The National Register.
London, England, 1808-05-22 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL' REMSTER.

MAY 22•

advise the overthrow of the constitution ? Are they times in
which Lord Wellesley himself, having all the talent which
every body must allow to him, would venture on such a propo-
sition, even if he had all the wickedness of which his enemies
have accused him? The thing is worth nothing beyond a laugh.
We have seen a good deal of merriment excited by a story which
has been circulated in two or three companies, on good an-
thority, concerning a philosopher of the present day. This gen-
tleman was very intimate with Mr. Godwin and many of his
disciples, and possessing talents of no mean order, was consider-
ed as an oracle by many of the new-sect. A man whom domes-
tic causes had rendered a little unhappy, wrote to him a letter
asking advice as to the propriety of killing himself. The phi-
losopher returned an answer to this effect :
Dear Sir,—l have laid your letter before the principal mem-
bers of our society, and, upon a thorough view of the case, they
agree in opinion with me, that the best measure Sou can take
is to kill yourself.
Believe me, dear Sir, your's very truly, &c. &c. &c.
Now, let us consider England, labouring under many misfor-
tunes that have already fallen heavily upon her, and dreading
others yet to come. She asks advice of her statesmen, and Lord
Wellesley very candidly says :
Dear England,—You are in a had way, and we have all been
considering your case. Suspend your constitution : or in other
words, stop your breath for a little while, Ido not know that
you will ever recover the faculty of breathing; but never mind
that : your only chance is to put an end to yourself.
When Lord Wellesley says this, every body will laugh as
much at him, as rational men do now at The Independent Whig.

FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE.

cs,

occupied by one battalion of the town of Adlercreuz, our troops
were obliged to retreat into the fortress; all commuLicatioa
with • the town was intercepted by the enemy, and the fortress
summoned on all sides.
The 17th of March, the enemy opened a well-directed tire
from a battery constructed on the Blackholmsclitr. The l'eith,
19th, and 200, the enemy continued to keep up a brisk cannon-
ade against the fortress, and threw numerous shells and red-hot
balls into our work. The f2lFt March an Officer arrived with a
flag of truce, and required a conference, the principal object of
which was, that on our side the town should not he fired upon,
in order to prevent the mischief which might otherwise be done
to the distressed inhabitants ; that, on the other hand, the enemy
should not erect any batteries within the lines.
The 28th of March we discovered that the enemy were
constructinga battery on the heights in front of lilricaborg; our
fire was immediately directed against that point, and answered
by the enemy with bombs, shells, and baits.
The 29th, 80th, and 31st March, the enemy continued to can-
nonade and bombard the fortress without doing much mischief,
as might hare been expected; one officer and five rank and file
Of the garrison were killed, and 32 wounded. But in conse-
quence of the excessive fatigues sustained by our troops, the
number of sick amounted at the end of March to 515; and al-
though we husbanded our stores with the utmost care, yet one-
third of our gun-powder was spent at that time.
On the 3d of April another Officer arrived with a flag of
truce, who was the bearer of a proposal from the Russiau Gene
ral to surrender the fortress in case that no succours should ar-
rive, and after several conferences held on that subject, I this
day concluded the convention which 1 respectfully take leave to
annex to this report.
Your Majesty will most graciously be pleased to consider the
imperfect state of this fortress, whic'h can make but a very fee-
Me defence ia winter, when it is liable to be attacked on all
sides, the extensiveness of tile works, and the comparatively
small number of the troops who were able to defend them, aril
from these considerations, I humbly trust, will not disapprove
of a measure, to which I thought it my duty, although very re-
luctantly, to submit.
Swenborg, April 7, 18'S. C. C. CIZONSTEDT.
CON V ENTION,
Between their Excellencies Neskieurs Le Scrurrr.Es. General
in Chief of his EnsFian Majesty's Forces, and M. 1h Cnolv-
arEDT, Vice-Admiral in the Serrice of his Majesty the king
of Sweden, Chef d'Escadre, and Commaadant el the Fortress.
PRINCIPAL. ARTICLES.
There shall be an armistice between the Mission troops be-
sieging Sweahorg and the Swedish garrison, from this day to the
3d of May, new style, of the current year ISOS. If by the noon
of the saiil.i3il of May the fortress shall not -have receised etfec-
tual succours, by it least five ships of the line, it shall he given
up to the Emperor of Russia; which succour it is to be under-
stood is to have actually entered the pert of Sweaborg by the
• hour appointed, and is to be considered as not having arrived if
it has only come within sight of the place.
Of the three Wands which shall he the guarantee of this con-
vention, that of Longhorn shall be entirely given up to the Rus-
sian troops, who, however, shall not before the said Sd of May
begin any works on the side opposite to the fortress. As to the
two other islands, though occupied by these same troops, they
shall be restored, provided the succour shall arrive before the
time stipulated, precisely in the state in which they now are.
On the Sd May, new style, whim the place is given up, the
garrison shall march out with all the honours of war, on the
saw conditions, with respect to the ceremonial, as have been
granted to the garrison of Swartholm.
All the o:!icers who are Swedes by birth have, if they desire
pormiisien to return to Sweden, engaging their word of ho-
n stir not to serve against Russia or her Allies during the present
war. The Swedish non-commissioned °dicers and soldiers shall
be sent to Wibourg nnder a military escort, or other neighbour-
ing places ; all those who shall wish to remain under the domi-
nion of fik Imperial Russian rs:ajesty small take the oath of al-
legiance, and enjoy all the advontages offered to them by his
Majesty's Proclamation of 19th (31st) March, 1808.
The Finnish regiments which enter his Imperial Majesty's
service, shall not be employed against Sweden or her Allies
during the present war, and shall enjoy the hene fits held out to
them by his Imperial Majesty's Proclamation, and-especially by
that of the 19th (31st) March of this year.
The regiment of Ahlererwez, after having taken the oath of
allegiance,' shall remain embodied during the present war, with