The National Register. — London, England, 1812-02-23 00:00:00

•• 000 - • • MOW, •iitMtittZe • THE ~ . N° 217. . .. . Chief of the BritiOi Patrioti, and the 'admiration of Europe ! you have surpassed my expectations. I had long watched your political exploits with imperial satis faction. I admired that unbending audacity with which you ressted the laws of your country. I hailed a spirit congenial to my own, when I beheld you unmoved in the rnila of a metropolis torn by civil broils in your cause.— Yet my joy•was mixed with fear. T supposed a degree of vigour in your Government, which it does not possess. I dreaded lest they - should act as good policy required, at:el as I should have done, had any of my subjects risen in opposition to my power. The head of the bold rebel should have instantly dropped from his patriotic shoul-. der ; for in such a case the forms of law serve only to de lay the operations of justice, and a trial is a kind of renun ciation of that sovereign authority with which monarch's are invested. It is delegating to inferior, hands that pow er of life and death which resides only in the supreme birds of nations. Sincerely did I rejoice, when I learnt that no other punishment was to be inflicted upon you save that of a temporary and partial' loss of liberty. —The name of your prison, however, excited fresh ap prehensions in my mind. The ToWer of London, the seat of ancient and secret murders, reminded me of Vin cennes, and of the manner in which I treat the pri soners whom I confine there. I feared you might be dis posed of in a similar way, and cannot refrain from won der at the thought that any Government should be so blind as to leave 'a man of your turbulent spirit at large. I however warmly congratulate you on'their forbearance, and I will frankly allow, partly on selfish grounds. I rejoice at the existence of such distinguished patriots in other countries. They are, perhaps unwittingly, my most powerful allies. Friends at a distance, within niy empire they would be my enemies, or must become my subjects. But when their services are truly useful and splendid, I pledge my Imperial faith that they shall be duly rewarded. Every patriot who shall find means, and I make all means lawful, to lay his country prostrate at my feet, shall have the first offer of its sovereignty on the simple . and eas y con di t i on of i mpl i cit obed i ence to my w ill. If lle reject a crown on terms so advantageous, he is no true Patriot, but a worthless intriguer, without any. ambiticin andany prid e , an d s h a ll f or f e i t hi s rewar d. T o y ou , Si r i RANCIS) who have won my confidence, and to whose merits it is my intention to do ample justice, I shall look fur the circulation of this offer among the meritorious No. CCM". Vol. V. NA -~ PRINTED AND rufiL S LT NAPOLEON THE GREAT TO SIR FRANCIS BURDETT; BARONET: • TIONAL REGISTER. itit Writ ? ConOttfutiOri, Aria tabcf. ,ISLIED AT NO. 5, PICKETT-STREET, sritAND, NEAR TEMPLE BAR. NDAY I F E B RAJ A 11 23. 1 SPL PRICE 9it patriots of your • country. Let it inspire them with etnulation f and incite' them to greater exertions.— Let my faithinl COBBETT hear it from the cells of New gate, and' scribble on . sedition with additional fervour. Let not the, thick walls of Lancaster Castle keep it from . the ears "-of those patriotic martyrs, the voracious NERTY, and subscriptioned DRAKARD. Let even the nOble GALE, scarce returned from pulling oakum at I. Cold Bath-fields, learn the reviving intelligence in his shop, and dashitig the, tml.!belled phial from his hand, let hiin hop over his counter, and rush to the British Fo rum, to thunder foal] the greatness and liberality of my offer. Let WHITE record it in his Paper, and the Exa miner; after sportively decanting on national ruin, gravely demonstrate my superior wisdom and generosity*. rer4ps it would not be impolitic to hive a great dinner at the Crown and Anchor on the occasion, in which case you must take the chair. These instructions, I have no doubt, shall be punctually obeyed. I have • already found, among British mo dern patriots and reformers, a forwardness to oblige me, which prevented my. wishes. When they are so dearly expressed, I trust I shall have no cause of complaint against those on whom their fulfilment depends. . I have alreadyi bestowed a well-earned tribute of rial praise on yeur former political achievements ; I shall now advert to the recent part of your conduct, which has -given me so much satisfaci . m. My Spirit, Sir FRANCIS, flies abroad and descries the most privatmr actions of My friends and enemies in every part of the world. More successful than my flotilla and my warriors, ,you see that the pride of monarchy can some. times unbend, it• frequently penetrates to the'very heart of your country, and reads the deepest mysteries of your Government. I beheld the other night with: . indigo::: tion, the message of the Pinxce RgdiiNT proposing t 6 raise my 'most bitter enemy; Le;rd WELLINGTMi, to the, dignity of an earldom, and to grant him an additional pension of Two thousand a-year,..pass.rincppcsed throe-.t the House of Peers! My first impulse was to send* my..Scheldt fleet instantly to ; your shore!, -tobatter your towns and avenge the insult thus offered mei but, on cooler reflection, I thought it might be pc..S ; sible fry vessels should be taken, .instead of executing', - my orders, 'arid therefore checked myself. I followed the message to the Commons, and apprehended it would meet with the same unanimous approbation, when you'. rose unexpectedly, -noble patriot i and as though you had' caught a portion of my spirit, in a strain of Gallic elo. 'quence, you lowered and denied the services of the British General, whilst you extolled the skill and victories of my • WO W. fo r ' g;4-