The National Register.
London, England, 1812-01-05 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

ConEitutioal anb ILak:r3.

S N D Y, 3A N Alki.): 5, 1812.

N° 210.

POL I i ICAL DINQUISITION.

No. 197.

POLICY AND CONSEQUENCES OF THE PRESENT WAR
EXAMINED.

(Continue! from No. €208.)
We are now come to the consideration of thi3 point,
txbether we are at present exposed to greater dangers than
at the opening of hostilities. To he able to form a just
opinion on the subject, it is necessary to retrace the re-
spective situation of England and the Continent, at the
time die enemy's infracticn of the Treaty of Amiens led

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and which their subsequent overthrow has proved to have
Irecn ruinous. However, at the time the Continental
peace was renewed, both Prussia and Spain remained un-
impaired in their means ; the former with an army of
300,000 men, deemed the best disciplined troops in Eu-
rope ; the latter with a considerable navy, a host of Colonies
in both worlds, and all the wealth and resources of South
America et her command. At that period Prussia ap.
peared to he entirely ruled by French counsels, and Spain
was -so intimately connected with France, as to send to
Paris almost all the revenue derived from her South Ame-
rican dominions. The military strength of the one, and
the colonial ric:es of the other, were thus diverted into
a foreign channel, and instead of insuring the independ.
ence and prosperity of the country to which they belong.
ed, encreased the power of a treacherous ally. Aggran—
dised by the losses of her foes, . and- supported by the
blindness of her friends, Trance only spared the latter,
lest she should derive herself of the advantages which
they yielded, until they should have ceased to prove use-
ful. With re- rd to Ittessia, distance which had shielded
her from dar.gor, had also blunted her efficiency: Tri-
timplient in Italy, her troops' had been defeated in Swit-
zerland. With their reported invincibility, the terror
which they inspired had vanisho; and having once
withdrawn from the field, they could find no sceoe of
action on which to meet the. French anew without the
co-operation of some allied power. _ The Russian early,
though but little reduced by the vicisitudes and toils of
war, was therefcre no longer calculated to excite anxiety
or alarm, whilst confined withiO its frontiers, and hostility
on the part of Russia towards France,could, at thei time,
have no other efFect.than that of an armed neutrality.
Such was the situation of the Continent, when hostill.
ties broke out between England and France. It was par-
ticularly favourable tr.e the 'latter. Surrounded 'will '?as-
sals, obedient allies, and enemies pacified, because ee.
hausted, she dreaded no- diversion in cur fevour, and
could safely collect all Le'. forte to bear at once upon us,
and. attempt Lo over‘ehelm ote. i c',istanco. 8! e wgs the
more powerrul at that period, as the instability of her
government had•0e.,,,...d. T;ie,plrrl-s, which for many
years wrenched the !,elyn cff St -r* from each other, and
by the introduction ef verici4ie se2tems of policy distrac' ed
her Ceunc;ls, though still were overpowered.
They lay pr,-,,:tra.e at the feerof one of their former
tools a taan, -alio had only olwyed, in order to c
'm-
nand ; who had o'-'y professed principles to
establish the most arbitrary de,,potism,
raised to the Chief ...-.TaQ.istracy of the
lie, armed w.g7-) the ci.ly dela

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and %an now, sclf.
pretended Repub.
tyed absuming