The National Register.
London, England, 1809-02-26 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

allowing 20,000 of the conscripts to have beep► detached to
Spain to reinforce his armies there. Nobody will, however,
expect from raw recruits the same services as from veteran

t Trans.
The following is an estimate of the force of the Princes
of the Rhenish Confederacy :—Bavaria has about 36,000
men ;. Saxony 24,000 ; Westphalia 20,000; Wurtember
12,000; Batlr•n 8000: Berg 4000; and the other Princes
about MON ;—making in all about 116,000 men. But
what a motley mass! Wow divided in interest; and how

Little to be ctintided in! Is every particle of former at-
tachments, policy and views ctliiced in Germany ? Are no
apprehensions, no suspicions fostered by any of those
Princes attout the probable fate that awaits them ? Are
Saxons, Ilanoverians, Hessians, and Franconinus, together

with the Provinces torn from Prussia, deprived of every
recollection of the past, and insensible to their own degra-
dation and the fate of their former Sovereigns / Do the
distress of individuals, the straitening of their means of
subsistence, the annihilation of foreign trade, the outrages
offered to the community, the exactions, luxury, and in-
s:)lence of their tyrants, produce no lurking. discontent, no
desire of change, no thirst of vengeance, no ardent vvishes
for the ancient order of things, for the former freedom, the
former plenty / To imagine that the Germans arc satisfiel
after having lost. every thing that commands the veneration
and attachment of men; or that their Princes, after the
atrocious ingratitude which BONAPARTE displayed towards
the Royal Family of Spain, are tranquil and satisfied and
unsuspicious in their present state of vassalage,—is the
most extravagant, the most unnatural, and, we might say,
blasphemous opinion of mankind ever uttered.
From that quarter no sincere, no permanent assistance
can be expected. The magazines, formerly established
on the Rhine, must likewise be replenished ; for they
hive been transported beyond the Pyrenees. His force in
Germany is insufficient, that in Italy is only competent
for its defence (for the intelligent tyrant never allows his
troops to languish in inaction, when their presence is re-
quisite elsewhere); to attack Austria, therefore with any
prospect of success, he must march back the same way
they made four months ago, a considerable part of the
army he has now in Spain. Will he dare do it ? Will he
sacrifice his claims to that country ; and leave the irri-
tated, proscribed grandees an opportunity of organising to
their full extent, the resources and patriotism of the Spanish
Nation ? Is he ignorant that a British Army is ready to
deice the conjuncture; and now confident in their superior
prowess, and instructed by experience, more than suffi-
cient, in canjunction with the Spaniards, to overwhelm the
force he may leave behind ? Is he not sensible of the
murmurs and discontent his troops will manifest in con-
sequence of these marches and counter-marches ? Their
dissatisfaction has already burst out to a degree never be-
fore expressed by the French Army.
All these considerations are not to be overlooked in ad-
verting to the present state of the Continent. And we
press it again and again on the minds of our countrymen,
that the I mulch military force, their resources and finances,
are far inferior to what is generally believed. Symptoms
totally hostile to the French have long displayed them-
selves in e:ery part of the Prussian provinces. The de-
parture of the King and gam) of Prussia for Petersburg!),
the powerful eloquence of that illustrious and amiable
woman, her grievances, her complaints, her %inextinguish-
able antipathy. to Fraace, her fallen state, will produce a
'deep and salutary impression on the • mind of Alexander ;
and, we are much mistaken, if the appearance of that
.illustrious fugitive at the Court of St. Petersburgh, with
the talc she has to relate, will not cause Bonaparte uneasi-
ness and suspicion. How his pride must be mortified at
their declining to accept his permission to return to their
'capital ; and his fulminating bull against M. IrOpi STEIN,
discloses his sentiments relative to Prussia.
Such are our hopes in case of a war between France
and Austria. Such are the resources of the enemy

and such are the accumulating difficulties of his situa;
Lion. The means of Austria are ready,' and well
organised and concentrated : whilst those of ber oppo-
nent are divided and diminished. Her troops have no
winter campaign, with all its privations and horrors to
support. The voice of her subjects, of the rest of Ger-
many, of Europe, is in her savour; and if she falls, she
falls gloriously, lamented and honoured, and only one year
sooner, than she had otherwise done, had BONAPARTE suc-
ceeded in subduing the Patriots. Her doom would then be
irretrievable ; and her imbecillity and infatuation in re-
maining so. long inactive, would have deprived her of the
commiseration and sympathy of other Slates. She would
sink unregretted and unesteemcd, when the FIAT of the
tyrant would have pronounced the family of Habsburg un-
worthy to .reign.

From the latest accounts from America, it appears
certain that the people of the United States are deter-
mined to obtain a repeal of the Embargo !Law, or op-
pose the Government in the execution of it. Great
disturbances have already taken place, but there
is reason to apprehend others of a much inure seri-
ous description. The Collector and Comptroller of
the Customs at Boston have been compelled to relinquish
their situations, b,,ing no longer in a condition to enforce.
the laws. The military, it is said, actually refused to
tire upon a tumultuous meeting, on being ordered by the
Commander to do so. But the most important fact is,
that the Government of the United States had sent a mili-
tary force to New Orleans, with Ale view, as it is supposed
of preventing the British from trading in the Mississippi:
The treaty of ISO:3, between France, Spain, and America,
allowed the English to participate in the trade of that
river ; and if it should now be disputed by the Government
of the United States, war with Great Britain must be the
consequence.

From that quarter no sincere, no permanent assistance
can be expected. The magazines, formerly established
on the Rhine, must likewise be replenished ; for they river
have been transnorted beyond the Pyrenees. His force in
i
Germany is insufficient, that in Italy is only competent 'atillie treaty of I '4o'3 b L France, .we iiSpain,
and America,
owed the Enirlish to participate in the trade of that
and if • ts-t'7should C
of ;
States,
the United war with Great Britain must be the
consequence. ~
1.,
~
for its defence (for the intelligent tyrant never allows his lIMIIIIINYMMIMIMMI+ROMOinniMM.
troops to languish in inaction, when their presence is re- AIR. SHERIDAN. qt
i quisite elsewhere) ; to attack Austria, therefore with any
The disgraceful subject of our reverses during the Late it
i prospect of success, he must march back the same way
campaign was discussed in the House of Commons last
they made four mouths agn, a cousiderable part of the
army he has now in Spain, Will he dare do it? Will he night. Between eleven and twelve o'clock, the fire,
which was'consuming, that magnificent temple of the mimic
• sacrifice his claims to that country ; and leave the irri-
art, Drury Lane Theatre, had reflected so strong a blaze •
f tated, proscribed grandees an opportunity of oreanising to•
of light into the inside of the House, that a very marked
their full extent, the resources and patriotism of the Spanish
agitation was visiWe among the members ; and the Debate
Nation ? Is he ignorant that a British Army is ready to .
was frequently interrupted. At the conclusion of Mr.
Acize the conjuncture; and now confident in their superior
Canning's ehr.2.uent and patriotic speech, a motion was made 1 e.
prowess, and instructed by experience, niece than such-
,L
to adjourn the (louse, as a mark of the sympathy and 1. il
1 ,
cient, in ct njunction with the Spaniards, to overwhelm the
interest sr hich the Members felt for the loss sustained by ,I
force he may leave behind ? Is he not sensible of the '
• Mr. SuFainAs, But that gentleman, with a magnanimity . , •,..
murmurs and discontent his troops will manifest in con- ,•
so conspicuous in almost all his public actions, had ! t
sequence of these marches amid counter-marches ? Their
re-
mained firm and immoseable, at his post, though his whole t •.
dissatisfaction has already burst out to a degree never be-
fortune was vested in the theatre. He declared to the I ,
fore expressed by the French Armv.
House, in a !Ow tone of voice, not so mech occasioned by
All these considerations are not to be overlooked in ad-
the great loss he had sustained, but finnn the strong affect 1
veiling to the present state of the Continent. And we
this general sympathy e3tiscdhimsth:a"w""eat the
press it again and again on the minds of our countrymen, b •
b sufThrings of the individual may be, he did not consider ii;!
that the I' rench military force, their resources and thances, '
them of a nature to enibarrass their proceedings on so
'are leg inferior to what is 01 nerally believed. Symptoms i";
:- great a national question.
totally hostile to the French have long displayed theta 'That illustrious Senator hies been deprived by this dread- till 4.
selves in tnery part of the Prussian provinces. The de-ful calamity of the ►whole of his property •; and in quittino.
part tire of the King and Clneen of Prussia for Petersburgh, es
the House of Commons, which he attended in the exercise
the powerful eloquence of that illustrious and amiable • •,
of his parliamentary functions, and which he had so often
womaa, her grievances, her complaints, her unextinedsh-
enraptured by his doqiießce, asfenished by the versatility
able antipathy. to Fraece, her fallen state, will produce a
of his talents, enlivened by his wit, and ornamented by his
'deep and salutary impression on the • mind of Alexander;
quitting it he was literally a beggar. But the ._
and, we are much mistaken, if the appearance of that genitis,—on
public and.the government cannot disregard th e e great and
illustrious fugitive at the Court of St. Petersburgh, with
His conduct during has
ices he • rendered. • '
the talc she has to relate, will not cause Bonaparte uneasi- important sect•
the mutiny of the 'Sore, when the fortunes of the Empire
'less and suspicion. How his pride must be mortified at
were suspended by a single hair, have entitled him to the
• their declining to accept his permission to velum to their .
eternal gratitude of the country. During the whole tenor
'capital ; and his fulminating bull against M. Von STEIN,
of his,_public life, he has displayed a disinterestedness. an
discloses his sentiments relative to Prussia. • ,:i•
ardent love of freedom, an attachment to the constitution.
. Such are our hopes in case of a war between France, s,
an abhorronce of arbitrary lic a fir
and selfish policy, mness of
and Austria. such are the resources of the enemy i i t.,.
: K,,iitl