The National Register.
London, England, 1815-06-25 00:00:00

SUNDAY, JUNE 25, 1815.

N.. S9l.

BRITISH VICTORY.

REVIEW OV ALL THEOPERAVONS OF THE CAMPAIGN.

It is in the midst of public rejoicings:, and surrounded 1
with the blaze of illurniaations, that we have to proclaim
the commencement of hostilities. Success has outstripped
Ilepe herself, and we have learnt at once our struggle and
our triumph. Neither have we been backward in our
acknowledgments. The voice of national gratitude has
already spoken : the thanks of the empire are gone forth
to our heroic Commander, our invincible army, and brave
allies ; and whilst they prepare for fresh combats and fresh
victeries, triumphal domes shall rise to welcome the con-
querors at their return, and monuments shall perpetuate,
not the names of those who have fallen, for they are writ-
ten on the hearts of mankind, but the memory of our
thankfulness and admiration. To us devolves the pleasing
task of tracing back the footsteps of our warriors, and ad- li
ding to the general exultation one beam, kindled at the
view of the dangers which they have encountered, and the
difficulties which they have overcome.
Anxious to anticipate the arrival and junction of all the
allied armies, Napoleon left Paris on the 12th, and on the
13th reached Avesnes, where his head quarters were
established, within ten miles of the frontiers of the king-
dom of the Netherlands. Contrary to our expectations,
he made his first attack in that quarter, but he also met
the fate which we said he would encounter if he directed
his efforts against us. Ile has, however, found defenders
in Lord Castlereagh and Earl Bathurst, for having adopted
this plan, and the reasons on which the former supported
his opinion are of considerable weight. "It must be it
felt," said his Lord.lhip, " that there was in this case
something in the situation of the hostile armies, which
without at all detracting from the high merit and military
skill of the great Commanders, who placed the allied
force in the position it had occupied, gave the enemy a de-
cided advantage in the first instance. The war not having
actually commenced, though certainly it had been under-
stood it was immediately to break out, had caused ar-
rangements to be made different from those which might
otherwise have been thought necessary. The combined
armies, it had been found expedient to distribute where
atistenanee*could most *conveniently be proc
Vol VII) No. CC.GZCI.

WSW

r~ ~ .

.

.

PR trr

then situation of things, their policy was evidently to act
on the defensive ; and consequently the Power which had
to choose the period for acting on the offensive, must ne-

cessarily have an advantage over them from the extent of

- -
'heir line, in that part of it against which it might think

fit to direct its first attack. A person, in the situation of
Buonaparte, would naturally, anti, he might say, properly

consider, while contemplating the operations about to be
commenced by the armies now assembling along the %hot*
line of the frontier of the country under his controu►, that
the course which it was for him to take was that which he

(Buonaparte) had determined upon taking-. Whatever
might be the risk of assailing the armies under the Duk•

of Wellington and Prince Blucher, it was obvious that if
he could bring them into action before they could be sup.
ported by the armies. advancing to co-operate with them,
the chance of success would be greater than that which
would remain to him after they had actually got up.
Buonaparte considering this had certainly formed his re•
solve with all that judgment and decision of character
which belonged to him, when he determined on the for.
ward movement that led to those operations whirl) had
terminated so gloriously for the British and their Allies."
It may perhaps be added to these reasons, that Napoleon
had received particular instructions from the party who
have replaced him ir. power, (for notwithstanding their

oaths of obedience, he is still but a tool in their hands) to
endeavour to crush our army. ". Wellington once de-
feated," said one of their organs a fortnight ago, " there
will be a revolution in England." So little were they ac-
quainted vt ith the superior abilities of our Commander, the
undaunted firmness of our troops, and the public spirit of

this country.
On the 14th, Napoleon celebrated the anniversary f
Marengo and of Friedland, not by adding fresh !atm els to

his military crown, but by issuicg a General Order, in
which he reminded his troops of those battles; complained
of his own generosity in sparing conquered Kings and re-
storing them to their thrones ; roc alled to those who had
fought against the Prussians, that at Jena they were one
to three, and at Montrnirail one to six, and the. e who
had been prisoners in rngland, their confinement in our
hulks; assured them that the Saxo h the
Hanoverians) and the soltlier4 01 the Confederation of the