The National Register.
London, England, 1814-03-20 00:00:00

HE N TIONAL REGISTE

No 323.

POLITICAL DISQUI.S. 12

COMPLEXION OF THE TE"Iw.S ANL) CAUSES OF PEACV•
TIN VEILEb.

We live in times when the most stupendous events aut.
political changes, are beeotne ordinary occurrences, What
.seoold have soffieed to 'illustrate an age, is now compress d,
within the limits of a week, and the task of the Journalist
is grown as compendious ,as that of the historian of former
periods. It is even more difficult, and far more dangerous.
%%lieu tile -recorder of the past' takes .tbe pen, years form
a rampatt betwixt him and all the interests and prejudices of
the tines which,he deicribcs. The tempestUatls agitation of
life haiseeased, its features and colouring remain. All (hose
events whicli had, excited such hopes and fears, had-brought '
into action so many varied characters, and affected so rum
princes and nations, are now become as many splendid but
Atilt pictures, hung in the of memory aed tradition
They are perused with interest, but with calm attention.
They may create admiration, they may awaken horror; but
that admiration end horror will be impartial and moderate.
It will guide, not blind.thejudgmeet. Hew different is Hie
tiituation of pie ruoderh Journalist ! He f' rides on the .!
whirlwind," though, like the ADO, he does not " direct the
storm." I.:lncertainty; prejudices, clashing hopps, interests
end fears, contradictory rumours, curtailed or perverted in-
formation, Are the elements in which. he moves. Flatters.
end Anse eoetinually try to push 4is temper and his judge-
ment out of their seat : comiption and menace, to deprive
prim of his honesty ; avd to crown the list of his misfortunes,
the freits Of so much labour, so muck anxiety, so touch cell..
tention, and so touch courage, are perishable sheets read fet
one day with gelidity by thousands and forgyiten the next !
At ao period was the difficulty of iceeping a clear and
liepartirg euurse its recording and reason* ou passing events
'rester than at the . present. 'Deafened -by like storms that
Kurz,; atot:fld us, misled by the coletradktory inforinatioe
ppliefi by our hundred writers of dispatches, vexed by' a
unfo,unded, though not improhafvle reports, we
have besides to conteud with the prejudices of the land,
which are aow ranged under tbe two banners of War and
Peace. All inleor distinctions of party 'are supk in these.
l‘feti and Papers of the most oppesite principles are feend
fighting side by side for peace or war. The Courier be-
patters the Times with praise (now that Yews is teleiseee
from its pages) for calling istenaeity eat ." execrable
.cant,'
and bravely proclaims the doctrine of unceasing desolation
whilst the Morning Post sees itself supported by the C,Lireni-
cle in its love of a peace, safe and honourable to England
and Europe, because founded on the total reduction of the
enemy's power. To vary from the principles
rat tv.

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Our ding, Constitution, anD Late.

rUBLISUED AT NO. 11, NEWCASTLE-STREET, STRAND.

SUNDAY, MARCH 20, 1814.

PRlni

.bese !*()of publications is to set at defiance the whole na-
tion. There is now n 5 medium in opinion, no nook for ho-
nest impartiality to find a shelter in. Between the *heck of
these two mighty hosts, who could hope to stand ? It must
a political. Don Quixote who would take his post withirl
he cross fire of those two hostile batteries. Leaving, therefore)
the field of controversy to the exasperated zealots who fill it
with tumult and confusion, we shall not at present attempt
to.enter into the merits of the question for which they con-
tend, but examine the probability of its being speedil)r
hi ought to an issue.

NlThen the last week cloned, every prospect of an imtnet
diate peace had disappeared. War blazed with renewed
fierceness, and the tide of success having turned towards
the Allies, they seemed bent on the total exhaustion of
Fiance bef ire they would give her peace. A few days have
produced .an entire revolution in the expectations of the
world. Balance 4 successes, at first represented as decisive
victories that had for ever broken the sceptre of the French
Ruler, are considered as the causes pf the settlement of
terms, which is now understood to have taken place. V/9
think we can trace this sudden return #q pacific principles
to a different source. Austria, so often the victim, hal at
last becnine the shield of Napoleon. She headed the tianfeoe-
racy of Europe, not only to restore thp eitOlipTinm of
power, but to save Per son-its•law from the destructive cola-
Treace, of his own ambition. Towards him, she acted
the part of a mother, who , takes from her child the
dangerous weapons w;th which be sports, lest he should hurt
himself. At her rising in artn, the world thought other-
wise, and many dull sighted politicians maintained that she
would prove the Most bitter enemy to France and to Napo-
leon. We dived at once into her intentkons, and the event
has jus.t.irted the opinion which wee then expressed, and. which
We have ue.ver since ceased to support. As soon as the
towering hopes of the enemy were 'beaten down at Leipsic,
ni vet :al donritrion * second time escaped from his 60p,
the intentions Of the Emperor Francis would have been ful-
filled, had Napoleon listened to the voice of moderation and
accepted the highly advantageous conditions then oared
him: 'When the Rhine for Med the only barrier to the Con-
federated Vowers, Austria would again have d:i•erted the
blow, had he immediately and heartily act... Jed to :he `errs
proposed. Iler Allies pressed her pwn, but some cleotaace.
.vas visible in her conduct before she consented to
the French terri,t.ou„ When once within its iwi.ts, how
UM she use the influence which her gent ford
gave her? Not to put down at once the man who bad mar.
ried the daughter of her Emperor, but rather to show
til
the extent of his perils, and restrain the vengeance d .
°f
mist-, She insisted oftcongressicing