The National Register.
London, England, 1809-03-05 00:00:00

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message to the Senate; and none of the private accounts
from Holland allude to any such communication. We
will not reject it, however, absolutely, in consequence of
this silence. But if he has left Paris, and given no notice
to the Senate of his intended departure ; if he stole away
clandestinely, and in the midnight hour; if he feared. to
make an appeal to the pliable loyalty of that base herd of
slaves and sycophants; if he entertained some doubts of
the sentiments which his good city of Paris might express
tm this new prospect of carnage and bloodshed : then we
will say, that hig hopes are mit so o.anguine as they had
been in the last. wars with Austria and Prussia; or previous
to his projected invasion of Spain. Whatever favourable
forebodings we may entertain ourselves, or however ar-
dently we may hail tlie dawn of a better day for Europe,
and execrate the lawless ambition of the ruffian who builds
the edifice of his aggrandizement on the ruins of freedom,
public and private happiness, we still feel an unusual dejee=
Lion, when we reflect on the disasters which may Occur.
It is their last stake which the nations on the Continent are
going to lay down. Should that be lost I..should every
hope of freedom be extinguished for ever!..should a mili-
tary despotism; the most odious, the most insolent; the
most harassing, that ever.
afihicted our earth; rule, with
brutal nncontrouled caprice, and stifle in its birth every
generous sentiment ! The lite of a solitary ruffian weighed
against the happiness and independence of the present ge-
neration !—These are reflections; which are capable of in-
timidating the most undaunted, of depressing the most ar-
dent of us all.

We Shall now ekaMinewhat policy, under these circum-
stances, is must coufornuible to the interests of Great Bri-
tain. Our sentiments in favour of energetic measures; have
been so often declared, that they must lie pretty familiar
to oae Readers at pt•esent; And the moat drivelling place=
man must now confess that if BONAPARTE succeeds in his
bast system of conquest, the situation of this country he-
tomes pre-eminently dangerous. With the resources of
Europe at the absolute controul of the vigilant, restless,
inexorable tyrant; and ni) other enemy to contend with
but with us, nothing less than a miracle can preserve our
beloved and happy country from the general wreck. For
us the last cup of his vengeance is reserved, and should he
sgcceed, we must drink it dregs and all. Whatever Iv-
&my, in its worst and most hideous form, has invented ;
whatever inveterate malice is capable ot'sugge4ting ; or un-
bridled rapine, furious hate, and long repressed vengeance
can inspire, will be indicted on us 'With a keenness of refine-
-nicht and torturefroth which demons themselves would recoil.

It is unnecessary, therefore, to allude to the advantage
we must derive from the independence of Austria. No sa-
Ofice, were it even of half our wealth, would helot)
much, could it secure that desirable result. To say that
Nye cannot contribute powerfully to that effect, both in
men and money, betrays that fatal, dastardly Selfishness,
to which we have no hesitation m attributing the calami-
ties of nations: But it may be inquired where these troops
I.,tre to be employed In Holland, Brabant, and in Italy ;
where there is not an individual who does not execrate
French tyranny. But, for Heaven's sake, none of our
neat little expeditions ! A large force of 60,000 men
ought to be immediately collected and encamped on the
Kentish coast, with transports sufficient for their convey-
ance.. The very aspect of such a formidable armament
'will either coMpel BONAPARTE to retain an equal force for
the defence of the menaced points, and thus diirinish his
means of attack against Austria ; or he must yield to the
necessity of abandoning these important acquisitions to
their fate. A revolution in Brabant or Holland, where the
detestation of the tyrant is greater and more inveterate
than in any other country on the Continent, would shake to
its very basis the immense colossus of his power.
It is the very excess of pusillanimity and error to main.
tail) that we have no chance of contending successfully on
the Coutiucut. Were it possible, bud we see no reason

147

why it should not, to disembark a hundred thousand British
soldiers in Holland, the hest hearted and the best discielincd
in the universe, we might secure for ever the independence
of Europe. No force which BONAPARTE could bring to
hear upon us, were he invoked with Austria and Spain,
could make a momentary stand against. such an army.
Ignorance and impudence .have centupled the resources of
the enti►i►y; but we know, from a long sojourn in the
midst of the French armies, that his military fotce is nut
half se great as it is generally represented.