The National Register.
London, England, 1808-02-07 00:00:00

TIONAL REGISTER.

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NAtintarily added to the list of our acquisitions, the Island of
Tnbago, or thr grouni of its being an English Colony.

r.'icle V I I I.—naniparte will demand the cession of Sicily,
e!implete the kingdom of his brother the King of Naple,. It
would iudeeil be an uneasy eircuniAance for King Joseph to
base so large and p3pul an island in his neighbourhood, still
neknowledging the sway of that monarch m horn he had driven
from hii other posses,iou-. Great Britain, hmwever, will not
cooseut to see her ally df-..tniiled of territories vi hick she can de-
fend, unless a vc•ry large eotttpensation, such as she would be
willing to accept, should be provided for hint. The Balearic
which France proposed as an equivalent, are by no
oilcans a sufficient eonspensatirm for Sicily, whether me regard
their magnitude, their fertility, their population, or their
ztrength. It doe: not appear, however, that the French were
likci V, in Ltqlti, to 'rake this an article sine qua non : nor is it to
be snppored that !'iry would hale broke of a negnciation
tiv:rely on thisacutit.
airtiele m-ould refuse to negoriate unless in
eoncert with Russia, and would therefore demand that the
etiims of this should be sat -tied. To this ISe could not
‘vell refuse our as-cut, a; we broke off the last nexociation a ith
France, merely, because she would ie listen to such a proposal.,
on our part. We could not ri:jeet, as unreasonable, a proposal
on the reat,onableness of which we had oursell es so loudly in-
ai:ted.

Jetick L--reparation will be demanded for the dania;re
which Denmark sustained from our forces, previous to the
declaration of War. That power is now the Ally of Russia
sod France, and both thew powers have pledged theinselves to
procure for her this reparation. We must aeknowledge that
the .difftenlty attending a compromise of this circumstance, is the
oply obstacle which teems likely to perplex the negotiation in a
very serious manner; yet we cannot conceive that our notions of
national pride, either on the one side or the other, should allow
the consequences of this transaction to deprive the universe of
the blessings of Peace.

drtide Xl.—Great Britain will demand of France the resti-
tution of those territories of which she has lately robbed Por_
tual. To this demand. it is not more likely that the French
will accede, than that we should pay a compensation to De•n

stark. It is probable that, in the event of negociation, the two
transactions with respect to 'Portugal and Denmark, will be set
off against each other ; and that some Spanish islands will be
alloted as a further compensation to the Prince of the Brazils.
Article XII.— Great Britain will demand for her faithful ally
the King of Sweden, the restoration of those possessions in Po-
merania which have been wrested from him by the arms of
France. It is not, however, to he expected. that Bonaparte
will readily retract those threats, which he has so often ut-
tered against that restless and spirited monarch, to deprive him
entirely of every possession which might give bun any title to
interfere in the afrui:s of Cerutany. Great Britain, on the other
hand, could never consent to see the King of Sweden left without
any inflenmitieation ; and it is probable that the fertile genius of
Bonaparte, aided by his complete command of continental
territory, would soon des lie an expedient to roconclle these
difficulties. By an accession of the populous and commercial ter-
ritory, to the South and Fast of Holstein, Denmark might be
raised to the rank of a considerable continental power ; and
Bonaparte would trust to the animosity excited in this power
against Britain for a:long.-continuance of her friendship with
France. In lieu of this accession of territory, Denmark might
not be unwilling to renounce her claini to the iaho4litable re-
gions of Norway; and these, in turn, might 'afford to Sweden
stab a compensation as might south her feelings for the foss of
Pomerania.
Such arc the stipulations which would, at present, probably
forts.' the Wifingittiation between France-11nd England.
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If •• sattifaction of both parties, it
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is not probable that considerable d; then 'ties 1% ()Uhl occur nith
regard to less important points. The result would certaiiiiv
highly advantageous to both parties ; hi the
Welt we have specified. Bonaparte make, 1111 demand whirii
could diminish either th. pip v.er or the pro•perity of Brit:till;
nor are the demands of Britain anywie repugnant to the in.
terests of France.

There are men, both in Britain awl in Prance, who nii;rl,t
quarrel w ith the moderation of these conditions, and think that
neither of their governments Were justified in ,'needing so non h
ac enemy. The t:augniue Freud' politician; might exclaim,
that the modern Carthage ought to be humbled, that she ought
to he compelled to renounce her assumed tyranny over the sea•;„
and he brought to ackonwledge herself e on a leN el w
all other maritime nation'. Our I:nglish politicians of
:amt. J tamp ig ill, no doubt, find that such rood itions are Nino,
.piritles. and iti.,ecure ; that Bonaparte ought to be made to
stipulate e‘actly the number of ships which lit be entitled
to build or maintain in the harbour both of France and of her
depeulent allies; and that he ought not to be left in possession
of the numerous important naval stations w hich he has occupiea
Hut it is evident, that neither the out nor the other east r.
spertirely force its antagonist to submit to such Conditions :
and between independent nationg, every man of re7.l disecrimacit
will allo , that a Peace of moderation is alone likely to be per-
manent.

We cannot close this article w ithout remarking that the light
in which Bonaparte views this country, at pre ,get. is very dif
ferent from that in which she appeared to him at the period of
the Peace of Amiens. .At that time France hail not fairly tried
her uttermost efforts against Britain ; and Bonaparte, on surve...-
ing his own vast resources, and observing that Britain had al-
ways so anxiously courted and bought the assistauce of foieigo
Allies, while France had so completely overturned these com-
binations, conceived that Britain was actually unable to con-
tend siugle-handed with France, and had even the temerity to
make a public boast of this opinion. But experience has sin. e.
proved to him the utter futility of such notions; and at present,
though France is assisted by the unite.l power of the Contimart,
she has been able to show her animo,ity against Britain, only by
vexatious decrees As Hell have annihilated her own commerce
and injured that of neutral nations; while Britain, altogether
beyond the reach of her enmity, continues to insult her coasts,
and to navigate the seas in perfect security. It is not likely,.
therefore, that Bonaparte w ill stiffer some sudden gust of pa,
sion to precipitate him again into hostilities with a nation.
w hitt], he knows from experience. is capable of inflicting on hi,
subjects such serious injuries, IA hilt. retaliation is beyoLd
power.

REVIEW OF POLITIC 1.1. DECIAINIERS.

No. V 1.

THE INDEPLNDENT ISHIrL

The Liberty of the Pres% "lay be considered as the paVadi7o,,
of our free Constitution: while the former is carefully prescrt.
NI, we cannot be deprived of the latter. Of this Constitution,
which we are naturally so anxious to guard, there is no part
which in a greater degree promotes the happiness of the sub-
ject, or more effectually wards off every species of oppression,
than Trial by Jury. SlPch, indeed. then, it is to be deprecated
that the Freedom of the Press, and Trial by Jury, should (ter
be found, by any chance, toes to each other. The ;martian of
the Constitution is thus found attempting to destroy w hat it
can alone preserve; that form of trial without which the accu•
sailor's against every trio ial abuse of the press, would soon lead
to the total destruction of its freedom. The one cannot stand
without the other, nor our liberties without either.

We have been led into these reflections by a late very viohmit
attack which has appeared in several Numbers of The La!
poident Irliig, a;:alnst the verdict of a Jury in a race of murder.
We do not preteen] to judge in any degree of the justice or in-
justice of the decision past, nor shall we at ail give our pri vatv