The National Register. — London, England, 1808-12-25 00:00:00

SiS THE 'AT, as we carried on evea the appearance of a negociatiou svith I France. Whatever the intentions of the Court of Vienna had been previous to thr meeting at Erfurt'', there is every reason to presume, that these overtures must hate con firmed her in her system of neutrality, if that had been her intention; or deferred, for more than three months, her adopting a more vigorous system of• policy, if she was willing to resist the encroachments of the tyrant. • The only justifiable excuse-Ministers could have in de- ferring this Declaration, was their wish to reclaim Ilexall der, and to know his sentiments relative to Spain. Their repugnance to believe him so totally depraved, as not only to acquiese in, but to approve . a, the usurpation of the Spanish monarchy, is a high panegyric of their feelings; though it furnishes no proof of their penetration. " It was " difficult for his Majesty to believe, that Ihe Emperor of " Russia had devoted himself so blindly and fatally to the " violence and ambition, of the power with which his lin " perial Majesty had unfortunately become allied, as to he " prepared openly to abet the usurpation of the Spanish " monarchy ; and to acknowled.re and maintain the right " asouned b'y France to depose and imprison friendly so " vereigns, and forcibly to transfer to herself the allegiance " of independent nations." How could Ministers entertain a single doubt of the weak ness and infatuation of that besotted prince, after he had been guilty of the unparalelled meanness to quit his capital, in order to compliment, or rather do hoMage to, the very ruffian who was guilty of such atrocious perfidy against the Royal Family of ;:pain. When all Europe expressed abhor r once, even Frenchmen appeared astonished at the baseness of the action, this very Alexander made a journey of . I'2oo miles to embrace Bonaparte and assure him of his a ..quiescence. After such revolting indifference to his own to the feelings of hi s su bj e cts, a n d t o th e outrage c,,einiitted against another sovereign, it would be inure than silliness to expect any thing honourable or great from such an individual. We therefore read with no surprise, that part of the Declaration, which says ;•-•44 With asto " nishment, as well as with grief, his Majesty has received " front the Emperor of Russia a reply, similar in edect, g• although less indecorous in tooiw and manner. The " Emperor of Russia :•Iso inatiws liaNurreetion, the gloriOns effor:s of the Spanish people in behalf of their legitimate Sovereign, and in defence of the independence Sg of their country thus giving the sanction of his Imperial " Majesty's authority to an usurpation which has no par " allel in the history of the world." Notwithstanding the astonishment expressed at the meanness and folly of Alexander, we are convinced that Nr. Canning possesses too much penetration, too solid an understanding, to be surprised at any weakness in that infatuated prince; but he wiThed to expose to Europe, par ticulary to the Russians, and that with a tone of moderate but dignified reproof, the sliameful and ruinous vassalage of the Russian ~ f idacrat. There is net one of his subjects, who roads this Declaration, but must blush with shame and degradation, at th , r unexpected transmutation of a descen dant of Czar L'cter into a vassal of an obscure adventurer from the small town of Ajaecio. It is an extraordinary change ; and the most unjaftifiable and unnatural event in our revolutionary age. This priuce, if he possesses less intellects, has more good fortune, than his predecessors, if he escape the effects of' the indignation, which his present' conduct must raise in the breasts of his subjects. . _.11• ±_i. Ti ) ;Tt-R . . • Dr.C. 23. FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE. AMLRIC.A. PTI.ESTDIENT'S M uss Gr. Iv A 5 num ill , Nov. 7.—Both iiimses made a quorum this forenoon, and basing appointed r 1111 l rnetit., to the sident from each Nouse, they adjourned after their C mmittees had retiiincil with an amts er, that hew fluid send a w Fit ten coin. intinieation to-morrow (Tuel•day.) ' Nov'. 8.-I'his as ncual, at noon, the folio win ;; m es . agf . , with the t•e% ral documents accompanying it, was presented to both Houses:— ~rl:Sß:lrr. " TO 11IE SENATE. ANI) At' TirrRT:SENTATIYI:S or TUE I`NITED STATEs. " It would have been a source, fellow -citizens, of murli tification, if our last commitnications from Europe hail unaided me to inform you, that the belligereut nations, lio:se disregard of neutral right has been st`i destrurti% e to our commerce, had become awakened to the duty and the Idic\ of revoki ug their uorighteous edicts. That RID mentis mip.lit be omitted to produce this salutary effect, I lost no time in availing myself of the Art authorising a suspensor, in w hole, or in part of the s e v er; ,l Embargo Laws. Our Ministers at Louden and Paris there in structed to explain to the respective Governments there, our iiisposiiion to exercise the authority in such manner as itoulel withdraw the pretext on which the aggresinns!Were on inallt founded, and open the is ac for a rencttrut of that commercial in tercourse, which it was alleged, on all sides, had been reluctant ly obstructed. As each of these Governments had pledged its readiness to concur in renouncing a measure, which reaciaul its adversary through the iiicontestible rights of neutrals mil v, and as the measure had been assumed by each as a retaliation for an asserted acquiescence in the aggressions of the other, it was rea sonably expected that the occasion would have been seized by both, for evincing the sincerity of their profession;, and forre storing to the United States its legitimate freedom. The in structions to our Ministers, with respect to the different Belli gerents, were Necessarily modified with a reference to their dif ferent circumstances, and to the condition annexed fiv law to the executive power of suspension, requiring a degree of seeurit. to our commerce, which would not result from a repeal of the de caves of France. Instead of a ',sledge, therefore, fora suspen sion of the embargo as to her, in case of such a repeal, it was prestnned that a sufficient inducement might be found in other considerations, and particularly in the change produced by a compliance with our just demands, by one -Belligerent, and a refusal by the other, in the relations bets\ een this other and the United States. To Great Britain, whose power eu the ocrao is 4o ascendant, it was deemed not inconsistent a ith that eon,li lion. to Stale, explicitly, that on her rescinding her orders ni relation to the commerce of the 17nited State, their trade would be opened with her, and remain shut to her enemy, in case of his failure to rescind his decrees also. From France no answer has been received, nor any indication that the requisite change in her decrees is contemplated. The favourable reception ofahe Propositions to Great Britain was the less to be doubted, as her Orders of Council had not only been referred for their ira tion to ars acquiescence on the part of the Utdted States, no longer to be pretended ; but as the arrangement-proposed, is hilst it resister the illegal decrees of' France, invoked, moreover, sobstantially the precise advantages professedly aimed a t by. the British Order*. The arrangement has, nevertheless, been re jected. " This candid and liberal experiment having thus failed, and no other e% eat having occurred on which a suspension of the Im burg() Its the Lxecutive was authorised, it necessarily remains ill the extent originally given to it. We have the satisfaction, however, 10 reflect, that in return for the privations imposed by th , measure, and which our fellow-citizens in general h ave borne with patriotism, it has had the important effects of saving our mariners, and our vast mercantile property, a* well as of atford he; time for prosecuting the defensive and proviSional measures called for by the occasion. It has demonstrated to foreign nations the moderation and firmneis which govern ou r Counclls, and to our citizens the necessity of uniting in support of the la vs , s and the rights of their country ; and has thu s lon g frustrated those usurpations and spoliations which, if resisted, involved war ; if submitted to, sacrificed a vital princip le of our national independence. Under ;t continuance of the Belligerent measures. which. ill . si Clancy of laws w Welt consecrate the rights of peutrals, ayer DE ....... rprra► (;en; thing the 1. ett•cu• unerr %%. choir 1%1 ir ft:lo‘ alter; all th jest ,trust laid I e plt Chesr sn ho :Ludo . liriti was i nor b gel): br relit and, X9l ~tlll :truce %sir') he lei caled derg( porL suspe t!,t• e JuWn :fir e =irr, , ireu decid wed• c!eatl ac at will Saes, m• t, z t 'reel 1.6;41 f comit from and c mein finP3 for (I bawl' more circa Sion; with We Long' stirii for b pr, +••) rs ( plate voila A tip prop, r.LI ~