The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1804-08-22 00:00:00

INNommimm

FIUSSIA AND THE CONTINENT.

rot-
I '•
)17.

In letters from Vienna, St. P tsa •burgh, and
Stnekhol-n, th? impolitic conduit of Prussia is cen-
sur•. I, sad regarded as the princi? al cause GI the
pre eat unsettle I and o?presse I st re of Europe
It as' ,s. on 1 tul,t, ia hopes of escaping the genci:ll
wr- ':, that Prussia abandoned her allies to it, in
17)5, ai i signed at Basle a treaty of neutrality.
which was to put an end to h anxieties, expenses,
and dangers; but, situated as affairs now are, to
remove A dell eaky is not to overcome it; on the
contrary, it is to increase it. The Emperor has not
lost a h ittle, which did not rebound on the throne
of Prussia ; Bonaparte has not distributed an iii-
de.naity, obtained a conquest, or extorted a con-
cession, that did not shake the pillars of all lawful
Sovereignty. The neutrality of Prussia has con-
spired to extend the progress of revolutionary con-
quests and subversions. It has augmeated the a•t-
dacity, sitaported the a:nbition, and organised the
usurpation of B.,siparte, and with it the slavery
and misery of the Continent. To what does Prussia
owe her transient calm ? Ti, the indifference with
which she views the ravages of a political tempest,
which is rapidly advancing towards herself. Bona-
p irte, busy in destroying Europe, by piecemeal,
does not disturb the precious slumber of an intimi-
dated King. while 'le is pulling down monarchies
and republics, gland duchies and eleaorates. But
soon armed from their spoils, with their population
and their riches, he will uadouite.lly crusts the
isolated power who sh dt have coolly looked on,
while her bulwarks were destroyed.
Me Cabinet of Berlin, as well as all well-in-
formed polo:l64as. foresee this catastrldae It
would be to suppose the Prussian Ministers destitute
of u idsitah ling, to believe them still under the do-
tm• on of illusioa; but tile torment of this foresight
is the necessary efts& of their peace with Prance,
and their connetlions with Bonaparte. We will
venture to say more ; it is their chastisement. The
King of Prussia's three hundred thousand soldiers,
his ten millions of subjeds; the allegiance of use
one, ant the valour of the other; the abi!ities of
his Generals, and the sagacity of his Ministers,
would have th•own a decisive weight into a confe-
deracy of ,:u's!ic safety ; but thee will not aid that
of a grain of tins', on the day when Prussia shall
behold Boel.,aste, the French Republic and the
aas ...icing a-breast, against her tardy
resistance. dad repels her natural allies, seems to
blush at her uniaa with the oppressor of nations
and of Kings a dares wither fight against him, nor
accept his assistance; traces the line of demarka.
lion ageless the Colossus, that lsewi,les the Cont:
went; loses herself in chimerical fears; shuts he-
eyes to the nearness of her danger : cannot sattsf,
Bonaparte. but by joining in his mormi:ies, an.t
will fall a trinirn to her irresolution. if the Powers,
whims she refuses to assist, be immoveable as herself
" tys Mnntesquieu," " m tile a con
scant tralric of fie fear of the Romans." If w
were ta compute what cow 'niece has cost the con-
tinent io contributions, plunder, emetions.
requisitions, gratuities, indemnities, pccuniary re•
demptions, and useless expenses, to preserve or ob-
tain peace, vet:should find funds adequate to twenty
campaigns. When to the notes presented at Ra
tisbon, we join a million of Austrian, Russian, and
Prussian soldiers under arms, we very well see, that
they are not the French who ire suVigating Ger-
many, and who hare eisslaved Italy, Holland, and
Switzerland, who, in the Sotto' of Europe, snake
Splits and Portugal tributary, and who, in the
Ni,:th, ruin Hanover, and pillage the Hanseatic
cities.

And what have these largevses of fear pro-
duced ? these irrational and ridiculous calculations,
by which so many powers keep Bonaparte in pay
by the means of their subjeCtion ? Many of them
are already sutsverted with the money laid down to
purchase their safety. The same fate awaits them
el. Has one of them recovered any degree of se-
curity ? Where is the basis they hoped to acquire
by treatios ? Do we ever negotiate with conflagra-
tions, or enter into agreements with earthquakes?
Has any advantage com:sensated for the disgrace
and ruin attendi..g tho,e intrigues and negotiations
for a continuance of peace ? Is it by raising
the contempt of an enemy, that we are enabled to
resist him ? Is it with diplomatic tatters we repel a
revolution, a. i.sed with principles, backed by incen-
diaties, sedut. rs, and cannon ? We must reveal
the secret of the Continent. The higher classes of
society, dignit.iti.:l„ opulent proprietors, prelates,
generals, ministers, and even more than one Sore-
re:gni join in i_:..eading republican tyranny and
plunder, less that the risk of resisting 'hem. They
leave them to an irresistible f ; a:-.41 effeminacy
and inattivity coni.srm to a dogma, which dispenses
ith every effort. -lacy are the Greeks isZ
' lVhen Mah:::net I:. approached their wall:.
th-, ',toted their Fanpet refined him succours
frog• ~,'t weaTi, kept tre.attres for the Ottomans,
with vil,ch they might Lee paid armies of de-

fenders, and quarrelled among themselves about
the two religions. It is to this continental fatality.
this extraordin fry lethargy must be ascribed. Weary
of their irresolution, the Sybarites give themselves
up. Each feeds a hope of individual safety amidst
the general destruetion. Some of them even coolly
compute the tributes. losses, and disgraces, to whis:h
they expect to be condemned. But this stoicism is
still succeeded by anguis'i and alarm. To the tor-
ment of doubt is added a moral depression, which
extinzuiches even the will to be delivered from it.
Illusion and terror succeed each other in the same
day. As without moving, so without pain, do they
see empires dissolved in the crucible of the revolu-
tion, religion. thrones, senates, dignities, morals,
society, and property overthrown. They do not
allow themselves to breathe a complaint, lest it
should be beard on the other side of the Rhine.
Pru*nee enjoins the potting up with humiliations,
outrages, and the moat disgusting enormities. All
energy consists in hiding their heads like the os-
trich, and in escaping the revolution by turning
their backs upon it. Insults, such as the invasion
of Baden,. the occupation of Hanover, and others
which, in former times, would have mal^ courts
and nation; fly to arms, are tolerated, glossed over,
and sometimes even assented to. Has any quiet, or
at least any security, any hope, been the reward of
this turpitude ? No ; they purchase courage to-day
only to tremble to-morrow. Is an unjust at over-
looked. it gives birth to others still more iniqttiv-us ;
because the measure of tyranny ever exceeds that
of cowardice. Neither governments nor individu-
als are sure of their fate for a month together.
They are loaded with the shame of affronts without
having the consolation of finding that they lessen
their dangers. Uneasiness, therefore, appears upon
their cnuntenances ; dread annoys the enjoyments of

frivolity, and chastises them for their system of self-
ishness. All sentiment is painful, and the ex'res-
sion of it restrained. Such is the deplorable state
into which they are thrown, that, amidst a hundred
public papers, and thousands of daily paniphl As,
devoted to excuse the crimes of Bow irte, to ap-
plaud his plans, to vaunt his power, to insult his
enemies, to contribute to the success of the philoso-
phical fooleries of modern rep thlicanism, not a pen
dares to write in defence t.f social order. Every
mouth is gaTged. and every truth sealed up by the
awe of the unplaints. In reading this faithful
detail oft unfortunate situation of the Continent,
how justly proud have not Britons to be, not only of
their spirit aid unanimity, which prevent the feroci-
ous Corsican U carper from heMg an universal ty-
rant ; 'spit of the prospen, that the;r endeavours in
the cause of honour and virtue, w;11 fin illy be
crowned with succe,s ; and that the brave defend-
ers of their own rights w:11 become the generous
deuverers of enslaved Europe.