The National Register.
London, England, 1813-02-28 00:00:00

SUNDAY. FEBItUARY.2B,)BI3_..

which many men felt victims. Dissentions then began to
appear, and de,,ertion commenced. To advance through a
country which the Russians lay waste as they retired, was
doubly dangerous, as it removed the army from its resources,
The catastrophe which has overtaken one of the greatest and exposed it in a destitute state to the attacks of the eue-
armies assemh!ed in modern times, is an event too monrenious my who might return with all his forte to profit by its situ•
not to have induced inquiry in o its causes and consequences. ation. To remain, was to dishearten the bold and to en-
The latter are slowly unfolding-themselves : to know them; courage the dissaffected. BUONAPARTE adopted the for-
it is only necessary to watch the movements. of the Continental men trusting much to the influence of his fame, the activity
States so lately linked in dishonourable. union with their con- of his commissariat in the rear to establish.magazines.and
•atter.ir; they shall not form therefore the subject of this send him regular supplies, and still more to the intrigues of
disquisition. Evidence is even more satisf.ctory than rea• his secret agents at the Russian Court, with whom be main-
soning, and when we point •to the defection of General tained an uninterrupted correspondence, and who' flattered
D'Yotte and his corps, the insurrectionary spirit of the him with the hope of terrifying ALRICANDER into a speedy
Prussian people, the reluctant neutrality of Austria, the arid advantageous peace, by the rapidity of his march, and
open hostility of Sweden, and the incipient resistance of the magnitude of his acquisitions. With so many motives
Denmark to the mandates of its late imperious ally, it would to proceed, NAPOLEON did not stop as he had at first in-
be superfluous ti descant on the probability of events, of tended, on the banks. of the Dwina, after having rrconq
d,uerand
ed
which we witness the reality. The causes of such a sudden the provinces which formerly belong
to Polan
and stupendou3 change in the affairs of Europe are involved , which be bad expected the Russian.Emecror would have.
in deeper obseuvity. The conflagration of Moscow it now-1 proposed to concede as the price_ of peace, as soon as the
generally considered as the sole source of all the disasters of *French armies should threaten the frontiers of Russia Pro-
the French. This opinion is erroneous. The heroic de. per. Finding that his antagonist was not so easilyinitinii-
struction of that city, has undoubtedly contributed to hasten dated, and that the influence of his friends over the ad-
and encrease the distresses of the enemy, but was not their .verse councils diminished, •
he resolved to revive it and carry
only spt ing. This, it will be our endeavour to trace, as it his point by' a strong decisive effort. He had fought his
is not only an important, but a highly interesting subject for way to Witespk, in spite of i
sprited opposition. The Rus.
inquiry. sian grand army, divided
by hs •advanee, was on the eve of
NAPOLEON led against Russia an army chiefly composed. effecting its junction in his front rerunaf fnrced marches
of the troops of vassal nations, without any other bond of skilfully conducted. A powerful body dr the brave
union than the awe which his victories had inspired, and the • and active WITTGENSTEIN, had remained on his leftank ito f
h e
des.
magnified opinion of his power ;' without any other incen- fend the' road to Petersburg and threaten his fl
rive to actioo than the hope of plunder and the confident should proceed; the army lately employed against the T utk
expectation of success. This vast host consisted of nearly was rapidly advancing under Admiral TSCHACHAGOIP tit+,
400,000 men, of wbom orrly about 150,000 were French. wards the present seat of war, on his right flanLithuanik.tha
e
The rest were men hitherto distinguished for natioiial an- French remained satisfied with the possession of
tip
nathies, and who, although collected under the came ban- Courland, and Volhynia,
with t
the out carrying th
fall his eir arms t
tour-
ers, preserved uneatinguished the flame of mutual detesta- ther, ALEXANDER woulcombined attack, before be would
d wai arrival o&rs,
tion. To prevent the explosran of private animosities, and
the Jesuit of their
to secure unanimity of action with stich troops, it was co ne • I think o asking peace. Late actions with detached Russian
cessary to keep them continually engaged in active opera cons hfad taught NAPOLEON, that it was prudent to fight
eons, or to separate them from each other. Aware of the them divide;l, when the superiority of numbers was on bid
'dangers he incurred at the head•of such an army, and with side , therefore, the dangers that would menace
. De
allies both disunited among themselves, and deficient of iris rear, both from the right arse !,?ft, should he be foiled in
sincere zeal in his cause, NAPOLEON had recourse to the ex- his attempt to annihilate the grat:
uer immed d army in
iahites front
peace, , or
be-
by
pedients of incessant activity and division. But the me some striking victory, to conqed biro into a desperate situation, and the other rendered it fore his opponent had unite 4 his power, he trustq
l g
• himself to his fortune, and sel
inextricable. his best troops
No sooner had be crossed the Niemen, and opened the and Marshals to accompany him, htirried forwards to deciCe
campaign in Lithuania, than provisions failed. The army at once the fate of the war.
was obliged to subsist on a black and unWholesomt bread it 4. Like a storm," to
which created an epidemic disorder, to tin violence of )1 Russian Proclamations, 46
Vol. VI. Na. CCLXX.

POLITICAL I).IS.WISI LION.
CAUSES OF THE DESTRUCIIO*. OF THE FRENCH GitAN:l

r.
we the energetic language of the
he bunt into the heart el Rusbia,"