The National Register.
London, England, 1809-08-27 00:00:00

AUG. 27.

that it should weigh a teuther in that scale; on the con-
trary, it appears to us incu,►testible that if there had ever
existed a probability that BUtINAPARTE would have been
enabled from the existing state of the Negociation, to send
any considerable detachments from his army, to the assist-
ance of either his Brothers in Spin or Holland, he would
certainly have devised some means of conveying the jute::
ligence to us, We sincerely hope, and we datter'ourselves
too, that he will yet 4mi sefficient employment for all his
troops, till the autumnal rains have brought with them the
nearer procipec.ts of a Winter Campaign. The Austrian
account of the Battle of Waram has been published ; it
differs, as we expected it would, very materially from the
French Bulletin; there are, indeed, parts of it which strike
us with astonishmeet.

" It was estimated at from 110 to 150,000 men; according to
the latest statements of the Emperor N 4 en Lao?' himself and hit
Generals, it consisted of 180.0J0 combatants. On the part of
the 4ustrians, not vitt. 100,0);) men were in the field of battle.
The attack, began w i its 4 brisk cannonade all along the line, w hich
;he enemy answered by a car soperior number of heavy ordnance,
and kept it up till night without intermission. The right wing
of the Austrians ma.le the nvict splendid progress : Adlerklaa
was taken, mid the enemy driven from Itusseuhrunni Hreitenlie,
pad lierscastetten. Tile enetny's evalry on tlto left wing was
completely routed."

What then we are tempted to produced the NW
Armistice It was not any want of confidence. or courage in
thelustrian arrpy..-They were tincxpectedly paralizetl ! And
they were diisitisaed I War there treachery I—Were the
Commanders alarmed ?-•.W.ls the Archduke alarmed ? Or
Jve the insithoui intrigues of Hu oN, A PA Ric round an avenue
tq the Imperial caul► t- •111-fated Empire 1 On the day %hen
peace stia.l be signed with thine enemy, on that day
will the !UM of thy gre4tue33 set i❑ a darkness impenetrable
even to hope.

The surrender of Flus,hing aed the islatids of the Scheldt
qeems to have been the employ meat our Expedition for
a very long period. We ha% e. heard of " its ulterior ob-
jects" till we are sick of the very phrase. We have already
noticed the errors of our Commander in not securing Cad-
,.
sand in the first instance, and neglecting to push on to
Antwerp before the enemy had time to encrease his tOrce
in that neighpoarhood s we have now to ask, what in the
name of God has liept Sir Juror Hopp: and the Marquis of
Hu wil.cy'sNision so Joag upon South Beveland ? Did they
wait to recover from their sea sickness, or was it neces-
sary to secure a stock of beef for the men, as well as turtle
for' the Commander in Chief, that our soldiers might
notiie obliged to fight in a way that is peculiarly distress-
ing to ErOishmen, we mean with " empty slumachs."
But to be serious, what arc 80,000 men about, %%e have
•
a force unprecedented upon the Continent, and our navy
as well as our arniy is so fully occupied with these " ulte-
rior objects," that we have not left at home a sufficient
number of small armed vessels to protect even the meths
of our harbours, Blaine attatches sumew here fort his neglect.
What may have prevented or delayed oar efforts in the
n.,ighbourhood of Antwerp, does not rest with Ministers,
but this neglect at home, they should certainly inquire into
and reinedv.—The City politiciaus will sooner forgive a
gigantic error, where much is attempted, although the
Jives of thousands may be sacrificed by it, than they will
pa7,lon an oversight which Occasions the ruin of a splendid
se.lculation, iu the very tuoment.of its completion. This is :

b 3 I

Human nature. It has been said of them of old time, that
men who st rain at gnats will swallow camels.—Of the Expedi-
dition, we shall only further observe that the delay which
has takeu place, either might have been foreseen or it
could nut. If the former, the difficulties being anticipated,
should have been prevented, for certainly our Ministers re-
ceived the iutelligence of the Armistice before the Expe-
dition sailed ; and in this event they could not reasonably
have calculated upon the army being allowed so much time
for taking breath after it was landed. Was so great a force
as 11,000 men necessary for the reduction of Flushing?
If it was, are the preparations upon so niggardly a scale
as not to permit the ulterior operations being at-
tempted without that additional force ? If that was not
the ease, whence the delay ? And even if it actually
were the fact, have not the enemy gained a much
larger accession of strength. by the delay than we have?
To us who are only men of plain understanding, all
this seentssomehow or other a little unaccountable. We
do not believe the blame lies at home. We not only
thiuk that admimistratiun have sent men that will fight
(they are Englishmen, that is enough) but that they have
equipped them with the means of fighting, and that if no.
ceisary, they wish them to fight. That the original plan.
too, was good, we firmly believe. What would we say
ne;t 1 Why, that all these things only make the delays
which have taken place more unaccountable still.
Among other topics which have occupied the attention
of the public, there is one respecting our situation with.
America, to which more importance has been attached,
from th:.: manner of treating it, than from any intrinsic
merit, or even difficulty in the thing itself. In a ministe-
rial journal of the United States, we have the following
paragraph, which is supposed (we know not how truly) to
Have been sanctioned by the Government of America ;
" Whether Mr. Erskine exceeded his instructions or note
is a question between him and his sovereign, and'that his
nation is injustice and honour irrevocably bound to big
stipulations."

The sop:stry and falsehood of this argument is exposed
by a mere statement of it. if the terms in which the pro-
po.4ition is conveyed be understood by any reader of come
mon sense or common honesty-, it does not appear to us
that there can exist two opinions. We bhall first notice
the conduct of this same Government under similar circum.
stances :—ln the month of July 1807, Messrs. Pitica.sitor-
and MONROE signed a Treaty, on behalf of the American
Government, with Lords AUCKLAND and HOLLAND ;
JcppLasos refused to ratify this Treaty without pretend•
ing to state that they had travelled out of their instructions.
Upon what grounds is the law of nature and of nations to
be varied in favour of the American Government, and the
same measure ofjustice denied to us? Did not the same
thing occur when the Autocrat of Russia refused to ratify
the Treaty concluded at Paris by D'OURRIL ? The con.
venience or inconvenience, the advantage or disadvan.
Cage arising. from the exertion of this right has nothing
to do with the principle upon which it is founded, on the
Law of Nations upon which the practice is justified. We
could produce a host of authorities, from writers upon
the subject, but shall only make one extract for the infor-
mation of our Readers, which supersedes the necessity of
argument, and is quite decisive upon the point.---It is from
J.J.likat.amaqnt's Principles of Natural and Political Law.

AUG. 21. • THE NATIONAL REGISTER. b 3 1
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MIMIIIIIIIIIIIMMIPIPSIIII. immaviimmimaionseilmir I A - Asir
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that it should weigh a feather in that scale; on the con- Human nature. It has been said of them of old time, that
trary, it appears to us incuatestible that if there had ever men w tio strain at gnats will swallow camels • —Of the ExPedi-
existed a probability that nUt/NAPARTE would have been dition, we shall only further observe that the delay which
enabled from the existing state of the Negociation, to send has taken place, either might have been foreseen or it
any considerable detachments from his army, to the assist- Could nut. If the former, the difficulties being anticipated,
ance of either his Brothers in Spain or Holland, he would should have been prevented, for certainly our Ministers re-
certainly have devised some means of convey ing,the jute,- ceived the iutelligence of the Armistice before the Expe-
ligence to ea. We sincerely hope, and we flatter ourselves (lotion sailed ; and in this event they could not reasonably
too, that he will yet find seffieleut employment for all his have calculated upon the army being allowed so much time
troops, till the autumnal tins have brought with them the for taking breath after it was landed. Was so great a force
nearer prospects of a Winter Campaign. The Austrian as 11,000 men necessary for the reduction of Flushing?
account of the Battle of Wassiam has been published lit If it was, are the preparations upon so niggardly a scale
differs, as we expected it would, very materially from the ,as not to permit the ulterior operations being at-
French Bulletin; there are, indeed, parts of it Which strike tempted without that additional force ? If that was not
us with astonishment. the case, whence the delay ? And even if it actually .
"It was estimated at from 110 to 150,000 men; according to were the fact, have not the enemy gained a much
the latest statements of the Emperor N 4 ro Lcom himself and his large, accession of strength- by the delay than we have?
Geeerals, it consisted of 180.0,)0 combatants. On the part of To us who are only men of plain understanding, all
the 4ts3trians, nut finite 100,0)0 men were in the field of battle. this seems. somehow or other a little unaccountable. We
The attack began with 4 brisk cannonade :111 along the line, which do not believe the blame lies at home. We not only
;he enemy answered by a car superior number of heavy ordnance, built that admiuistratiun have sent men that will fight
mid kept it up till night without intermission. The right wing (they are Englishmen, that is enough) but that they have
of the Austrians male the mlct splendid progress : Adlerklaa equipped theta vvitb the means of fighting, and that if no-
was taken, and the enemy driven from Itusseuhrunn, Breitenlie, cois4r.,
y they wish them to fight. That the original plan,
pad liersc4steuen. Tile enemy's c4valry on tliu left Whig was
too, was good, we firmly believe. What would we say
completely routed.l'
at 1 Why, that all these things only make the delays
What then we are tempted to exclaim produced the fatal ne
4rmistice t It was not any want of confidence, or courage in 1
which have taken place more unaccountable still.
fist_ I' _1 . I 1 / Ainunir other tonics which have occupied the atlentirset