The National Register.
London, England, 1808-09-19 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER,

596

army is withdrawn from Germany. That he foresees this
event we may safely conclude from his whining appeal to
the promise he extracted from the Emperor Francis, during
their couferences at the Mill in Moravia; and that he fears
it to the present juncture, we may as safely assert from the
reluctant indifference he manifests on the occasion. He
will do every thing in his power to avoid a rupture with
that power. But if he has already discovered that Austria
will not be deceived by his intrigues, or intimidated by his
menaces, he will act in time same manner as he had done in
the two last wars; he will order a considerable part of the
force he destines for the invasion of that country, to march
back to the Rhine, in order to throw the odium of hosti-
lities on that power. None of our readers has forgotten
ne embarkation of his army in Holland and r.t Boulogne,
under the pretext of invading this country, after lie had
received certain information of the intentions of the Courts
of Vienna;• St. Petersburg and London. He practised a
similar manoeuvre a few weeks before the battle ofJena : he
liliewise ordered some corps to pass the Rhine ; and so
lemnly assured Europe, that the tranquillity of the Conti-
nent she'd(' not be interrupted, and that his disputes with
the Cabinet of Berlin would be amicabl:- adjusted. lie
gave this formal assurance, after he had projected the
downfall of that unhappy government. Ile is unfortu-
nately justified in entertaining this contemptible opinion of
men. Their weakness, their credulity. their fatal inaction,
their temporising character, have established his pre-emi-
nence. lie thinks lie may still impose on .Austria by the
same stale trick he had so successfully practised on other
occasions : but a better genius, we would hope, inspires
the Councils: of that country. It would suppose a degree
of political profligacy or imbecility in the Archduke
Charles and the Members of the Imperial Cabinet, which
we are far from ascribing to them, to imagine they give
credit to the Ty ranCs assertions. After the experience of
the past, could they be guilty of such gross stupidity, so
far from being in a capacity to regulate the concerns of a
powerful empire, they woaid not have talents sufficient to
direct the management of a small farm. This we repeat
again is not oar opinion. On the contrary. we are inclined '
1
to entertain the most sanguine expectations from their I
future exertions.

We have made this digression relative to Austria, in
order to invalidate the official falsehoods of the Noniteur.
We have not time nor room to advert to the unavoidable
discontent which exists in Holland, Brabant, along the
Rhine, Westphalia. Hanover, Prussia, Switzerland, end
Italy. 'l'o deny that the people wish an allesiation of their
present misery, that they wait with anxiety for a revolution
in their affairn, would betray a base opinion of the human
heart, a prostitution of sentiment, and a decided ignorance
of national feeling. They must be dissatisfied—they have
suffered the severest outrages—so many families have been
reduced to ruin—the means of all have been so much cur-
tailed—their national feelings have been so grossly and
wantonly insulted—they sec a swarm of rapacious fo-
reigners indulging in the wildest luxury and excesses ; ac-
t:311111111141g ilTilfitql.:!* fortunes, whilst they themselves,
their v.-ives and children are tortured with hunger and dis-
ease. Te think that those unfortunate wretches would nut
seize with avidity au opportunity of breaking theie chains,
and exterminating the greed‘ nlventurt'rs, who are preying
on their vitals and coustiming the fruits of their industry,
is repuls!ve to feeling and contradicted by experience.
Such is, arcordinz to !nman probability, the real situa-
tion of the Continent. Va vs-di not insult the good sense
of our readers by e,uplov inns a chain of ingenious reasoning
-to refute the palpable falsehoods of Bonaparte. They are
so notorious, so shameless, so uxtravagant, that thel
would tend to excite ridicule; were it possible to indulge
in risibility, in adverting. to the conduct of that dangerous
individual. Though we have endeavoured to weaken any
discouraging impression the public may have received from
his declaration; we should regret that any rein :tali ion
should take place in our exertions. The man, who has

SEPTEMBER 19.

solemnly pledged himself to Europe to subjugate !vain
has frequently baffled calculation, and executed with
facility what was considered improbable and even imps.
Bible. He is active, abstemious, enterprising, and A.•,
No indulgence distracts him from. the pursuit of Ins o:iject.
No pleasure relaxes his exertions ; and no sense ofjustne
or humanity makes him scrupulous as to the may he en..
ploys. All are lawful, if they only conduce to-his st.ccc,..
And when we reflect on his ambition, genius, the resourr:l
of the vast empire he despotically governs, his military
talents, his former success, the number and discipline f;t.
his armies, the skill of his generals, the activity of
agents, and the terror of his name, there is reason to hope
that all the virtues, talents, and resources of a free aid
opulent community, will be lavishly employed to
teruct his project of subjugation.

FOItEIGN INTELLIGENCE.

PROM TME TRENCH .I ND DUTCII

VII ANC E.

NARRATIVE OF EVENTS IN SPAIN.

PARIS, S Err. B.—T he Senate ascenibled on the sth, under II&
Presidency of his Serene Highness the Prince Arch Chancellor;
the Prince Arch Trea,urer, the Prince. Vice Grand Elector, and
the Prince Vice Can;table assissted at the sittings.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and of War communicated
the following reports:—
" There are in Spain a very considerable number of enlighten-
ed individuals who think freely, and are anxious to see their
country governed by a Constitution w Welt should guarantee the
rights of the nation.
" That kingdom also contains a number of persons, 11.111,1'
wishes accorded with the different scenes of the Freoch Revolu-
tion.

" The third part of the territory is in the possession of tins
secular Clergy. The Monks, almost all ignorant t supri • -
stitious, exercise the most powerful influence over the lower
orders of the people, who are in a state of much greater ignor-
ance in Spain than in any country ; and who, under such a Co-
vernment, have during a century made progress only in snperAi-
tion and idleness.
" The events which occurred at the Escurial and at Aran-
itiez, made a great inroad upon the respect due to the throne;
?ke convocation of a Junta at Bayonne to deliberate upon Ona
fundamental principles of a Constitution; the extraordinary
and unforeseen events of the 2d of May, at Madrid—all thew
circum•dances contributed to set the passions in motion, and to
carry hope and fear respectively to the highest excess.
" The English faction coo.l not fail to convert this sitiott;Ao
of affairs to their own advantage. This faction had In en al
along very active and very powerful km the sea ports, and its it!-
fluenee was continually felt in Madrid. it had by time ;reurrd
circumstances of the Continent acquired great influence. as t
as by the sacrifices which the state of the Spani-h comment. de-
minded. Every artifice was thus resorted to, to excite a p••;,'•
rat disposition to throw off the alliance w th t=rance, art
form a connection vt ith England: and this secret inclination had
a very considerable influence upon the events at .-".ranjnez, :;tll
those which followed them.
Then after giving a very prolix and detailed acceunt or the
military oceurrceres, in mm hick The .410oirruc, however. tiorF r"t
.
advert to the seizure of time Fleet at Cadiz, or tin- t,ittlatioo
Junot, and after having very ...tamely as,erted that the). rei:c:,
arms were ronstatelv victor foe: ; e rept iu tl:e single siwile,e
of Darin'. who was guilty of imprudence, be proceed.-- ,
" The hint, tel.( 1;1 (Writ! on 11.. e lit of ..In,:nst, pea'l:a. e
army teen! into coal r canton:J:llas.
"On the the King was at Burgos, and parties se:d out I
the distance of from tifteeu to twenty miles, could procure Ito
intelligenre of the enemy.
" Every intellig.nt person sces with regret, that England
obtained the melancholy advantage of exciting among 1,11.
Spaniards a civil war, of which the issee is not doubtful.
at
what influence rail the rational and enlOtteneml middle
have upon the ii:cor:alt multitude, when Imd astray by bdiat,-
(ism, preiudires. and feerign con eption:
" Such a correct abstra(t ef the everts of the camp:Oct! 'l.O
Spain. There has been no battle. not a sieeie action, in v. hit -1
the costrage of our troops was tint 1;i-itch.‘tAi to .16vantage.