The National Register.
London, England, 1813-06-13 00:00:00

SUNDAY, JUNE LS, 1813.

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no. 4,7,411•

POLITICAL` DIS2UISITION.

ON THE PRACI IC IB' Ll fY OF PEACE.

After the tremendous concussions lately experienced on
the Continent, as after the most violent storms in, the atrnoi-
phere, there is now a decided tendency to a calm. Whether
it wilt, can, or ought to take
,place, will form the obje4ts .or
this disquisition. The subject is important, as it involves the
present welfare of mankind, and may influence the fate of fu-
ture generations. Like.the temple of the Divinity, it ought to
be entered with a. heart purified from all earthly prejndices and

individual affections. When the interests of a whole world are
concerned, all private feeling should be hushed, all partial ,
views.relinquished, and the writer whose pen assumes the no-
ble task of illustrating the wants, embodying the hopes, •and.
assisting the councils of mankind, shotild be guided in the
execution -of • his duty by the strictest principle of universal
justice. With such a conception of the requisites we should
possess to carry on this investigation properly, it would be
useless to add, that we shall endeavour to attain them and to
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prove our theory by par practice.
The first point we have, to consider is, whether the calm,
consequent, in the operations of Nature on' its most terrible
Convulsions, be likely to folloW the revolutions of the moral

and political %valid ?• This is not a question of abstruse rea-
soning, but of demonstration by the mere evidence of facts.
Were it otherwise, the dispo3ition of mane and the necessity
of rest after great and continued exertions, might furnish an
ample supply of metaphysickl arguments, At present, however,
the inquiry may be solved'by looking at the state of Etrrope.
This shall he done rapidly. France, armed with almost the
whole military farce of Germany, in addition to a large pro-
portion of her own, rushed last year upon Russia, to con-
summate her ruin. Four months or successes were followed
by an equal period •of the most decided reverses. Three-
fourths of her army were swept off by winter, famine, and the
sword. The rest were scattered among numerous fortresses,

ond only exchanged the horrors 'of their disastrous retreat
for those of a siege. The chieftain who had led ttiem to the
field, fled back to his capital, whilst his commanders en-
deavoured to collect some corps in their rear, to form a new
army, and maintain ,the ground they had for six years oc-
cupied. Their efforts were vain. , One of his allies rose

against him, and from that moment be lost. all confidence

in the rest. His enemies continued to advance, his new
battalions were f.rced to retreat. All Potand and Prussia
were evacuated. A portion of Germany which he had united
to his own empire, shook off the heavy yoke of his despotism
and gave the signal for a general insurrection against him.
At that time the Continent, which had long panted after
freedom and peace, hoped to receive 'that double boon
from the triumphant hands of the Allies. Joy and ex-
Vol VI. No.CCLY XX V.

PR ICE iDde

Azk,
uttation diffused themselves throughout its population, and
a simultaneous. effort was on the eve of taking placer:
when Kings checked the energy and patriotism of their sub.,

jects. Trembling for the existence of their crowns, should`
the success of popular' insurrections teach the people U.S.:
strength, they preferred letting exhausted-despotism revivet..
and holding his delegated authority, 'to reigning over free„..
and therefore, they imagined, discontented ind:disloyal na-
tions, They refused-to join the
.advancing liberators of
Germany, 4nd would have even opposed them, had they not,
' thought the power of -France reduced too low to prevent'
their being devoured at once; if resisting, by her conquerors:
Thus, at a'moment when they clearly saw, that bythrowing,
•
their weight into the balance, they could annihilate that,
revolution'ary despotism, whose galling fetters they Stith
wore, and whose exi:nence, if allowed to rise again, would

he supported, at •the expetrce of the best -blood of their'
subjects, they —remained impolitically passive, and by
their infamous. • .nentrality,— full of suspicion and of
menace,. arrested the course of 'Russian victories, gave
France .a * breathing and arming time, and repurchased
the slavery of the world.. A. few weeks of hope .quickly.
elapsed, _ and, joy was once store clouded with fear.—
Repellid by Cold.neutrality, where they expected lirarm co,
'operation, the Allies bad ceased to advance. The flame of
patriatiism kindled .to early by-their approach in Hanover
and Holland, Mettilig ivitlV no. support, was overpowered
and quenched. The Gallic Ciantbad been' stunned, not'
slain. He
began to MOve,, and..perceiving the indecision 6'l
hii *enemies and the fidelity of his friends, silently collected.
'his ‘strengt)i to_prepare:a new and a mortal blow. Blinded hr.,
'their successesAis adversaries feared him not when single, ands-
whilst they relied. on the.sufficieney of • their means to over.;
come him, if unassisted, they only laboured to prevent his
receiving that assistance, avbich'they .suspected .his late va s.
sals were still'willing to give. • Russia spoke of reinforcements,
but drew them sparingly frOin her distant frontiers. Prussia
talked of a levy-en-masse ; but delayed calling it out' when•it
might have been easily disciplined, through the unfounde4,
principle which seems to pervade every continental court,
that it is dangerous-to entrust the defence. of a country
the people. With a.victorious army, bitt grea'ly diminished
by its very successes, and by the astonishing march it hati
just performed through the depth of winter, with
scanty food and in incessant conflict with the enetry,A
did Russia prepare to meet his recruited lel.lions. Prussia,
conscious that by deserting his staudards, she had incnrree,,,
!his implacable hatred, now brought against hini the fortei?
she bad so lately lent him, encreased with all her ie4lll/...t5--
, and some regiments of volunteers. tnitcd, the twa a:.

mies formed consid&rable numbers. superior, in imagina-
tion, to those which France would be able to collect. But

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