The National Register.
London, England, 1812-09-06 00:00:00

354

tably, that the progress of his right had not kept pace with
that of his centre and of his left for whilst his centre had
occupied all I irhuania, and reached the confines of Russia
Proper, and his left Samogitia and Courland, and entered
Livonia, his tight was reduced to the defensive in ‘rolhynia,
where it had met with some severe checks and partial de-
feats, and 1 waere it was now reported the Russian troops from
'Wallachia had arrived. To advance with such a collected
force in front, and such a powerful army driving in his right
and threatening his rear, would have only served to increase
the dangers of his situation. A victory might relieve him,
but the late sanguinary engagements 11;:d taught him to
doubt of success, and the least repulse in a geocral battle
'night occasion his ruin. In his present position, his left
..vas secure, and his centre, in some measure, checked the
ther advance of the Russians in Volhynia against the
Duchy of WarFaw, as by inclining to the right he might cut
them off limn the main army posted at Smolensko, and fall
upon them wi:h sopetior numbers. Ile therefore halted.
not to refiesh his troops, but through mere incapacity of
tafely proceeding farther, except with his left, which might
undertake the siege of and if it obtained pos,e,sion
of
that town, might move forwaid along the shores of the Bal-
tic. Ile had probably also another object in view. Whilst it
-would have been too dangerous to march upon Smolensk°
and engage the Russians there, he might deem it safer to
entice them back upon 'V itespk, and. receive their attack
-on a field of battle selected beforehand by himself; where he
might have concentrated a sufficient power to prevent defeat,
if not to ensure victory. This opinion is corroborated by
the following report given in a contemporary publication of
BUON APART ES speech to time EgP LRO R of AUSTRIA,
wben they met last at Di esden, " I know all the plans of
the Emaanottof 'Russ, A, he wants me to go to Moscow,
and to get in my rspr, but I know better, I shall do no such
thing : I will give them battle first; but if I cannot bring
them to an engagement, I will not proceed." De fancies,
perhaps, that this show of indecision and timidity will de-
lude his antagonists and enable him to repeat the fatal blow
of. Austerlitz ; but the Russians are now armed with expe-
rience and on their guard against his manoeuvres, as well as
able to encounter his armies, and notwithstanding the un-
accountable procrastination of Sweden, which leaves the
Baltic coastauninvaded, BUON AP A RTE may be now consi-
dered in the most perilous situation in which he has ever
been placed. Seated on the giddy pinnacle of fortune, a
single breath may now blow him down, and as he has to con-
tend with severer storms than have ever vet assailed his
power, hope may at last venture to assume the language o'
confi4ence.

FRENCH PAPERS.
Trench Papers to the Ist inst. have been received, They
contain no Bulletin. The intelligence from Witespk, how-
ever, comes down to the.l6th ult. at which time no general
engagement had taken place, and the only news from, head-
quarters was, that " the Emperor and King continued well."
From W ilea, August 19, it is stated, that Gene: al To RIVI A SOW,
after defeating and capturing the Saxon advanced division,
had had a very serious engagement with General REG N lER
and the Austrians uuder Prince SCHWA RTZENBERG, in
which he had been completely beaten, and suffered an enor•
mous loss in killed, wounded, and prisoners." This report
is repeated in letters from Paris, of the 30th ult. but if it had
any foundation, it would have been officially announced in a
Bulletin, and not left to be noticed only in private letters.
A regiment of Lithuanians is raising at Grodno, for the
Imperial Guard. Have the latter suffered ao much already
that they must be reinforced by new levies ?
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