The National Register.
London, England, 1811-05-05 00:00:00

ON THE PROBABILITY OF A WAR BETWEEN

RUSSIA AND FRANCE.

The general cry now is, that MAssr,NA having
been driven Out of Portugal, a war between France
and Russia must unavoidably ensue. The general
hope, as expressed through the medium of the press,
is, that such a war may be on the eve of commenc•

ing, and that the military movements observable in
the North of Europe, may be its certain forerunner.
On the necessity of a renewed contest between these
two Powers, if the one wished to secure its extensive
conquests, and the other to preserve the remnants
of its national independence, we have long since
expre.:sed our opinion. We have often been found
sanguine, but seldom wrong in our expectations.
We still preserve our sentiments unchanged on the
ii ;:voidable necessity of a vi ar between NAPOLEON
and ALEXANDER, but we think its period is now, or
at least ought to be, rmoved to a greater distance
of time than when we first treated on this important
subject. The favourable hour is passed, when hos-
tilities might have been opened on the part of Rus-
sia with an encouraging prospect of success. The

alliance of the Houses of Austria and France was

at first most unnatural, being produced by force on
the one side, and dread on the other. It might
.•
• `reasonably have been expected that, compelled to
resign his daughter to the embraces of his Con-
queror, the Emperor FLANCIS could not he sin-
cerely attached to his interests, and' would, there-
fore, not heartily oppose any effort N•vhictr Russia
might make to restore the balance of European
power. The case, however, is now widely diffe-
rent. The birth of the young NAPOI,ON has not
only drawn closer the ties of blood which united the
two Imperial Houses, but subdued, or rather .gra-
tiCed, the p-ide of the Austrian Monarch, who now
deems his situation as grand-fathtr to the future
Sovereign of France conducive to the honour and
interest of his family. To the honour, because
among Continental Princes, ambition, instead of
justice, has always formed a leading principle of
thought and action ; and when NAPOLEON himself
shall be laid in the dust, the means which he has
employed to reach his present elevation will cease
to be remembered by his crowned vassals; who have
vol. /V. CL.X.XV,

knowledge of them. To the interest, became the
ascendancy which the Archduchess of AUSTRIA
had gained over the mind of her Consort, in-
creased by the birth of her son, is now almost
unbounded, and . has revived that female influ.
ence, through which the Members of the House
of Hapsburg. have always endeavoured to govern
the world. Devoted to the interests of her family,
she is become the palladium of her father and his
empire. Should death soon snatch the Imperial
Crown from Nitro', EON, she would remain sole Re-
gent of France, and therelore all powerful to serve
her country ; and not only during the period of her
government, but in future years, by early impressing
her own national feelings on the mind of her sor.
Should,- on the contrary, NAPOLEON live to direCt the
education of his, successor, stillohis near affinity to
the Austrian House would be a pledge of the sup-
port which it might expect from hint on his acces-
sion to the Throne. Defeated in all his attempts to
regain his cot flier greatness and extent of territory
by the sword, FRANCIS has now resorted to a line of
policy far more effective than war, and through
which he has already contrived to impose fetttrs on
the will and plans of his conqueror. He deems it
now his interest to uphold the vast fabric of the
French empire : and when interest pleads, justice
may thunder forth its claims, but in vain. From
him, it is therefore clear that Russia can now expect
no assistance, open or secret, but a decided and
powerful opposition. But it will be said, if FRAN-
cis 11. be resolved to support his son-in-law through
every continental war, what use can there he in de-
laying a contest which must unavoidably take
place, and at any time be waged with the united
forces of Austria and France. The propriety of
delay depends on other considerations.
Had Russia declared hers,:lf towards the close of
last summer,- when, as we have already seen, the
interests and views of the French and Austrian
Emmons were less intimately connected together;
when, in order to put at once an end to the cam-
paign in the Peninsula, NAPOIXON had sent an int•
mense force into Portugal ; scattered numerous
bodies of troops in every quarter of Spain ; and thus
weakened, not only his army in the North, but the
strength of his fortresses, as the heavy artillery em-
ployed in the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo was brojight
from Magdeburg, the chance of success would have

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