The National Register.
London, England, 1808-12-04 00:00:00

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THE NATI9NAL__. REGISTtite

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EMBER 4,18 US.

No. 49.

SUNDAY, DE(

POLITICAL DisQulsrrioN.

tion of superior abilities, she maintained a decided prdpOne
&tante over her rivals; but as soon 84 Ihdt period cesaed;
which lasted from the beginning of the fir4t Median till
towards the conclusion of the Peldphaesian war; she suck
into insignificance and debility. From the epoch of the
capture of that elty by Lysander, Sparta exercised the
most inconceivable influence recorded in the arthatil de
nations: That small community, consisting of ;thing
30,000 active citizens; though the dins of Littlfguil halt
lost considerably of their purity and effect, exercised UM
most unlimited controlsl over the tlands and the Ciintis
tinent ; confirmed and displaced Kings on the Eglptiatt
Throne, and meditated the subversion of the Mighty tin=
Aire of Pertia; During this intbtval of her greatnesii; hdt
Councils were guided; and her Armies conducted; by
Agesitaw; ;--ene of those wonderful then, who, in what.,
ever country they appear; arc sure of raising it td
distinction and ?superiority. However before the dole
of his splem+Sd career, the apparition of A Still mord
ettrabidinary mortal, in a state not remarkable for
such appearances; destroyed in an instant the prtpohi
deranee of Sparta; and the magic (Meths of her institationst
the fame of her virtues and exploits; the Martial spirit of
hee citizens, and the distinguished abilities Of their lender,
were unable to resist the stiblitne ascendancy a Epatninoti-
das. Thebes figured for crone years after the death of het'
Nero, till Philip of Macedon and his son raised a new efe-
pire on the ruing of Greece and Asia. This observation i 4
so general and bile; that vie do not find a single exception
td it in the pages of history : even the inilitary Virtues of
Rome cduld oppose no impediment to Hannibal, till she
produced a citizen of equally inperior abilities. After the
decline of the Roman empire, down to our own time; the
remark holds true; and it is only necessary to name Char.
lensasTne, our Edwards and Henry; not to target the Mike
of Marlborough, Clisstavut Adolphus, and Charles XII,
Turenne, Peter of Russia, Frederick 11 and lastly Bona-
parte, to be cOuvinced that the genius of a single
dual is sufficient to raise even petty comMunities to great-
ness ; and that the most powerful anti Opulent states, with
armies remarkable for their dis6illitie and courage, can
effect nothing, Unless their institutions, civil and mil's.;
,tart'; offer encouragement and facility to the groii-th of in:
ktllectual superiority:
We May Illy it down; thetefore, ag tin Exitirn; that the
resource; of the stuck extensive and populous empires, to.
tether With numerbui and fotmidabld armies, are insra4
cleat; in moments Of extraordinary emergency, for their
prdserVation; unless keniug Prealdeit Over the war depart•
ment, and the direction of the Military force be entrus!ed
to offieers of tried e*periencd and abilities. Whibst we cOn•
skier the above remark 84 an incontrovertible truth I 'wc
think, at the same time; no idea trove eminent:4; air Mu•
sory than the haeknied one, that a certain or a ref.-
tain climate, is wore peculiarly adapted for. the cultivviort
of talents th:mn others, General maxim,: Of this kind, :IS
favourable to sloth and egotism, ntr, therefbre,
tsilaittgty
believed arid industtieutly.ftevatated 3 but a little reCee-i

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*UMBER FORTY=EInIIT.

DUB. ARMY AND MILITARY ARRANGEMENTS.
• (('oncfaded from our last.)
Nothing can be more dangerous and criminal than at-
tempting to commend, or palliate the defects of political
establishments. There is, perhaps, no kind of flattery more
pernicious, or execrable than this; because the prejudices,
presumption, and obstinacy of communities; iu proportion
as they are.more comprehensive; may be said to be, in al-
most the same degree; more inveterate than those of indivi-
duals. Where conviction it so difficult, and frequently
painful, even offensive; where; cOnsequently, rekormation
basso many impediments and prejudices to encounter, that
even well intentioned, and ardent individuals, shrink
from the duty, and almost despair: of its practicability.
If this be adopted as a general maxim of political; as
well as moral philosophy,. equally referring to every age
and country, it is peculiarly applicable to the present time,
when only the 11411 exercise. of public virtues, the undivided
and well-applied energy of sound institutions, arc adequate
to bear up the state against the storms that assailit.
In adverting, however; to the defects or ieet or so:.
tial and political institutions, or. proposing remedies for
their eradication, it is necessary to proceed with the caution
end delicacy; shewn by physicians in the treatment of ca-
pricious and obstinate patients, labouring under habitual
diseases ; besides the whims of the sufferer, he has all the
prejudices, scruples, and impertinence of supposed friends,
to encounter. Besides these difficulties, the ptftitical
writer is constantly exposed to the misrepresentations of
malignity, and the insinuations of selfishness ; he is, there-
fore, obliged to devote a considerable portion of the time
he would enyloy in the investigation of hiK Subject, in
endeavouring to acquire the confidence of his readers, in
order to ensure a favourable reception to the truths he
wishes to disseminate. Quitting our digression, which
will appear, perhaps, displaced and ututecessary, we will
resume the subject of last week's disquisition.

In no social establishment has the influence of genius
been more immediately or directly felt, than in 4fie mili-
tary. horn its extraordinary effects on the operations of
armies, we were almost tempted to say, that perseverance,
courage, bodily vigour, and patience under privations and
fatigues, • Were almost nothing ; we maintain, however,
that these great attributes of the soldier, never produce
• any considerable result, unless they are enli teneiii and di-
rected by ;,renins. The justice of this observation will be
instantly acknowledged, on recurring to the events of every
War, both ancient and modern. The Greeks were invari-
ably successful against their neighbours, because their: insti-
tutions favoured the growth of talents ; and that state had
always the ascendancy among them, in which circuritstances
favoured that culture, or accident produced it spontaneously.
An long as Athens retained, in any kind of vigour, the insti-
' Int,i"s a Solon, which were so favourable to the propna.
`'oti L— No, SLix•