The National Register.
London, England, 1809-11-19 00:00:00

THE. NATIONAL REGISTER.

The.Penduig Negociation between this Country and the
United States, has not only the difficulties of adjustment,
but those of transatlantic etiquette, to contend with, in the
way of an amicable termination. Mr. JACKSON had not
been introduced to the PRESIDENT, nor could the confer-
ences commence until the meeting of Congress; if we are
to believe the last accounts from that country. The
French Ruler is not inattentive to these impediments, and
is said to have made, lately, some very favourable overtures
to General ARMSTRONG, the American Ambassador at
Paris; whom he admitted to his presence immediately
after his arrival at Fontainbleau, and treated with unusual
marks of distinction. The French Journalists already anti-
cipate as certain, the entrance of America, into the Mari-
time Confederacy against Great Britain.

We should not feel the least surprise, were an advertise-
plea to appear shortly, offering a very considerable reward
to any one, who can give information, where the British
army, which was lately in Portugal, is at present, 'end what
it is doing. It is most unaccountable that the Public are
But favoured with a single communication relative to the
object and the movements of our troops in the Peninsula.
To keep them in Portugal, under the pretence of defending
it, is a matchless absurdity; and harmonises, in abominable
unison with the whole plan of British interf3rence in the
Peninsula. If we will secure that Kingdom from an inva-
sion, it is not by keeping our troops there, that they can
perform that service; but sending them into the heart of
Spain to assist the Patriots in opposing the invaders. If
they are discomfitted, dispirited, and broken to the will of
the tyrant; a handful of British soldiers, however brave,
will not prevent the enemy from seizing likewise Portugal.
There has been something superlatively wrong and studi-
ously blundering in the plan and conductof our co-oper-
ation. We did, in every instz:ice, the reverse of what we
ought to have domi; and seemed, as at bEliards, to have
agreed at the commencement to play the losing game.

BUONAPARTE still remains concealed within the awful
nimbus of majesty at Fontainbleau. This seclusion has
revived the reports of his mental derangement ; and per-
sons arriving from the French coasts, are mentioned by
the daily prints, p corroborating the account of his dan-
gerous indisposition. Even a Regency is already spoken
of, at the head of which JOSEPH BUONAPARTE is to be
placed; and the tyrant is become raving mad at last ! I
Such are the sapient observations of the public prints; and
such are the chimeras to which they give circulation. That
tic may be indisposed or very much exhausted from the
fatigues of the late campaign, it is very natural to ima-
gine ; but bad he been in the state he is represented ; and
tie circumstance should remain unknown to ours, and the
other governments in Europe, it would be one of the
most flagrant proofs of the incompetency and inutility of
our Foreign Department, that could be produced. 800-
NA PARTE, whose least movement strikes a terror into his
puny competitors; whose nod seems to regulate the desti-
nies of Europe, has been insane for these three months;
and our Government should be totally iguoraut of the ex-

NOY. 19:

isteace of .his disease 2 Indifferent as our opinion is of the
intellects, or vigilanc4 or activity of that body we do
not entertain so very couttunptible an opinion of them, as
to think them guilty of such 'gross negligence. • •

For our part, we invariably discredited the report of his
madoess ; and we certainly do not believer it now. It is
most .astonishing, that Count-BeoNA; or the Prince of
LICHTENSTEIN, should not have remarked wine extraor-
dinaly pranks, or some alarming vagaries of his, during
the conferences they were admitted to at Schoenbrunn.—
Or, is there method in his tuaduessi In that awful state,
does lie retain so much command over himself as to coun-
terfeit sense and decorum 3 Oh ! our sapient Editors !
They want a little of the brains they have deprived him of.
Is'it, at the same time, probable that the King of SAXONY
should be invited to leave his capital, in order to visit the
Corsican at liontainbleau, if there were any foundation for
this absurd tale? Or, should the other Kings Ivid Princes
of the Rhenish Confederacy receive a similar invitation
The story is of so miserable •a texture, that it is not con-
ceivable, how men, pretending to sense, should for a mo-
ment believe it.

Bo oNA fun:, like every tyrant and usurper, withdraws
himself more and.more from public ken and curiosity.—
Majesty [MIS:. be surrounded with a cloud, lest the intrud-
ing eye of the vulgar might discover, a wretched, helpless,
afflicted mortal, like the rest of men. We have reason to
suspect that 13uoiv Artam is not altogether satisfied with
his good city of Paris! and that his agents have transmitted
him accounis to Schoenbruun, which contained no flatter-
ing proofs of the affection of the Parisians for his person,
or sceptre. Our Readers must know that the report of
BuowArARTE'S madness had prevailed in Paris for a consi-
derable time. It is very probable that her talkative inhabi-
tants (lid not display lhe circumspection and respect in their
comments, which the tyrant thought himself entitled to.
lie never entertained much esteem or affection for the
Parisians; and their murmers about the new Conscription,
their petulant remarks on the injustice of the Spanish war,
their sarcasms upon his madness,. and, above all, a reviving
dnglontania, in the first and fashionable circles, have con-
verted, what was before contempt, into hatred, blended
with that bensation.

Exclusive of the Princes, the great Church Dignitaries
of the French Empire, are to assemble at Paris. • It isa
tk"refore, concluded, that the present Pope• is to be tie-
posed, and Cardinal Fuse►!, half-brother to lIVON APA RTC'S
mother, is to be raised to the Holy See. This circumstance
is very possible, and that some iunovations in the rites of
the Catholic Church, are in contemplation, we likewise
find no difficulty in believing. But we reject, as absurd,
the proposed marriage between BUONAFAUTE and the
Princess of SAXONY. if this alliance were intended, .ka-
rillNE would net be allowed to visit Fontainbleau; somo
decent pretext might have sent her to the hot baths at
Aix-la-Chapelle, or even to Heaven; but she would not have
catered Fontainbleau, had it been the iutention of her lord
and master to repudiate her. _ _ _

We have not. heard that any official notification has been
given of the Usurper's ideation to thrcct iu person the oiler-