The National Register.
London, England, 1813-12-12 00:00:00

SUNDAY, DECEIVIBEIt 12. 1813.

to make peace with a foe, who has noticept any of the trea-
ties which he had signed, and who has frequently declared
that England and the French Empire could not subsist to-
gether, you must have been considered as uttering one of
those common place accusations, which only proceed from
those who aim at popularity. But now that wise and vigo-
rous messures have hastened the day when our country may
hope for a solid and honourable peace ; now that the Conti-
nental Powers, (with whom the enemy never signed a peace,
unless its first clause were a declaration of war apinst us) are
leagued with us to compel him to' fall hack within his an-
cient limits ; now that the praise of having enfranchised
Europe, descends with the assent of all nations on pa- -
tient and energetic England, you demand for her implacable
foe, for him who has so often sworn her destruction,
and who, at this very moment, charges her with the eman-
cipation. of the Continent from its shameful yoke, as with
an heinous crime—for such a man you demand an honourable
Peace ! It was the first, and I trust will be the last time
that such a proposal shall be heard -in the British Parlia-
ment. It is not there that the interests of France are to be
discussed ; but since you thought proper to make such an
appeal to our national generosity, allow me to put some
questions to you, which, if answered when you shell have
another opportunity of delivering your sentiments in }oar
place, on that important subject, may give you a juster
claim to the popularity which you have laboured to attain,
and which, lam apprehensive you will not find greatly en-
creised in consequence of your late application in behalf of •
NAPOLEON.
First then, Sir, allow me to request you will expl.lin what
3ou understand by au honourable Peace for all the Bellige•
rent Powers, the present Frencli Empire included ?
If I do not mistake the views of the Allied Powers, and
especially those of England, who, through the system con.
ceiced by Mr. PITT, and followed by his successors with
unyielding perseverance, has at last checked the torrent
that devastated the world, the, object of the present war is
to restore, either on its ancient foundations, or on a Dflr
and more solid basis, the balance of power ha Europe.
Spain is not yet delivered, although our immortstt
WELLINGTON has planted the British standard on the
French territory. A portion. of Germany is still occuf
pied by the troops of France, and though we may -an-
ticipate the day when the independence of Holland will
be secured, the enemy still holds a strong line which he may
defend a long while, before he can be reduced to beg for peace
at the price of all his conquests. His kingdom of Italy has
not yet been penetrated, (as the provinces which the
of
-have reconquered on the Adriatic shores. formed part the
reach empire), and until Austria be able to send a larger

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army into that country, there is but little hope of its libera-
tion. You cannot therefore have intended to designate the
present, as the proper time for treating with N A pol.EOs ;
and I must yiu the justice of owning, that. when you
agreed that all the resources of Britain should he placed at
the &positl of the Executive to prosecute the war more
vigorously, Ynti Must flare foreseen that the enemy would
only sign a peace when he should be reduced to sue for it.
• • .•
But since you seem- convipced of the necessity of 'edu-
cing him to that situation, in order to ()limit' a solid peace,
what kind of peace, c wistent with honour, do you
think the European can grant hi;n lezfore the ar-
rival of that period ; ilis reverses have not lowered his
pretensions. this frontier, on the Spanish side, is invaded,
and vet instead of recalling for its defence the army which
still occupies a portion of the Peninsula, be orders new levies
to oppose the advance of Lord ssV EL LI NGTON ! ,rrhe armies
which have driven him from the heart of Germany, threaten
to enter his French territories, and yet he continues
to declare himself.the Protector of the Germanic confedera-
tion ! Ile made war to enslave Europe and will sign no peace
that would rob him of his conqueSts. The present is not a
• .c.)rumon war. The revolutionary government of France has
slot fought to procure a mere em rcasc of power, but
urii-
versal dominion. The object of the contest is not therefore
only to reduce. the French power; but to establish and
secure the independence of Europe. Reflect then, sir, on
the exhausted state of the Continent at the end of the war,
:even supposing that its close should be at hand, and that
'France should he compelled to shrink-hack within her an-
cient limits. Think on the manifold advantages which the
'latter country possesses to repair her losses in less time than
would be required fur the other Powers after their long and
ruinous servitude. 1.04 at the triple line of fortresses which
cover old France, and the garrisbus of which form,even in time
of peace,a unlike! ous arms' ever ready to invade G errnany. Con-
sider that an usurper who owes his elevation to his warlike
ex-
ploits,and who, to preserve his power has rendered France a na-
tion of soldiers, will always find plausible pretences to infringe
• any treaty. made with his neighhourr,. But reflect particu-
larly on the peril which we must incur by making peace
with BUON AP AET E at this moment,. and restoring three
hundred thousand *prisoners to a .military col:meander, who
liar proved that be.never kept treaties, acrd who can only
secure his-throne and his power by external wars.
IN QU ISITO R.

OR NG!. BOVEI4 ally means-" Orance upper-
, moil" The Zealand flag consisted of three stripes. white,
Hue, dad OPMIgN. • When The House of Orange possessed the,
- mitts of Government over the United States, the orange
stripe was placed uppermost on the flag. When the ri•
I,oner De Witt vas at the ham, the orange stripe was'placed
Lelow the other: hence Ortute Mi-cen ! became the rally-
ing cry of those who weie attached to the House of Orange.
PUBL'ICREVENUE.—An' official aceonnt laid befoie the
house of ConiMens, states the amount of the net produce of
• the po-mailent taxes in Creat Britain, for the year ending
the 2.-4.11 of 0, tuber, 18114•, •at :7:3,745,.',281. 16s. Bid : and
: - for the scar enditrA the (2,5 th of October, 1813, at `37,533,3('61.•
•a2s. 114.. a deticiel;cy of-about 900,0001. The same
p• account states the total mount of the net produce of the
war taxes, n.r the year ending the 2:)th January, 1812, at
15,821,5321.• 14s. fold. ; r.nd for• the year ending the 25th
24,140,A81. As. W(1. being an inctease
• ••• 11, &bola ale >ametult •deficiency in the permanent
es. Thus the net produce of the: iVehlit. reventie
of
eat Britain for the year eliding the lath Octulie..., 1813,
ruirA 0,,1.)341. 1&. c.2d .

~, • %
INAI, riEGISTE 1 . • c. \

FOREIGN I G ENCE.

-..,wtw.

DUTCH PAPERS.

Am‘TERDVSI, DEe. 26.—Yesterday, td about three o'clock,
hi= Serene Highness the Prince of Orange made hie solemn entry
into the capital, throngh tile gate ot Haerlem. ender the roar of
artillery, and with the ringing octal the bells. The joy was general
among all the classes el' the inhabitants ; the numbers ot the
populace that were assembled, and Clew to every part win re Itii
Highness passed, were past description : the joyful acclamations i f
Iluz:a ! Ormtje Buren ! and Long lire Prince William the First,
Sererrigm Prince of the Nellurlonds, wire uninterrupted: The
whole city will be illuminated this eveniite.
FRENCH r;:‘R BAerrIES.
Woeenese Nov. 30.—Wednesrlay the .4th Inst. urns certainly
the most dreadful day ever known le thie town, and which has bet 9
prodnetive ot. general sorrow and extreme misery. On the pre-
ceding evening, about ISO men of the natienal guards from the
Hague, with two pieces of cannon, appeased before this town, and
demanded of the Frc;icli Commandant, who had poeeession of it
,vith ;bola 2eo men of his own nation, to surrender it.. This was .
complied w.th, and on the same evening the town received its new
earrisoll. On the tollooine, lour:dug, being ,he Vth of November,
this new garriser was unexpectedly surprise .1 by a very nutheroue
body of French troops from Utrecht, provided with some pieces of
artillery, and eftsr a smart skirmish, in which !eerie men tell on both
sides, taken by storm. Now commenced the dreailtlil plunderine,
devastation, and inhuman murders. The licenses which mild nut be
opened on account of the doors and N% indoni having been fastened,
were beaten open by artillery; cabieets. eheets, and boxes. were cut
awl broken open ; the ready money, et:coined gold aed silver, jewel",
linen, and clothing, stolen ; valuable 'papers destroyed; glasses,
china, awl other earthenware, broken arid de own into the Streets ;
the poor hdisabitants, already trig:.tened almost to death, and
begging for their lives, were forced to discover where they had
secreted their other valuables. Death and destructimi had at length
penetrated' into evevobabitation : the blood of the most virtuous
husliamis and fathers, of the beet mothers, of grey-haired bncients,
of tender infants, stained the walls of their peacetlil hathitations, and
streamed out of the houses along the streets. Four and twenty in-
habitants of this little towne, which had 'already suffered by the bar-
bariaue, were cruelly murdered without any reason gii en for such
proceedings. About 50 others were womeiedimore or less severely,
several of whom must certainly die of their wounds.. it even the
ministers of any religion were spared although they had fled to the
altar. Old men of upwards of eighty years, infants in their mother's
:risme were immediately shot or slain by. the sword. A woman in
child-beil, and who would have been delivered of twins, was deli-
berately shot through the body, whilst laying in her bed, after bay-
log encovered her, and Aire bedetead set on tire, after miserably
inurderine the mother and her offspring. No tears' of the poor
crealttres begging 'for mercy, tin of kneeling eitildien,- could
soften the hearts of those miscreants ; who, on the contraty. and
with loud laughter and derision, disgraceful to humanity, carried
their cruelties so far as to commit their murders bcfure tie eyes
ef the nearest relations, terowing ont the bleeding bodies, eoi err ti
wiledire in pveseere of the deseairine widows 'and shrieking chil-
dren, and:committing all alises• on the naked corpses. It is iin•
possible to give any particular statement of the atrocities and ern-
ellies committed in this slight description ; the pen refuses, and
modesty.forbills..to describe all the enurmities of these caneite,ls,
who have• rt•ndet'ed the former French tyranny a mere pwe line.
temenor and mortal dread is to he read hi every comernance. .At
the first meetine, people of all ranks embrace each other, wonder-
ing to meet again alive. The blortAy streets, the broken buildingv,
the furniture destroyed, form a pict are. from whieli every human
kimentust start with -honor. Those who comedy dispensed to others,
are now themselves in iseett of the first- eecessaries'of. life, and cart
the it Longing eyes to their tielow Netherlareiets, who, by the Di-
vine Providence, le,.ve lo en reici veil . from- these • esertetientes.
They renetined here till they Intl •car,•ied off* their bieoly 1)001' with
stolen lior,cs:;tl,d carriages, anti these Lhe nAinste-es,.who hiin. the
light ashy, ;, i't the tovn in silt ere, 1..!“.: :*leves.,- M the eielnt et
the '-7tll, leavi-•!e nothiee- behind tlsent not Wood and Jteat,;, • Co I
til eserve tie, Neet;crlaeols in lieut.: trout stole miseries, -crest I'll. tho
heart-. of all irencyclent Pctplc with. Cetsiiit,,s of doe !110) -11." Y
Inct.ards these MA.1141114;114 CP'iWIICS, and ,silli gratitntlo iTor ;not
I!;tv 111.1: pte'takee-07•theie 4:renettif sulferinee, so aF te•ertt.t:i •.t, as
Iv I. :, ee,-iide, to re:erne-4. theiy.losse‘, uhiel) they thee.• teves
never can do without ac:istalice 'from others.; uoe.et•eti diet: 1...til

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