The National Register.
London, England, 1812-01-19 00:00:00

'HE N ATIONAL REGISI

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34 _ a. _

ary warfare in which they were engaged ; and grown ac-
quainted with the real character of the Man, and the in-
famy of the cause which they were compelled to support :
their very improvement in discipline and experience was
dangerous to NAPOLEON, against whom it might one day
be turned. The necessity of supplying the waste of hu•
man liVes sacrificed in the Peninsula, however, overba-
lanced all other considerations, and, with an affected
display of confidence and satisfaction, he ecntinned to
use a weapon, of which he secretly apprehended the
rec oil.
When he established the Confederation of the Rhine,
he had other views, beside that of forming a nursery of
soldiers. He thought that a chain of States, insignificant
in themselves, but deriving support from each other, and
dependent on him for their national existence, would
secure his frontiers from insult and invasion. They
would.be his ramparts if he chose to maintain a defensive
war : his advanced posts if bent on offensive hostilities.
The Kings whom he placed over them, possessed of a no-
minal independence, sufficient to insure the respect and
obedience of the limited population over which they ruled,
but powerless against him, were only the external watch-
men of his empire. Not immediately to repel, but to
announce danger was their office. As they owed their
Crown'e and same their kingdoms, to the good will of
their " Protector," they were to resign them at his bid-
ding. Regardless of the interests of their subjects, when
it clashed with their own, they were not to avert the de
solation of their cities by a declaration of neutrality, when
an overpowering enemy approached and offered terms of
accommodation. They were to abandon their towfls and
capitals to plunder, their country to ruin, and collecting
all their means to
.fall back towards a line of strong po-
sitions previoUsly appointed as a rendezvous for the troops
of the confederates. There, as in the last Austrian war,
a general union was formed, and the astonished enemy,
who fancied he had only to capture a few scattered divi•
sions before he could penetrate within the French frontiers,
suddenly found a powerful army capable of arresting his
progress. Hourly encreased with the corps that arrived
rrom France, the latter speedily commenced offensive
eperations, and the fate of the campaign could not fail to
turn in favour of those, who had drawn their opponent
away from his resources, whilst they remained in the
centre of their own. Compelled to extricate. himself by a
onick retreat from the difficult and perilous situation into
which he had unconsciously ventured, the enemy neces-
sarily laboured under complicated disadvantages, which
led to his ultimate ruin.
It is impassible to deny the efficiency of such a system
of policy and war. Its consequences may be traced
through the whole of the last. Austrian campaign. It
yielded Franc.o boll!. safety and power, It was at once
a shield and a'''svorda I3ut it has already ceased to ope-
rate :' endafioil Has .overthrown her own work ; and the
Confederation (10e Rhine is become an useless and cum-
bersome apperOalte to the French" Empire. Deprived of
nearly the.svhole!o•l its Military force, unprofitably wasted
in Spain. instead of affording protection, it demands it.
The public mind is changed. Theepetty Sasvereignswhotold their Clowns from France have sunk into general
contempt, since the deposition of the King of HOLLAND
has proved the fragility of their Thrones. `'Tae terrors of
the Fiend' name have subsided ; and in propor-
tion as the voice of our triumphs has been heard,
the hideon‘ness of French despotism has been
lskeel. A invader, instead ef beholding thg

OV. 19,

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population flying before him, would now be welcomed.
as deliverer. A spirit of detestation has succeeded that
of fear. As there is no neighbouring Power able or
ling to avail himself of that' disposition, it chiefly dis.
plays itself in private acts. An attempt was lately made
to burn the King of WEsTrtiALLA in his own palace. But
should the war with Russia be renewed, the French armies
would now find their communication with France inter.
rupted, and their rear harassed by hosts of patriots emu.
lating in activity and desperation the guerillas of Spain.
Aware of the dissatisfaction and rising hatred of the pea.
ple, NAPOLEON maintains a large force in the north ;
strong divisions of which are stationed in various guar.
ters. The country is thus garrisoned by his troops, and
that Confederation of States from which he expected to
derive so many advantages, and which yielded him at first
so much support, is now become, through the blindness
of his ambition, not only ineffective and burdensome, but
a source of future dangers, an object of constant fear.
(To be continued.).