The National Register.
London, England, 1813-05-02 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

Rumours of great events, but unfortunately sprung only '
from the wishes of their propagators, revealed in the early
putt of this week, the agitation and anxiety of the public
mind. Scarcely was it known that NAPOLION had left
Paris for the seat of war, when it wins confidently. .asserted, he
bad been muideted on his way. The avengers of the world
were vasiously represented, sometimes they were French
Peasants, whom the late Conscriptions had exasperated to
madness, sometimes assassination was supposed to be the
result of an extensive plot, which had also swept his child
from the earth. At whets, a German patriot had dealt the
blow, and the report began to gain credit, when the arrival
of the French Papers, stating his reception of several vassal
Princes at Mentz, on the 17th and 18th ult. dissolved
the any hope of the Tyrant's fall. This rumour then
being given up as- untenable; another followed, of an
equally encouraging nature, but unfortunately equally un
found, d. The approxima, ion of the hostile armies had
rendered a see y appeal to the sword pi ; an account
of a decisive action in which the gart ison of Magdeburg was
stated to have lost its a sot tie, not less than 17,0(0 men in killed
wounded and pi isoners, was therefore circulated, as at best
only an ant,cipation of a certain victory. Former advices
had, however, rendered this intelligence less 'credible.
It was known that the French force at Magdeburg did not
exceed 7,00 t), and it w4s theiefore difficult to conceive how
it could have lost seventeen in a sortie. The next arrival
from Germany info. toed us, that there was no other founda-
tion for this tlatteting rumour, than an attempt made by,
1000 teen out of that fortress, to
.seize some hay on the
river side, in which 'hey were repulsed with the lose of a few
killed and some prisoners.

The next piece of intelligence was of still greater impor-
tance, but haupily came in a more official form, having
been tiansmi•ted to Government by Mr. COCKLURN, our
rnittistei at Ilamlugh. it stated the sun ender of Dantzic,
but without any date or particulars. In importance, it tran
scends eveiy disaster that the French have experi-
enced since the passage of the Beiesina. Dantzic con-
tzined all the battering artitlery.and munitions of war which
they had prep:lied to effect the conquest of Russia.
It also enclosed the select remains of their veterans, and
as long as it continued in their bands, rendered the opera-
tions of the Allies in Germany insecure, besides paralising
a large portion of their strength. On its protracted resis-
tance NAPOLEON depended to recover the Duchy of
\l'aisaw, and its loss, which will probably be followed by
that of Thorn, Spandau, and Stettin, which are now inces-
santly bombarded, will compel him to alter the whole plan
of the next campaign. Ile had nbeady sent NEY with se-
veral strong. divisions of new levies to penetrate along the
frontiers of &hernia into Silesia, and unite with the Polish
army at Cracow, after which they wee to dAcend.along the
Vistula, raise the siege of Thotn, the block:id... of Dantzick,
and drawing their garrison to the field, would have formed a
force of 80,0o1► men, in the direct tear of the Russians,
interrupting their communications with their country, and
Compelling them to fail hack to restore them. Fle must
now recall Nty, w-oild find no fort' es to receive and
no oarrison to join him, and a new plan must be formed,
Which will give time to the Allies to carry on offensive ope-
rations with greater success, and with a powerful accession of
force, otic all the corps they had left behind to watch Or:
besiege the places in the possessibn of the French. The
Campaign will there ore open under the most favontalile
auspices ; and shoe d success attend the Russian arms in the
rst general engagement, all the neutral Powers would, no

. ,

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doubt, profit by the opportunity to recover their lost pro-
vinces and hasten the downfall of Gallic despotism.
In tbe course of Friday afternoon the town
.were gratified
with the following Bulletin, announcing the surrender of
Dantzic:--

" Government received this lIIOIIIIIIE, from our Mini4er at 'Ham:
burgh, Mr. QoctutußN, advices, stating th.,t General TETTENBORN
had pin received a dispatch from Geuer..l NV ITTGENSTEINL inforin-
ing him of the most important ta.•t of the surrender of Dantzie by
capitulation. The particulars had not I:een received by General
Witrc ENSTEIN, but would .be forwarted to Hainburgh the moment
they reached him."

The expected arrival of the Crown Prince of SWEDE!; at
Stralsund on the 20. h or 22d ult. and the actual arrival
his Staff there already, are announced in an official manner
from Berlin; and fi am the same authority, we. learn, that
there are not less than ge squadrons of Rnssians march-
ing through East Prussia, and SO battalions still on the frau-
-
tiers of Russia.

.

About the 16th ult. DAvousT made a demonstration of
'furling from his pnsition at Saltzwedel, toward Ultzen ; but
he was met by all the Russians and Prussians, who had marchq,d
out of Luneburgh, together with others who had crossed the.
Elbe at Wei hen and Lentien ; and the combined movements
of these troops compelled him to retreat on the 18th, through
Getr horn to Brunswi( k.

General BLucit ER'S light troops are particularly active.
His hussars lately dashed into the city of Gotha and afi.er-
wards entered Cassel, the capital of .IEIIO M E's drHlll iOIIS.
General BLUCHER himself has moved his head-quarters to
Altenburg, which brings him somewhat nearer to WITT-
CIENSTEIN ; and at the same time WINZ INGER° DE has oc-
cupied Leipsic, where he has issued a•Proclamation, threw-
ening the strict enforcement of retaliation on the French, iu
case of any violence committed by them on the inhabitants
of Germany.
If we could trust to a Leipsle article of the 18th tilt. we
.should gladly enumerate the King of SAXONY among. the
adherents of the good cause. But he is too much attached,
we fear, to the system which has invested him with the Royal.
Crown, to joiu in its overthrow.
The Emperor Ar.EX A NDER was, on the 15th ult. at Lie-
ben, having the day before crossed the Oder at Steinau ;
and the King of Paussr A, it was said, was to leave Breslau,
on the 22d, to join General BLVOIIER, and fix his head-
quarters at Meissen.
• The Catholic Bill was, on Friday, presented by Mr.
GRATTAN in the llouLe of Commons—read a first time.
ordered to be printed, and read a second time on the 11th
instant. It enables Roman Catholics to sit in either (louse
of Parliament, and to hold all civil and offices, upon
their taking and making a certtin Declaration and (}ath,
instead of the Oaths of Allegiance, Abjuration, and Supre
macy, and the Derlaratio•ts against Transubstantiation and
the Invocation of Saints, required by the present laws,
c.rnpt the Lrfice of Lo; d High Chancellor, Lord Keeper or
Lord Corn- to.,ioner ot. the Great Seal of Great Britain, or
f Lord Lieutenant or 1.,0id Deputy, or Chief Governor or
Governors of I r eland Roman Catholics are tiso to continue
disqoalified to hold or to preseitt to any office, benefice,
place, or dignity, belonging to the Established Church, or
the Church of Scotland, or to any Ecelesiasii, al Court of
Judicature, or to any of the Universities of this Realm, ()I-
to the Colleges of Etou, Westminster, or Winchester, or to
any Coi!ege or School of Royal or Ecclesiastical foundation
within this Ream, otherwise than they are by the law, as
now existing, qualified to bold or present to the same. Mr.
C.AISNING provw..ed Kreial supplementary clauses, not hos-
.