to a bale , vvllich the want of ammunition prevented us from aesirina requisite to occupy a certain space not to be turned, eve' that ..e without travail y, which led and connectel the columns. This difficulty, joined to a cold which su ddenl y came on, rendzed our situation miserable. Those men, whom nature ea'a not stale ciently steeled to be above all the ch ances of fate and for reamed uoe, be t . peered shook, lost their gaiety , th eir good huoar, and d m of misfortunes and catastrophes ; those whom site has createl msuee rior to every thing, preserved t h eir g aiet y and their ordin.ey ace, and saw fresh glory in the dillatent aifficulties to be surtoounte.l. The enemy, who saw upon the roads traces of that lagioau, cal mit y which had overtaken the French army, endeavoured to raaey . vantage of it. He surroanded all the columns wiAl his boa`"osr• who carried off, like the Areas ia the deserts, the trams and tiages which separated. This contemptible cavalry, whiaa make noise, an •I is not capable of penetrating t h roug h a cornea voltigetirs rendered themselves futmidable by favour of ta tip. stances. 'Neverthelass the enemy had to repent of all tie: sere_ attempts which he wished to undertake : they were overtheeea the Viceroy, before ivhom they were placed, aed lost many m th al,l:r_ The Duke of Elehingen, with 3,000 men, had blown ma parts of Smolensk°. Ile was surrouneet, and build hen el t i f,. . c ' v rical position; but he extricated himself from it wt' h tilt with which he is distinguished. Aftdr. having kept the caea eistance front hitn during the whole day of Ina lath, a d L one , repulsed him at night, made a mov , ment oe the right, pa. sad ry sthenes, and deceived all the calettlatioes of the enemy. On the 19th, the army passtel the Ito..yathenes at Oran , ttasian army; being iattgued and having lost a great numoct ceaaed tam its attetilpts The army of Voltynia had inclined onruws the 16t a h thClLeodedZis;;,;.. maraud , Lien /3 ateaowe ue. h DE( - AI. ca ,l o ohii4et T►i- dtv:s6l The at to the 0.1 If!!o:t1; . ..! sip I h col tJise, IYCtI t 3 it. T Ictint to 0.155 U.► the e'►c znarCiu en :111. r I V 111C1, of f Us badly. anti 27 Toe it (J I sii:ns a ‘ith tl S:x th into ut Ott lefeau 'Dun tiagas ()ti kceiv