The National Register.
London, England, 1809-12-31 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

834

mory of it expire; every year its anniversary ought to he
celebrated with lugubrous rites. This ceremony may pre•
vent the recurrence of the impotence and ignorance that
marked its execution and conception. The moment may not
be very distant, when a greater army for a more important
interest, and nearer home, may be employed. There is not
one of our readers, whose understanding is so obtuse as not
to concei . e q hat we mean ; -not to be certain, before we
bad concluded our sentence, that Ireland was referred to.
In that event a single blunder may plunge the country in
irretrievable-disaster; or the choice of an incompetent com-
mander sever that important province from the empire for
ever. When favour usurps in one instance the rewards due
to merit and services; when a courtier is intruded where a
soldier should be employed, the incongruity may be prac-
tised in several other instances. But the consequences may
be widely different. And what at that time cost us
only some thousands of soldiers, a few millions of
moil: y, and a load of dishonour, might at a future period,
reduce us anal our children to the dreadful alternative
of perishing, or becoming the vassals of BUONAPARTE.
To intrigue, or ignorance must be imputed the alarming
incompetency, so visible in the choice of military com-
manders of late years. We will not impute to human na-
ture, much less to Ministers, the baseness of sacrificing
the honour and interests of an entire country to so
:mean a principle as the former. But, if the evil can be

traced to the latter cause, to ignorance we mean, its revi-
val may be constantly apprehended ; and one more incapa-
ble Officer succeed the other; and a greater disaster follow
upon the heels of the hauler. This has been, in fact,
the regular order of events since the first expedition
to Brabant. The misfortunes of that enterprise were ef-
faced by the folly and ridicule of that to Ferrol; the latter
by that to Holland ; and each successive expedition, and
every new nomination of a Commander in Chief, surpassed
the antecedent in disgrace and imbecility. How this pro-
gression of folly and ignorance will terininate, whether in
a change of system, or change of government ; in a 611)86-
tution of intrigue far talent, or of slavery for independence,
it is not in our power to determine. But, either the system
or our pretensions to independence must be abandoned.
There is no other ai ernative I-ft.

The flag of truce that sailed for Calais on Sunday, with
MAYNE, the Austrian Courier, and Mr. PowELL, the Se-
cretary to the Austrian Minister, returned to Dover (m
Wednesday, with the latter gentleman, who was not
allowed to land. The refusal, it is said, was qualified by
an assurance that he would he allowed to disembark and
proceed to Paris. whenever he should present himself at
that port (St. Maloes,) through which communications
between the respective Ministers of the United States at
the Courts of London and Paris were generally made.—
After what has been said of America, in the Bxpose, we
are rather; surprised to find so little disposition in the
French Government to accommodate the diplomacy of
that country. What difference does it make to BIJONA
RTZ, through which of his ports .provided he toleratcs
it, Messrs. PINCKNEY and ARMSTRONG correspond ? This'
marked insult can hardly have arisen from mere displeasure
at the breach of a capricious regulation. From the length
of time Orli the Flag of Truce was on the-other side, it is
probable there was sum communication by the telegraph,

DEC 31.

or otherwise, between the Commandant at Calais and his
Government, respecting the admittance of Mr. Pownr.r.
into the empire. The Flag of Truce brought over a re-
port that Mr. ARMSTRONG was about to return to Arierica.
This, if the rumour be well founded, would sufficiently ac-
count for the indignity with which Mr. PriscarrEv's Secre-
tary has been treated.
The infantry destined to reinforce Lord Wellington's aro
my in Portugal, it is understood will comprise 5000 men,
independent of artillery and cavalry, in which latter force,
two regiments of heavy dragoons are mentioned. Besides
these, a great number of British Officers are going out with
local rank, in order to take commands in the Spanish army,
This measure is supposed to have been adopted on the re-
commendation of the Marquis Wellesley, the Spanish army
being extremely deficient in good Officers.
The .Ipollo frigate, Capt. Taylor, which arrived last week
at Portsmouth, eft Lord Collingwood only three weeks
since at Minorca, with 18 sail of the line and several fri-
Fates. Sir Samuel Hood, in the Centaur, with the Warspile
joined his Lordship on the 25th ult. The ilpollo, on her
passage to Gibraltar, spoke his Majesty's ship York, 15 dais
from Plymouth, and Tigre, also going to join his Lordship,
The Invincible and Triumph left Minorca on the 25th ult. ;
the former for Gibraltar, to be refitted, and the latter for
Cadiz. The Excellent and Montague were at Palermo; the
Magnificent, and the Pelage and Halcyon, frigates at Malta;
and the Hydra and Nereus were cruizing off Toulon. The
lja.r had arrived at Minorca from Spiihead. The Frede-
rickstein and Swallow, frigates, with a convoy from Eng.
land, arrived at Gibraltar, on the 26th tilt. Lord Coiling-
wood was about to detach five sail of the line on a cruize
()nape St. Sebastian. It. is understood to be his Lordship's
intention, that a part of the fleet only shall keep the sea
during the winter. The perseverance of his Lordship is a
subject of wonder. The French line-of-battle ship and
store-ship which escaped destruction on the 25th of Octo-
ber, and got into Cette, were reconnoitered there., on the
7th oft. by the Apollo and Scout, in a sittrztiou that indi-
cated they would never be iu a stile to go to sea again.
The French fleet in Toulon had shewed no fresh disposition
to put to sea. The :terrible and the Sea Horse are coming.
home with the next convoy. The Pomona frigate had left
Minorca to relieve the Sea Horse, oft' Leg-horn. The Hind
was so sail from Minorca on the 28th ult. with a convoy
of empty transports for Gibraltar and Cadiz. On the 7th
ult. the Royal Sovereign, of 110 gui:s, was struck with a
ball of lightning, off Cape St.- Sebastian, and had
two tnea killed and sixteen wounded. The Tigre
was struck at the same time, and her main-mast was
so much shivered, she was obliged to go to Gibraltar,
to get a new one.

The Persian Ambassador, on Friday, paid a visit to the
Imperial residence of the Sovereigns of the East, in Leaden-
hall-street ; where he was received with every honour which
propriety and policy could point out as becoming a person-
age of his high diplomatic rank. He went without anyformal
train, merely like an &Wish gentleman with his carriage
and servants. These were in scarlet liveries, and the coach
was ornamented with his arms, a castle Or in a field Gales,
with a flag displayed, as crest, a circumstance which must
excite some conversation amongst the lovers of heraldry,
as it has been generally thought that armorial bearings
were confined to Christian Chiviilu. He was received with
a guard, mounted too with the King's, as welVas the Com-
pany's regimental colours, an honour tantamount to a
Royal Salute, and only paid in general to Sovereign Princes;
we should irnlgine, however, that the hearty greetings of
John Bulk whose family was assembled in full force, were
as acceptable to him as the highest military honours.
Gustavus Adolphus, the late King of Sweden, is to take
up his residence in Switzerland; hi? allowance has..been
fixed at 500,000 francs. He is shortly expected at the fine
country seat of Green, on tlnt Mertes Lake, which has
been purchased for him.