The Sun. — London, England, 1815-01-07 00:00:00

THE SUN REVIEWS LX.) l'atmin. and SAXONY ; or, an Appeal to the Good Sense of Europe, on the Claims qf the - ging of SAXONY to the Li. legrity and ind.-pendente - of Ms Dominions. Translated from the German. AnOnymons. T. Underwood, Fleet stre-et. Bvo. pit 80. Price 3s. • There is so much in this pamphlet which de serves to be known, and it is so evidently the pi-Auction of a person of better information and greater talents than the ordinary class of political writers, that we offer no apology for laying aside works of general literature, in order to bring it thus early after its publication under the notice of our Readers. It will he rightly presumed from its title that it treats of one of the few important national questions which yet occupy the attention and divide the opinions of Europe—namely, the question of the union of Saxony with Prussia, or the restoration of that country to its ancient Sovereign.—The author is a stre nuous aAvocate for the expediency and justice of the former measure,' and has produced a case which we imagine it will be more easy to censure without argument than to answer by facts or - reasoning. It is in reply to a brochure cm the other side, entitled, " Saxony and Prussia," of which, as we have not seen it, we can have no further knowledge than is acquired by a perusal of the present essay. After vindicating the Prus sian Government from the aspersions which are alleged to be unsparingly thrown out against it in' This p'ublication„, our` author proceeds to demon-, 3trate the scAndalons and besotted attachment with *hich the Kit% of SAXONY adhered to MU- IsTAVARTE 1.6 the last—a matter, by the bye, which ;terns to have strongly recommended that monarch to the zealous support of our honest Opposition and self-named Pat riots, alias agitators at home — Had the SaXon King been true to the cause of Europe, and of the'people under his dominion in the spring of 1813, all the lives that were after wards Jost might probably liave been saved, and the catastrophe of the Tyrant shortened hy an year of almost matchless bloodshed and misery. The drawn battle . of Gros-Gorchen in which 45,000 men were engaged on each side, .might have closed the career of the Corsican, had the 12,000 Saxons at J r organ, and the Allied corps which was detained there to observe them; been united to the warriors ,ivbo cOmtended Oli that brilliant day, against the first efforts made by the Enemy after his disasters in Russia. But owing to the blind and selfish de votiOn of the King of Saxony to the Oppressor of the Continent, the Allies- were compelled to fall back, to yield the greater part of Germany to him once more, to fight several sanguinary battles, and finally to consent to an Armistice, which but for the untamed ambition of the Despot, would . have left him predominant in Europe. The King Of Saxony had right and wrong in his choice he thought that BUONAPARTE would continue to be conqueror, and forgetful of every moral obliga tion, he forsook, or rather refused to join the comin.on cause, and threw himself into his arms. But Ate. was mistaken in his calculations, and his kingdom was Subdued by the victorious Con . federates, Who at Dresden, 'KUhn Nollendorff, Dcnnewitz, Wartburgh, Mocker!), and finally at Leipsig,, acquired a right to .this territory at the expence of millions of treasure and oceans of blood : " For the first time (says the Wtiter), towards the con cluson of the battle of Leipzig, a part of the Saxon Army went over to the Allies, and merely wade more strikin; the accomplishment of a victory which had.ben long since decid ed. At that moment when nearly 250,000 men fought on eac t side, a few thousands could have little weight in decid ing ,'Lie fortune of the day. The AllieS, nevertheless, ae loo„.1,400, with becoming,respect this resolution of the Saxon Arnr,'; in virtue of which they were allowed to remain in their own country, instead of being Compelled to Make a precipitate and elisorderly retreat towards France. ' " Leipzig was ta ken by.storm nest morning. Tin: King of 'Saxon , ' was found in the place, abandoned even by Napoleon; and the remains of his troops were still under arms. There • never was a conquest if t was not "a fair one ; and there are no laws of war worthy of heirig respected among civilized Na- Cons if they do not declare that thi.s seas a fair and legitimate c ipture." Upon these premises the Authnr contends, that Saxony has no pretensions to be considered in any other light than a conquered country, and we confess, in our opinion, the argument is unan swerable. The claims, indeed, so boldly urged by the advocates for the re-establishment of DERICR. AUGUSTUS, in L . 4 lull sovereignty, appear to us to resemble the modest request which an cient history informs us w of Macedon. In those days it was usual to con sign a!ithe prisoners tal;en ip battle to the chains of shiver — . y Pllmtr, alter the victory of Cheronca, magnanimously restored his Athenian captives to freedom .without ransom ; upon which, these mo . &rate persons addressed his 'Majesty, to request that he would also have the kindness Ai? Jeturn them their baggtige. gilt PHILIP naturally • enough thought that this was asking rather too rout try mla negatlveci the -propoiiition, saying, What then, ! did you suppose we were fighting, in Pest."--The truth is, that if the side on which - the King of Saxony enlisted had been successful, his fidelity would have been rewarded by a good slice of Prussia ; and we can really see no kis ticC or equity in the opinion, that haVing failed, he should suffer nothing for his offence. Should, such a rule be observed, and such doctrine be re ceived as the Law of Nairolis, it would render ambition a sure game to play; for a Monarch co vetous of conquest, mig,ht always safely try the issue—if he was victorious, all would be well ;if he was beaten, he would only have to raise an outcry against despoiling laWf.il Sovereigns of their inheritance; transferring -free people like beasts ; and a number of beautiful abstract sen timents which had only one fault, that of not be ing applicable to his case. • But it may be said, that we only assume that Saxony, had her friend NAPOLEON overcome, would bare been aggrandised at the expence of Prussia. This is, however, not an unfounded and gratuitous supposition. What Saxony had done before, she was likely to do again, and her policy in 1813 or 1 . 814, would,, it may be fairly argued, have resembled her policy in 1806 and 1808. The following extract front the pamphlet under review, throws much light upon this point : _ . " The Saxon Court, however, not only hastened to place her troop immediately after the haul.- of Jena in a state of inactivity, but united them speedily afterwards with the Army of Napoleon, and became extremely active in the very same war, to beat down unfortunate Prussia still lower on the ground. " The King of. Saxon,y was rewarded for services so cheer fully performed with the Dneby of Warsaw, theft c'onsisting, (without including-the subsequent addition of a part of Gal- Lela) of one thousand eight hundred square miles, and con taining two millions and a half of subjects, which were.for nierly Prussian: his uew accrasition was, its fact, far more extensive and much more - populous than the Kingdom of Saxony. " The plans of Napoleon against Russia rendered it neces sary that he should occupy a strong position on the itself and this object could not be attained, unless Saxonj • leather assistance by taking upon her the government of the Duchy of Warsaw. This could not be effected by appointing a French Prince to that office, without 3tussia and Austria being provoked to attack the French army before the arrange ments of their leader were fully completed. Far less could he trust a Polish Magnat, who might suddenly, in the most critical moment, declare for Russia. is Two years afterwards, the King of Saxony served- Na poleon as zealously against Austria as he had against Prussia ; and was again rewarded with upwards of nine hundred square miles of territory, and another half million of subjects, which were wrested from Austrian tiallicia, and added to the Duchy of Warsaw. " The occupation of Warsaw by Saxony may be justified upOn the ground that the Polish provinces belonging to Prussia were new acquisitions, and that the Poles themselves were i❑ arms against her; but it must not be forgotten that Saxony was not ashamed to accept of the Kotbus Circle at the hands of Napoleon, which appertained to the oldest and most faithful of the provinces of the Prussian House. Bran denburgh avas in possession of Kotbus and' Peis long before Saxony by the Treaty of Prague in 1635, obtained thel...au sitz as a reward for her apostacy towards Sweden and the Protestant Cause, after the unfortunate battle of Nordlingen. . " Finally, should the conduct of Saxony towards Prussia be ascribed not to his selfish policy, or his unnatural attachment to Napoleon, but to hi inflexible integrity, may we :not be permitted to ask why he should be allowed to display his po licy towards Prussia, and to reserve his integrity for Napo leon ? And if the determination to share every danger with his people . , and to live and die in the midst of them; drew him from Prague towards Dresden, then the head-quarters of Napoleon, wherefore did not the same determination induce him to return'to his States in March, in order to defend them against the Allies, who had then entered them ?" The Author dwells with great distinctness and ability upon this part of his subject, which is in deed the strongest ground til)on Which he can en trench himself. " The world (says he) cannot decide from hidden motives, but only by manifest actions. The King of Saxony had two examples before his eyes, that in the war against Prussia, even in the worst event, he did not run the risk of losing a single village, and twenty examples, that in the league with Napoleon, he had the chance of gaining many, Which of these two motives guided his conduct, the public (1 ,4 not ),now ; but it cannot fail to be remarked, that lie acted as if bis policy was founded upon selfish considerations." And again, a. few pages - further on : ' 4. At all events, no State has the pilvilege which is now claimed f o r Saxony, namely, that she may undertake a most unjustifiable war, anctif, fortunately for her opponents, she fails, h'er 'population is to ire increased two, nay, threefold, while her neighbours, even in the most just and necessary defensive war, dare not infringe upon the integrity of the In vader's States, but must faithfully restore to her all their conquests, even to 'the most trilling village. The rights which the Conquerer acquires over the whole of conquered States, and the person of the Ruler,. when he is ma,:e a pri soner, are nevertheless pretty generally admitted these rights do not permit the vanquished to recover his possessions and libtsty, but 'prescribe a supplication for peace, and intimate that he. must await the decision of his Conqueror." Several historical examples hearing upon this view of the question are next produced, one of the most apposite of which is, that the reign ing House of Saxony owes the Crown to the very same line of conduct which it asserts ought not to be observed towards itself. This, at least, indicates - a notion of the difference between 'mem and lanai ! The next •matter dis Cussed is the conduct of Prussia towards Saxony, fr:tul the period of the Battle of telpsig Oetaher wlilch A it 1S affirmed bas been tempt rate, etriitaLle, and in every respect uptight. It i sbewn that Pru.sia bad, previous to the, late ‘var, been despoiled of !alp: territories on her eaitefn frontiers, elntaining 2,643,000 of hut population, which, up to last month, (Dec.lBl4) had mot ,been restored to her, In this part of the work we read the following kn. , portant passage • "'The public•is not yet acquainted with the future destiny of those countries : decrees and ordihance!" only have appear_ ed,,which shew that the greater part will tie,er again return under the Prussian Government Now when we recollect that provinces thus spoken of, are' i New East Prussia, South Prussia, New Silesia, &c. &c. as well as the city of Dant zie ; and observe, that the Writer may be, esteem-, ed artofficial organ of Prussian authority, the ob- vious conclusion is, that Prussia has consented to the-re-organization of Poland. But to proceed : for the ,sacrifice"of these provinces Prussia demands an indemnity-She declares, that she cannot ac- cent of tit in the distant conquests of the Allies on the left Bank of the Rhine (which pa•oposi- Lion was, originally' made known to the lir!tish public in THE SUN Newspaper)—and continues the Author,— " Saxony alone, of all the conquests of the Allies, can tur nish Prussia with a fair and moderate indemnity for her Po lish provinces. Saxony has scarcely three-fourths of their population : she 'cannot inter, opt the natural intercourse be tween agricultural and manufacturing provinces cleating in the produce of Silesia and the Marches, because she has al most the very 'sante wants and habitudes,. Still less can she interfere with the commercial advantages of Konigsberg, El- • bing, Dantzic, and even Breslau, which the vicinity of so • great a part bf Poland furnish. " But Saxony will give to the Prussian states an my ondisse- , ment on, the western side, which will indemnify her for what ever, by this arrangement, she may lerise in the east ; nor is there any thing to hinder the Saxons from becoming as faith ful subjects of the Prussian states as the Silesians have long been. Then will the high degree of intellectual cultivation of the enlightened Saxon nation become one of the most powerful supports of a monarchy, whose strength is founded, far less upon an extensive territory or a numerous popula tion,- than upon the moral superiority of its subjects. " By all these arrangements Prussia will administer the Saxon States upon the principle of being entitled to them as a suitable equivalent for her Polish provinces, precisely in the saint tv?,y aS Bavaria took possession of Wartzburg- and Ascbaffenbuigh as indemnities for the Tyrol." • - The very intelligent and able Statist, by whose labours in these pages we find out selves so much enlightened, next addresses Ititnself. to the,refU tation of reasons adduced for the independence of Saxony, and against her union with Prussia. Of this division of his work, we shall confine our- selves to say, that it' is worthy of the ta lents displayed in the rest ;. but Ave have gone too much into previous detail, to be able to enlarge upon it, or take extracts into our columns, ile strenuously 'urges the impUlicy of 'Prussia being . satisfied • with a moiety: (')f the country, and vindicates the expediency and jus tice of the whole being annexed to that Kingdom. The only alternative that is mentioned as having' been proposed instead of the total extinction of the Saxon Dynasty, is contained in the following passage, which is new to us ; and as it 'has pro bably been discussed at the Congress, and . tray be the ultimate arrangement det erm i ne d, is welll deserving of the attentiOn of the Public : " Anspach and Bayreuth are not even yet restored to Prussia, and she can undoubtedly take possession of thou with as much justice asshe lUts. Magdeburg and Halberstailt, and her old Westphalian provinces. No cession of these • Provinces by Prussia was ever heard of: the Treaties by which they were placed at the disposal of France have hex: annull ed by the Treaty of Paris. If Prussia, therefore, should think proper to resume the possession of these fine countries, to watch over the interests of their present inhabitants; it will then belong to Prussia to specify the ind a emnity for which alone she will make the sacrifice; and Prussh; will then act precisely in the spirit of legitimate policy, i,f she now demands, as an indemoity fur it, what Austria andßavaria, with Saxony herself, by the TesehenTreaty of 1779,deslined for her in the eventof her not taking the Franconian principalities; namely,- the Laasitz.. In this case the Lausitz, as part el Saxony, will be an indemnity for the Polish Provinces; while the i.,,- deMnity lon Bayreuth and .-In,spach must be _band auxcl , s , the" otiter conqui.sts Gf the Alain recommending this clever production to general perusal, as a pamphlet as replete with use ful informa'tion, and as clear and distinct itt its view of foreign politics, wrapt it present in so much myste'ry, as any that 114,s yet reached us front the Continent; and briefly stating that it has found a very competent and able translator, we- shall with one quotation loons take our leave of it. This may be considered as promulgating. the plan of the New Government of Prussia ill her acquired pro vinces " The party who wish to restore to the King of Saxony only :a part of his dominions, including Dresden. on the principles of generosity and moderation (setting aside all i.:ea of right) desire something, which is as contrary to the iote tests of the Saxon nation as it is to the interests of the tin- fortunate Royal Family themselves. " Prussia can leave Saxony in full possession of her own Constitution ; she can respect 411 her claims to - nationality ; she can promote all the improvements which the nation itself wishes, and, under its own inspection; she can - continue Dresden, the pride of Saxony, in possession of alt its privi leges, white the smallest of the Saxon towns shall retain their peculiar advantages also. It would be absurd to anti ciliate every measure which the Prussian Government may think advisable when it takes possession of Saxony. Bat we cannot avoid briefly pointing - out what may in all probability be dune, in order to give Saxony the full advantage of - lwr new situation. " A Prince of the Prussian Family will bold a Cc-art,' as Stadtholder, in Dresden ; the Land Colleges will remain as before, as well as one of the former .garrisons. The Saxon 'Universities, Leipzig and Wittenberg, may be united together •at DreSden, and their revenues may be plac.s.d under the ad ministration of the Dresden Authorities. The Diet wilt also meet at Dresden, and consist, as formerly, of - a due proportion of the Nobles and Citizens.. file old divisions of the codotry, with ail the institutions tonnded thereon, may remain unal tered. On no ace:mitt shall any tie be broken throiigh which the warmers of the -age have rendered necessary." 1 1 0L1cr, INTELLIdENct. TIOW-SriIEET. On Thursdatafternoon, about foUr o'clock, 't yount , man of respectable 'appearance, 'went into the Stop of Mr. Barrow, a pawnbroker of. High. nolborn, and requested to look at some goldi Hugs, I3e was sinr.vo a tray, containing a number. He fixed upon one of them, but offered: a strn considerably under its Yalne,'which waste fused, lie then left the - shop. Immediately aftcF a ring of the'value of 21. was missed from' a cart` containing S.Y. or eight others. The s hopmaa immediately followed, overtook him, and request ed hint to return to the shop, which he readily consented to ; the shoptnati, however, seized 16'1 hand, and found the ring in it, with a string card. lie was given great tened to it, corresponding with that torn from r-l 0 `into the custody stable, and on being brought to the Office, was recognised as John Eggleton, a well Itl l °` v character, and committed for trial. . of a CORD. Thu. Cutter/was - charged with creating a distal . " bance in Drury-lane Theatre, on•ThursdaY even ing. —The check taker of the two shilling galit'rY stated, that the prisoner had, for nearly two hours, made su c h a n o is e that he disturbed C:V(-r1 person itt the gallery ; be also threw pieces of orange and other things into . the pit. He " 5 solicited. t o b e qu i e t, b u t th e return was abusi ve language,, s a yi ng , he came there to kick UP a row. In the att em pt to turn hint out, he violent l assaulted Dickon s , belongin7 to the Office. Th fc prisoner is hostl er to t h e Mack filar3e, . at c ite top of the City-road. His defence was, that strange people. stood no beldre Mr. lintsrE considered that the prisoner vas proper person to be made an example of; for the repeated disturbances that had been nta.de at both the theatres, having gone the re f or the - purpose of making a disturbance. He therefore held hiftl to bail, to answer for the offence, and he hoped Air' Raymond and Mr. Arnold would indict `1 hose Gentlemen agreeing in the Magistf•ate suggestion, he was committed. HAT TON-GARDE`. . Daniel M' DO nald, apprentice to Mr. 'Mala n/ Bedford, Goldbeater, in Ardersgate-street, ‘" 35 charged by the latter with disobedience to t>> s orders, and refusing to do his work ; t he prison er having once before been brought air similkic complaint before the Magistrates, and then for: given, at the request of his master, he was dr time sentenced to 14 days imprisonment t he House of Correction. Wells and. Houghton, two boys, were charg e ' on suspicion of stealing two umbrellas from the shop of Mr. Cox, Judd -street, Camden-town , b d . t prp t i ) i s e e r c s u ‘ t w o e t . e n ( o l i t s caigagainst v t i b y et a n t , t er t iri t E l h " ged; Wells was taken into, custody by a Bow-street °W eer, on information against him,' for being c° o ; cerntA with four others now in custody , felony. WORSHIP-STREET. Mt. S. De Costa, a respectable- Gentleman ill the City, appeared to a summons for passing with a one-horse chaise through the turnpike-gate P-Ingsland-road, and refusing t o p a y the toll. Els, Justified himself in so doing on the ground bat the toll was not due un til after four o'clock, AA that it was an imposition oil the part of theTtl3.t to ask it. J. Ell iott, g ate keeper, and . `rums , inspector of weights, pr t oved'upon oa t h , that. the time %vas one minute past lour o'clock by the dial provided by the Trust, ‘vhich is (10(4 locked, and no, other person has access to it b 111" by whom it is ' re g ulated, and by 'wh ut they go in all cases, - The defendant was convict ed in the penalty of 40s. and costs, which he pid. On Tinesd4 last, as Richard Agent, ger, was coming, from B6wyer-Inne,Camb erwell ' to the Horns, Kennington, he was stopped 14 three footpads, who, atter knocking down, beo' ing, and robbing him, threw bini over a nedg e ' and made MI. COAL MARKET, JAN. 6. Ships at Market. Ships sold. Price. dm, 20% Newcastle 5 Sunderland .......4 495 Od. to BIRTHS. On the Ist inst. at Killynon, County of Westmeat h ' land, the Lady of Captain William Miller, of the Royal Ar lery, of a daughter. A Christmas-day, at Stangrotind, Sttmford, the L O " ; William Strong, Esq of a sot) and a daughter. tDc On the sth inst., a t hi s h ouse i n U pper H ur l e y- s treet, Lady of George Smith, Esq. M P. of a son. , 11+IARRIED. On Tuesday, Captai n Dench, of the Royal Nat)'• -t° NV° Lydia Mitchell, of Cambridge. v.ll Ol On Wednesday last, the Rev. Henry Atlay, of St. John's C o ll ege , Cambridge, to Elizabeth Rar'r t 'i tr cond daughter of the l a t e J ames Novell, Esq. Ba rr '' - w. pl . to At St. Mary, Newington, James Franklyn, Etel• It , r tb. Mary, eldest daugter of NVilliam Hles, Esq. of Vi 7. 3',cbeb7ires. On Tuesday, the 3,1 inst. at Winterabourne,Glottoe4,% late Alfred Hardcastle, Esq. to Ann e , on l y d aug hter 0 1 Edmond Cobb Hurry, Esq. of Hoilyhill, Hants, oeft*' At L'Ocutta, ou the Ist July last, AL'lt. lioulton Be n sc ot Esq. of the East India Civil Service, and nephew to V i e j o pit Galway, to Harriet Anne .Shak e sp ear , d a ughter 0 ' Shakespear, Esq. Southampton. On tile .3d inst. at St. Mary's Church, Dublin, JohnDr%ir4 Esq. of Percr's Hill, in the County o f A ntrim , t o Anifal t daughter i, f the late Sir John Maeartney, Bait. DIED, A of i • At Agra, l the EaSt Indi e s, on the 6th July, the La-: Lieutenant .1. Tylor, fte Eneers • ' P r On e Fri n day - mor a ning, o at h n the ho gi C use of his brother in e re 14?tte-street,l3lounishury-squar e , after eighteen months sett of visitation of affliction, M r . J o ini War n er Waskett , 13 Hockha W in, in the county of Norfolk, aged it ge , On ednesday s e 'n n i g bt, at hi s rooms in Queen's C°oll Cambridge,' in the Val year of his age, Basil Anthony', - son of B. A. li!•ek, Esq. of Leeds. ' , „ of On the 30th December last, William Markham, -P 6 ' . of Becea-lodgei Y or k s hi re , e ld est son of the late ArchhishoP York. On the sth inst. at his house at Camberwell, in the O c ,,' o ve r tt' ' of his age, Win. Angell, Esq. late Deputy of the Ward a ,- t C h i i t i y i t o . f at i lo d r o s i l , . " am , Sir Bysshe_ •thrthe lath ult. - of a fever, caught hill, o n i i t i h t e h 5 e pr..fession Mr. Peter Bruce of the Surgean4 of • one iL ,t • Greenock ' Hovital. • - • dq 7 re- 1 On Saturday last, at DAwlish, Mrs. Prowse, - age i ' of the late Rev. Thomas Prowse, Vicar of that pansy inStleeYXel3;eLirste. 01 tll4 LONDON : 1 , 1 lt.cd I,v .1. B. CARSTAIII.S, No. Al; buildings ;• ptlLl;sited hy - W. A. SCRIPPS, of ", at the Sus-OFFICE, N. 112, Strand; where Aor e , e d, roentz, Ott!er, Luc ;post-paid), ,Sce. Joust atidit:,s* •