The National Register.
London, England, 1809-05-21 00:00:00

TIIE NATIONAL REGISTER.

MAY 21.

ing ou the 2d, pushing on its advanced guard to Etlerbeug,

and the rernaindoi has reached Hied on the road to Wells.

The Archduke CRARLtS, according to the French Bulk
tins, has retreated into Bohemia, and the consequence is,
that .the road to Vienna is open to the French. It is very
intelligible why the Emperor NAPOLEON should press on for
Victim:L..lf he can gain the capital, as gain it he will, he
intercepts the army from its best source of supply. The
machinery of Governiflent, and particularly of the collec-
tion of the revenue, is too complex to be transferred about
with ate head-quarters, and if the Emperor FRANCIS lose
Vienna, he loses the means of paying his troops, and per.
haps of keeping the field. The French army is at present
divided into six bodies, which are severally commanded l)
BERNADOTTE, DAVOUST, MASSENA, BESSIERES, LANNE4,
and LE FEDVRE. The four last divisions are in full march
upon Vienna, and are commanded by BONAPARTE in per-
son. The Archduke enAtti.k.s, on the opposite side of the
Danube, is following upon the flank of the French army,
and is apparentiy waiting an opportunity, when he may
cross the river and act with any advantage. In Italy,
on the other baud, the advantage is on the side of
the Austrians; they have routed the French wherever
they have met them. The Archduke JOHN had taken Vi-
cenza, and was rapidly advancing along the Adige, when
he was compelled to fall back by the •intelligence of the
misfortunes on the Danube.—There is every reason to be-
lieve, that he will make good his retreat into the Tyrol.
In the Meantime, the brave Mountaineers of the Tyrol
are 'fighting' with their characteristic ardour, and if pro-
perly seconded, we have no doubt but that they will elect
a most material change in the face of the war. If all the
Austrian subjects were animated by the enthusiasm of the
Brave Tyrolese, Austria Would not be subdued by ten Bus A-
PARibIS. Li the northern part of that country theyhave indeed
already succeeded by the confession of their enemies, in
throwing oil' thc.yoke of their new masters. They have
taken Lindau and Bregenz, invested Kufstein, pushed
southward as far as' Trent, and sent predatory parties
into Suabia: If the population of those vast districts,
Which 'have been subjugated by the French armies,
and of those which they still • threaten to overrun, could
but be made sensible that their deliverance is in their own
power, and that the cause is worth a zealous and vigorous
effort, how soon Might the aspect of things be changed !
That they have this conviction lye do-not believe, and it is
solely because we are' persuaded that the people of this
Country are animated with a very different spirit, that we
trust we Anil escape sharing in their fate.*
All the private letters agree in staling, that the war had
commenced with great advantage to the AtiStrians in the
North. After having succeeded in their attack upon the
Grand Duchy of Warsaw, they were on their march to
Dantzic. The same loiters affirm, that the Prussians had
commenced movements in favour of the Austrians. Some
accounts maintain', that 'it is the Prussians, and' not the
Austrians, who are marching towards Dantzic. We are
afraid to believe that either assertion is true.
Tile ARCHDUKE. Cris Es, having fallen back across
the Danube, iustea'd of across the Inn, has reduced the
French to a disadvantageous dilemma, either they must
pursue their route to Vienna, in :Thich ease they leave him
to recruit his armies, and to hang on the flanks and roar,
or they mustfollow hit4S in which ease they abandon their
course to Viedtsa. This motion was certainly mph more
;.••

incy.
J-9

judicious than world have been the interposition of his
broken army between the capital and the French.
If the Kingdom of Hungary be as enthusiastic as is report-
ed, there will be no apprehension for the result. Surely a
nation of thirty millions are not to be conquered by any
army in the world. If the Hungarians come into the
field with good hearts and solid patriotism—if they
fight as irregular forces should fight---if they avoid regular
battles and seek skirmishes—if they break when attacked
in a bidy, and re-assemble when beyond the immediate
•ursuit of an enemy—if they follow this plan we shall have
uo fear of their ultimate success. It is next to an absolute
impossibility that a nation, unanimous and rising to a man,
should be conquered. But one important distinction
should be kept in view : the nation may, and indeed should
rsiotantasse, but it must not fight en masse. The asto-
oisitiiig victories of the French in the early days of the
Revolution, were not obtained by the nation fighting in a
mass; the nation fought by its armies, and when those
armies were thinned. the nation rushed forwards, and
tilled the vacancies of the ranks. In every war, inasmuch
as war is a science, the battle must be fought by armies;
the let, en masse must come in ag subordinate to the regu-
,ar military, and must not occupy itself. A mere mob,
fighting as a mob, would be nothing opposed to a re-
;iilar army—a regular army of one hundred thousand men
would annihilate a mob of a million—their superior num-
bers would only be their incumberance.

There is a very general report in town that Marshal
SouLr had surrendered to S:r Ap WELLEsLcv, but we could
n 4 trace it to any decided authority—Nothing, however,
's more prob thle. It will be almost miraculous, if he can
effect his escape. The following Letter contains all the
information respecting Portugal which his yet arrived.

" Ltsttov. MAY 5.
" All the French troops have left Oporto, except 3 or 400
men, who are merely left to do duty in the city, some having
gone towards Amarante, and others to Pinkeiro, where by the
last accounts SOULT had his head-quarters. They had heard
liat the English were advancing fast, in con.equeace of which
ney had taken strong positions, as if they intended to make great
r.sistance. S rttt lm been victorious in every action with
the enemy, and on the ;29th ult. the Bridge of Amarante was still
in hi. pos.es.ion.
" On th- 30th ult. or Ist inst. Sir Ro urns Wit so N was to
join It at tae head of .7030 turn. Cat loaded with wounded
Frmich!nen are daily arriving at Oporto; all the convents and
hospital. are tilled with them ; only four or five vessels have been
oit!oaded, and the wines are deposited in the Company's ware-
-1.911,e5. It was intended to have unloaded the Whole; but on
the. rapid advance of the English army, every thing was sus-
pended, and all the vessels secured by placing guards on hoard.
l'he City of Oporto was quiet, and the people in high spirits, ex-
pecting to see the English once more. Sir A. W ct.t.t:st.t:v ar-
rived on the 3d inst. at Coimbra, and has placed himself at the
head of MOOD English, and 8400 Portuguese were expected on
the following day. We expect daily to hear of an action, and
consequently of the surrender of Sont.T and his army. It is
sail that Vic Tort has been recalled from Spain, and that Sr-
n Isl.' AN I is appointed to succeed him. American vessels arrive
ell Oporto daily; their cargoes do not sell : they consist chiefly
of cotton. rice, and flour. The cotton and rice will go to Eng-
land. Several vessels are expected from Liverpool fur the pur-
pose of taking them away."

Several SwHish Journals have, been received by the last
Gottenburg Mail, which arrived on Friday. They con-
tain, howover, nothing of any importance.
In Finland, the Members of the Diet have given an af-
fecting proof of their loyalty fa their late Sovereign, by
refusing to take the oath of alliciltire