The National Register. — London, England, 1815-09-10 00:00:00

FOREIGN INTEL. REPORT TO THE KING REGARDING THE INTERIOR OF THE KINGDOM. Sr n E-I have laid before your Majesty the situation of your king dom, as it regards toreign armies ; the disorders to which I had the honour of calling your attention are temporary; resignation mode rates them. time will repair theni; their.-cause is known, but there are others more serious, a picture of Which it is my duty to bring under your view. France is at war with herself; we are threatened with all the calamities that can arise from the rousing of passion, and the conflict of opinion. The many political tempests that have agitatated us for 25 years, have scattered us with their violence into contending parties; so many public and private disputes, such a discordance of actions, wishes, and fears have been the consequence, that it is now impossi ble to rally desires, miles* at the same tiine opinions are also rallied, by setting the heart at rest, and insuring tranquillity to all interests. All is danger or obstacle in the element by whirls we are stir rotinded. The majority of the men of energy who have combated and overthrown the last power, sought only to put an end to tyranny. Tvery arbitrary government would surround them again with their enemies It is not merely fur the struggle of two governments, hot for the difference of principles that war has again burst forth in La Vendee ; they lay down thilr arms, but war is not' ended: an opposition of the same kind agitates and disunites all classes of citis • zees, even to the members.of every family, Its habitation if in the most ardent passion:, in the desire as well as iu the fear of witness . - tug the triumph of old opinions. v.- Public calamities have served only to augment Anr disorders; the two parties either aggravate each other by their reptoaches anti their threats of re-action, or 'tree themselves by their hopes. An • will submit to the Kink, all at least will have the language of sub. . mission, but the one will demand as the condition of their fidelity the maintenance of the rights of the people, while the other; oti the con trary, wish to retrograde, that every thing should be put in ditipitte, in short that the present should decide all the past, in their favour. Indeed, it would now be said, on a view of the state of public opi• 'lion, that France contains two nations contending against each other : one degree more of fury is only necessary to dissolve:the so cial compact, and a few false mea.nres on the part of Government, are only required to produce a general conflagration. Ou a view of the state of public opinion, and of the conflict of pas sions. there are found , distinguishing shades between the various de. pirtments, between the citizens and the armies, and between the parties and the factions. Minds are more calm in the centre of France; there obedience will he more prompt ; but the Capital must, be considered a distinct class. It is not, and can no longer be the ride and example of the provinces; since a factitious opinion there so quickly takes the place of a real opinion, each, party there finds auxiliaries and accomplices in a momentary triumph ; every thing is to be appre hended from its slightest agitations*,- while what appears its most perfect repose can give but a feeble security. The North has evinced moderation, and your Majesty has re ceived some proofs of attachment; the character of its inhabitants renders it susceptible of disturbance; a constitutional regime,. under the Government of the King, would gratify the wishes of the depart;( silents of the North. The West presents a frightful contrast : a great number of persons in IA Vendee, in Limousin and Poictou, are devoted to the King, but either from terror or from passion, for the last twenty years, they have confounded the cause of the ancient regime with the cause of royalty. Perhaps an imprudent zeal would consider it an advantage to calculate on this awned population, on these credulous simple, and ignorsnt peasants, made soldiers by a long civil war, and obeying their chichi with the most blind submission. Suck an es rot ought to claim the attention of your Majesty. The employment el these soldiers, the support of such an army would lose the royal cause without redemption, because they see there the evident project el placing the cunnter-revolution on the throne. It is, nevertheless, not to be believed that opinion would be nnauiwous in these depart ments. Armed federations have been there formed ; one part of Vie towns is opposed to the °wintry, and those wlw gain would re. gist whoever should attempt to dispossess them. The Royrilisme of the South breaks out in attempts: armed hands penetrate into the towns and overrun the country. Assassinations and robberies multiply ; justice is every where silent; the Adminis tration every where inactive; the passions that agitate alone speak and are listened to. • 'fire necessity for terminating these disorders urgent, for woo the miAiitioe provoked by ouch I:4IASKJI womb' SEPT. 10. . • as the aggresslon.—The Wire order.,_ the Avatars, a portion of h. inhabitants of the small town., the _ashole Protestant population. and those of the Re. formed Religion me ititeristed. The ilepartnients of the Pyrennees wish for neither troubles nor re-action.. A iivi rime, although submit. sive, is of a consti.utionsl sentiment truly, and at Lyons two patties prevail, 'Towards the Eastern frontier, Al.aer, Loraine, the ilirce ricks, Ardennes, Champagne, Burgundy, Fialielir Coin, Danpltiny, pr. sent a danger of a different kind. A mot., opposi tion to the government of the Royal Dynasty is there nearly ge. neral. Twice invaded by foreigners, these departments nave suf= fered more than the rest ; they had rather gained than lo." by the Continental commerce : the extent of their national donnsi:.s made them still more dread the presentations of the ancient p.•,.essor., it was also in these proviticcs that some errors of the toiet. , Mini`. tern of the King, being judged with precipitation. Oiled• excited alarm. It was there. that the war was most national. _ In this view I have only inserted the most prevailing -diniore, some of which are not withont mixture. The Noble nd the Clergy, La Vendee exeepted, have no where any party. • France revolts at the excesses committed in the South. by th..se Is that exclusively call themselves Royal; even their existenets , • a state of rebellion. Fanaticism, civil war, and the counter.sey,: Moats sentiment excite horror every where. Scarcely a ttlitlir • .)f file French nation can be found who are willing to reveri ti , I:se old regime, and scarcely a fifth part who ate heartily _devoted legiti. mate authority. This will not prevent the great majority tt nit) sub. miffing sincerely to your Majesty in your capiroily of C.iJier of the . State. That submission Will be lasting; in the course of joie it will even noisome the character of love rend confidence, if Fraiige . be • constantly governed by litrerel ideas. eminently constitutional, and completely national. On the supposition of civil war, the . R. y,iti:t.•wosilil reign ahso. lute in ten deprtments; in fifteen others the pai t we-mid be ba. lanced; and in all the rest of Fiance only a few baud's!' of Roy. Mists would be - found. opposed to the, great . mass of the, ial , rple. There would be sufficient means of forming a Royal army, how long wriald itsiotairie be maintained, or even the flikdity o that r army preserved, which had been so much .reckoned upon l'iitre are besides a sufficient number of ancient Noble's, or or partis..is of ' the Court in every department, to establish there au appearsote of• - public opinions, • and, even a certain majority in the.Electeral Col., , legea. it must be inferrekl that the party of the Noblesse is still of some importance, when the public functionaries employ all the ef. • forts of e t oveniment to support them; is it deprive(' of that sup. port a the . population absorbs it ; some serious erfors on . 1.4 subject might eirpulate round the throne, and for this reason I endeavour to • excite attention to them. I shall havre other "eCcasiohe to crharac• terise the public feeliwg : I ought. first to speak of the army. Various motives have prodaced the submission of the army ; in some this submission ii a setwere'retunivio: their duty to the King.; in many others it is the effect of necessity; in the greater rimier it is a sacrifice made to the repose of France. It is How wounded and humiliated at beholding its dismemberment and dismissal. That army has been employed in invasion and conquest; rekore is re. pugnant to it; ambition unbounded by fortune had rendered it et. terprisinA and though it had no longer at its head as Genera that isarlike Chief of the State, it could not but long remember its a.leient statxiards. Ought we to strive to place it on hartiumious terms with the other armies of Europe by giving it modest notions, amoral and monarchial point of honour, a stiff of religion for legitio.acy ? Or indeed was it indispensably necessary to diaband• them? This question ought not to be decided by the laws of rigorous jostle should rather consult the art of gOveining the future and the .t asou of state. The fewer old officers and soldiers there . remain in the new.corrs about to be formed, the more disiontent and sedition will he tumid in the midst of the people. It with require a long time befis• 0 the • object is accomplisbed . ot estranging a new spiv from. the jut Tests of the old. The civil disturbances will become much more a i ions in more stormy eiessoesits, and if the clash of the various feed.... be survived, ,every thing will be in a state of preparation for . riga war: under the most favourable supposition, the disbanding a' the army will have the effect of recruiting the brigands, and it is j 'pos. sible not to discover a cause of terror in the mere tact of throwing upon an electric population already so much disturbrd, '200,000 men connected with so many families, who are thus placed in opoo,ition to the Government. No authority could withstand such an inns mense coalition of hatred, passion, ond of shattered said dies cotilant interests. Anotherilangiir will arise from the opposition of the political opis {iioat al Ltte ,paillos and fac tio no, THE NATIONAL REGISTER. ,LIGENeg. be as much applauded 11-ereatt r part of the eniti 3 578