The National Register. — London, England, 1809-08-27 00:00:00

AUG. 27. that it should weigh a teuther in that scale; on the con trary, it appears to us incu,►testible that if there had ever existed a probability that BUtINAPARTE would have been enabled from the existing state of the Negociation, to send any considerable detachments from his army, to the assist ance of either his Brothers in Spin or Holland, he would certainly have devised some means of conveying the jute:: ligence to us, We sincerely hope, and we datter'ourselves too, that he will yet 4mi sefficient employment for all his troops, till the autumnal rains have brought with them the nearer procipec.ts of a Winter Campaign. The Austrian account of the Battle of Waram has been published ; it differs, as we expected it would, very materially from the French Bulletin; there are, indeed, parts of it which strike us with astonishmeet. " It was estimated at from 110 to 150,000 men; according to the latest statements of the Emperor N 4 en Lao?' himself and hit Generals, it consisted of 180.0J0 combatants. On the part of the 4ustrians, not vitt. 100,0);) men were in the field of battle. The attack, began w i its 4 brisk cannonade all along the line, w hich ;he enemy answered by a car soperior number of heavy ordnance, and kept it up till night without intermission. The right wing of the Austrians ma.le the nvict splendid progress : Adlerklaa was taken, mid the enemy driven from Itusseuhrunn i Hreitenlie, pad lierscastetten. Tile enetny's evalry on tlto left wing was completely routed." What then we are tempted to produced the NW Armistice It was not any want of confidence. or courage in thelustrian arrpy..-They were tincxpectedly paralizetl ! And they were diisitisaed I War there treachery I—Were the Commanders alarmed ?-•.W.ls the Archduke alarmed ? Or Jve the insithoui intrigues of Hu oN, A PA Ric round an avenue tq the Imperial caul► t- •111-fated Empire 1 On the day %hen peace stia.l be signed with thine enemy, on that day will the !UM of thy gre4tue33 set i❑ a darkness impenetrable even to hope. The surrender of Flus,hing aed the islatids of the Scheldt qeems to have been the employ meat our Expedition for a very long period. We ha% e. heard of " its ulterior ob jects" till we are sick of the very phrase. We have already noticed the errors of our Commander in not securing Cad ,. sand in the first instance, and neglecting to push on to Antwerp before the enemy had time to encrease his tOrce in that neighpoarhood s we have now to ask, what in the name of God has liept Sir Juror Hopp: and the Marquis of Hu wi l .cy'sNision so Joag upon South Beveland ? Did they wait to recover from their sea sickness, or was it neces sary to secure a stock of beef for the men, as well as turtle for' the Commander in Chief, that our soldiers might notiie obliged to fight in a way that is peculiarly distress ing to ErOishmen, we mean with " empty slumachs." But to be serious, what arc 80,000 men about, %%e have • a force unprecedented upon the Continent, and our navy as well as our arniy is so fully occupied with these " ulte rior objects," that we have not left at home a sufficient number of small armed vessels to protect even the meths of our harbours, Blaine attatches sumew here fort his neglect. What may have prevented or delayed oar efforts in the n.,ighbourhood of Antwerp, does not rest with Ministers, but this neglect at home, they should certainly inquire into and reinedv.—The City politiciaus will sooner forgive a gigantic error, where much is attempted, although the Jives of thousands may be sacri fi ced by it, than they will pa7,lon an oversight which Occasions the ruin of a splendid se.lculation, iu the very tuoment.of its completion. This is : b 3 I Human nature. It has been said of them of old time, that men who st rain at gnats will swallow camels.—Of the Expedi dition, we shall only further observe that the delay which has takeu place, either might have been foreseen or it could nut. If the former, the difficulties being anticipated, should have been prevented, for certainly our Ministers re ceived the iutelligence of the Armistice before the Expe dition sailed ; and in this event they could not reasonably have calculated upon the army being allowed so much time for taking breath after it was landed. Was so great a force as 11,000 men necessary for the reduction of Flushing? If it was, are the preparations upon so niggardly a scale as not to permit the ulterior operations being at tempted without that additional force ? If that was not the ease, whence the delay ? And even if it actually were the fact, have not the enemy gained a much larger accession of strength. by the delay than we have? To us who are only men of plain understanding, all this seentssomehow or other a little unaccountable. We do not believe the blame lies at home. We not only thiuk that admimistratiun have sent men that will fight (they are Englishmen, that is enough) but that they have equipped them with the means of fighting, and that if no. ceisary, they wish them to fight. That the original plan. too, was good, we firmly believe. What would we say ne;t 1 Why, that all these things only make the delays which have taken place more unaccountable still. Among other topics which have occupied the attention of the public, there is one respecting our situation with. America, to which more importance has been attached, from th:.: manner of treating it, than from any intrinsic merit, or even difficulty in the thing itself. In a ministe rial journal of the United States, we have the following paragraph, which is supposed (we know not how truly) to Have been sanctioned by the Government of America ; " Whether Mr. Erskine exceeded his instructions or note is a question between him and his sovereign, and'that his nation is injustice and honour irrevocably bound to big stipulations." The sop:stry and falsehood of this argument is exposed by a mere statement of it. if the terms in which the pro po.4ition is conveyed be understood by any reader of come mon sense or common honesty - , it does not appear to us that there can exist two opinions. We bhall first notice the conduct of this same Government under similar circum. stances :—ln the month of July 1807, Messrs. Pitica.sitor and MONROE signed a Treaty, on behalf of the American Government, with Lords AUCKLAND and HOLLAND ; JcppLasos refused to ratify this Treaty without pretend• ing to state that they had travelled out of their instructions. Upon what grounds is the law of nature and of nations to be varied in favour of the American Government, and the same measure ofjustice denied to us? Did not the same thing occur when the Autocrat of Russia refused to ratify the Treaty concluded at Paris by D'OURRIL ? The con. venience or inconvenience, the advantage or disadvan. Cage arising. from the exertion of this right has nothing to do with the principle upon which it is founded, on the Law of Nations upon which the practice is justified. We could produce a host of authorities, from writers upon the subject, but shall only make one extract for the infor mation of our Readers, which supersedes the necessity of argument, and is quite decisive upon the point.---It is from J.J.likat.amaqnt's Principles of Natural and Political Law. AUG. 21. • THE NATIONAL REGISTER. b 3 1 _ , MIMIIIIIIIIIIIMMIPIPSIIII. immaviimmimaionseilmir I A - Asir q that it should weigh a feather in that scale; on the con- Human nature. It has been said of them of old time, that trary, it appears to us incuatestible that if there had ever men w tio strain at gnats will swallow camels • —Of the ExPedi- existed a probability that nUt/NAPARTE would have been dition, we shall only further observe that the delay which enabled from the existing state of the Negociation, to send has taken place, either might have been foreseen or it any considerable detachments from his army, to the assist- Could nut. If the former, the difficulties being anticipated, ance of either his Brothers in Spain or Holland, he would should have been prevented, for certainly our Ministers re- certainly have devised some means of convey ing , the jute,- ceived the iutelligence of the Armistice before the Expe- ligence to ea. We sincerely hope, and we flatter ourselves (lotion sailed ; and in this event they could not reasonably too, that he will yet find seffieleut employment for all his have calculated upon the army being allowed so much time troops, till the autumnal tins have brought with them the for taking breath after it was landed. Was so great a force nearer prospects of a Winter Campaign. The Austrian as 11,000 men necessary for the reduction of Flushing? account of the Battle of Wassiam has been published lit If it was, are the preparations upon so niggardly a scale differs, as we expected it would, very materially from the ,as not to permit the ulterior operations being at- French Bulletin; there are, indeed, parts of it Which strike tempted without that additional force ? If that was not us with astonishment. the case, whence the delay ? And even if it actually . "It was estimated at from 110 to 150,000 men; according to were the fact, have not the enemy gained a much the latest statements of the Emperor N 4 ro Lcom himself and his large, accession of strength- by the delay than we have? Geeerals, it consisted of 180.0,)0 combatants. On the part of To us who are only men of plain understanding, all the 4ts3trians, nut finite 100,0)0 men were in the field of battle. this seems. somehow or other a little unaccountable. We Th e a tt ac k began with 4 brisk cannonade :111 along the line, which do not believe the blame lies at home. We not only ;he enemy answered by a car superior number of heavy ordnance, built that admiuistratiun have sent men that will fight mid kept it up till night without intermission. The right wing (they are Englishmen, that is enough) but that they have of the Austrians male the mlct splendid progress : Adlerklaa equipped theta vvitb the means of fighting, and that if no- was taken, and the enemy driven from Itusseuhrunn, Breitenlie, cois4r . , y they wish them to fi ght. That the original plan, pad liersc4steuen. Tile enemy's c4valry on tliu left Whig was too, was good, we firmly believe. What would we say completely routed.l' at 1 Why, that all th e se thin gs on ly ma k e th e d e l ays What then we are tempted to exclaim produced the fatal ne 4rmistice t It was not any want of confidence, or courage in 1 which have taken place m o re unaccountable still. fist_ I' _1 . I 1 / Ainunir other tonics which have occupied the atlentirset THE NATIONAL REGISTER.