The Sun.
London, England, 1807-04-28 00:00:00

PROBABLE EFENT OF A GENERAL BATTLE.

LThe following, Observations upon the Russian Armies ap-
pear to us to be deserving of attention, though we do not
agree with them perhaps in every particular.]

It seems to have become the general persuasion,
that the ensuing campaign will scarcely be opened
before every thing is pUt to the risque. of a general
battle. Th►e' sieges of Dantzic and Konigsburgh
Must compel BEN'&'IGSEN' to '.risque this impdrtant
engagement.
The conflia of two such Armies will be horrible
beyond all example of modern 'times. It will be a
conflict between two Powers, whose extent of do-s
minion, and compass of 'military resources, would
scarcely sink in the comparison with the ancient
Monarchics. The object of the contest is in no re-
sped unworthy of the combatants—an Empire will
be lost or won—Europe will be delivered, or her
servitude 'will be confirmed for centuries ! •

In such a state of things it cannot but be of ge-
neral interest to weigh the chances of the re'ult—to
call before the mind of our Readers the respeaive
qualities of the two parties, and to endeavour to (le-
duce some conclusion as to their comparative etlica-
cy. It has become too much a custom of late to
under-rate the efficiency of the Russians. It has
been still a more general, and more fatal error, to
exaggerate the military prowess of our enemy.—
Truth lies in the middle. It cannot be denied that
the French armies have-become as it vyere 'peculiarly
formed to war", by a long series of service. From
the 1789 to 180, they have been successively in
the field. s They are naturally an active, brave, and
enterprising people; and when to these qualities are
superinduced the long and unbroken habits of so
many years of warfare, it cannot be denied that they
have become a Military Nation. They are this, in-
deed, in the strict sense of the word—they are a
Nation of Soldiers.

But whilst we render this justice to the French,
let us not ungratefully refuse it to Russia. Russia
may not, perhaps, possess the Military discipline of
France, but Russia may still possess qualities which
may preponderate against the superior skill of her
enemy. Let us consider for a moment the character
of the Russians, and we shall find some of, those
peculiar qualities—some of thinse chstinalive advan-
tages—which way raise Russia to the ,level of her
civilized enemy.
Now, the Writers upon the National Character of
the Russians have considered their distinaire or
charaQeristic traits chiefly under four :heads :
Their Invincible Loyalty—the Impossibility of their
being corrupted,-tileir Physical Superiority--and
their Principleof

With regard to 'their • Invincible:Loyalty, their'
religious attachment to the Person and GovBrnment
of their Sovereign, will it not have some etred•in. the
ensuing eolithn ? The Russians, above every nation
in the world, have been distinguished by chis.inilexi-
ble loyalty to their Sovereign. • There is not a 'single
instance in the whole Russian history, of a Prince
being dethroned who had time to appeal to•
his-
people: There is something inherent and insepa-
rable from the genius of the nation, 'which excites
love and veneratio❑ for the mere name of Rotialty.
Will it admit a doubt, therefore, but that their at-
tachment to the present EMPEROR, the attachment
of subjects naturally loyal to a Prince who so well
merits their love, must exceed that of the French
People to an acknowledged Usurper ? ' .

With regard to their impossibility of being cor-
rupted—is it not notorious that the French have
made more conquestsby their intrigues than by their
aroas ; by the diffusion of their principles, than by
*the sword ? It is by those means that France has
infused into all Nations an involuntary respell for
her---a habit of yielding-to her influence, and of be-
lieving her to be invincible. It is. by those means
that she has indirthly turned every Court of Eu-
rope according to her own humour, tnaking them
converts not only to her philosophy, but to her most
acknowledged follies, and commanding their undis-
puted admission of hdr superiority over all. There
is a subtle poison' in. this art, which works its way
through all. opposition, unnerving every arm,
and slackening every sinew of national strength
and power. Russia is alone impenetrable to this
poison. It cannot be communicated to her, be-
cause is cannot be brought into contact with her.
The:genius of the-people would kill the plague in its
first embryo. 'Books are the only possible vehicles
of this, poison. There are two circumstances, hoW-;
ever, which would render these books perfealy harm
less. In the first place, they could never gain ad-
mission into the Russian Empire,-4n the second
place; if they Could reach any certain place of their
destination,' no one could understand thern.—The
conclusiOn- isi that the Russians have never been,
corrupted. There are no Philosophers—in other
words, no'Traitors—in the Russian Army—they are
all honest men-4hey have 'no Illuminees—nointi-
dels,--,they love their King, and acknowledo their
God,

The third distin&ive trait of the Russians is their
physical superiority—the comparative individual Su-
periority. of a RusSian over a French soldier. In
strength of body, and vigour of mind, the Russian
soldirr is superior to the soldier of, most nations in
the World. 'The habits of his life are such, that
there is nu Soldier in the world whose' wants are
fewer, and who - can bear fatigue and the hardships
of war with equal lOrtittide. He is truly indefati-
gable: He can suffer hunger,•thirst, weather, the
most unusual toils, and the most extraordinary
privations, to the utmost and almost incredible
stretch of the physical powers Of man. It is by no
-means an unTornon thing for it Russian Soldier to

. ,
ru2tion—engage tile enemy loirncti!ateiy—f:;l:t
again for as bong a period of lUII and come• oil vit:7
torious. It was this extraordinary physical ot:engi
which prevented the junCtiOn of Mott EA,t; and M.;.c-:
DONALD in Italy.; who each thought
that he could be separate. from the othe,r, and dt;.-
feated by an enemy So di;tant from both;

, .
With regard to their Religion, the Russian go,.•S
to battle in the persuasion that his dt.ath in thc,,
field. will be a glorious martyrdom. Ile goes to
battle with an alMost certain anticipation of ins
eud. He knOwS,and fc'ars. no danger-, 'but that ot-
disobeying the command of his Officer. The opi,
nion that such is hi. duty, is irradicable from Iv,
mind. Were hut one Officer and one Soldier or 'y
left on the field; out of a whOle Russian Army,
and surrounded by tliousantis of the viCioriou4
Enemy, the Soldier would not, lay down his a, ins
unless commanoa by his Officer.
Such are the chataaeristics, the national cinaMlcs,
of the Russian Soldiery. Will it be contended
that BONAPARTH will gain an ca7iy viaory over an
Army composed of such men—men of stich ioyati
so invincible by corruption—posseced of
such natural habits—and -confirmed in such reli-
gious principles ?—We think not. Should he cveli
gain a vi&ory, we cannot but indulge. a confident
expeeation that it will be such as to dis.tb:e bitii
froth pursuing it.

Extraa of a letter ficini a Gentletnan nt I\`'..orre
Video, dated February g :—‘, We prrived here thi
the 10th January, and lvere tos.iing: about till tha.
Gth, when the. place was takeh.lr. troops hav3
performed prodigies of %%Out.. 1\4:,.• re Vide;;
very poor place of itself; the fortii: .Itiort szrontr,
beyond every t ing. The slaughter ).!s
ful ; it is easier to conceive thl:2 de!',crits,e the
speeacle the town presented after the storming
poor fellows were litercllY torn to pieces by the :g
and cannon shot from the Sp;:nish bazteri,
this instance, I believe, they have Sii7pa3e.-.1 v.ll
tiler-ads of intrepidify.
" .
thought wmance/ when I rend ricco,mt; of
horses at,td.oxen tr
cf be-had hero fora- dollar (5,;.) c.wh
it is, however, true, and this arc morning ~;e r
fasted off part of a quarter of beef, for which' we.p„isi
only I s. sterling. An elegant ho.rse may 'absolltely rio;
purchaSed for three Collars, which in England woul.:
cost 401.

The population of Monte Video i% about elevin
thousand six hundred•sonls ; only ahout tour ,tiod7
sand are white; the rest 'are ilegroes anti Ind ~.
We are now in the midst or sonitner, tc'uit-Th
such abund,ince, that the peaches ab,einely
upon the trees for want Of gathering.
" Ot Buenos Ayres I have ne.lrd veu flitier;to.4
accounts from Gentlemen who have bee i:3
inhabitants are seventy tbousan2, mist, ty2ir4 th•J
seat of Government, it is a well re whited to•Ati."

COLONEL. VASSALL'S DEATII.;77--001-1, Of AO
teresting. Letter from his Orderly Serjeant
Officer of distil-16Rn' :

,
SlR—Pardon me for taking this. the.rty as the
gratitude 'T owe to my ever •I:lmented and t)-,st ft:iend,
Col. VAssALL, obliges me to give you and his friends
an authentic account of his last inhale) ; I being 40
orderly Serjeant, at d.the chief person to witness Jai;
bravery, and the *gallant manner in wltich he ac_
quitted hiMseli in doing his duty, on the .Unfrtu-
nate hour in which he fell. 9»our approach to the
VvaN, we Missed the entrance of the breach ; and
the grape and mtsquetry View so hot as to,drive t
men in cOnfusion, and numbers of them were about
to retreat, 'but for his exertions. When he obsered
any of them stoop or flinch, be cried out as loud as
" Damn it, men, don't flinch ; every b::,1-
let has its ; brush on, follow me, Thir,ty-
eight !" He rallied them repeatedly in this Mar iner,
until he got them inside of the breach, when
immediately dire6ted•a party to take possession, o:
the corner-battery next the sea, which was done
a few minutes ; and another party, under the corn:.
mand of Major Ross., to advance to. the great church,
and was advancing himself, when,a grape shot brf..k,:
his left leg, and as. soon as he fell he cried on,
" Push on, my good soldiers, 'charge them ; never
mind me, somebody will take me up; its only tine
loss of a leg in the service." • He sat up, helped to
tie on a handkerchief to stop the Wad ; he cried
all the time of the a&ion, " I don't care fur my leg,
if my regiment do their duty, and I hope they will."
As soon as the town' surrendered, and he heard the
men cheer, he joined
.them, in as great spirits
as ilnothing'had• happened; and called. 'to me to
have him carried to the head of his regithent. I
feel to the heart for his loss to his family ; I could
wish to have fallen with him sooner than part with
a man who was so good a friend to me. At half
past three, on the morning -of the 3d, he received
his wound, and at one o'clock the evening of the
7th, he departed, and at eight :on the same even-
ing was interred, at the entrance ofthe great Church,
with all the military honours.. •B. MATTHEW,."

A legacy-bunter was heard to remark stately, thit
after spending' many years and • much money in
courting the goodwill of some rich relations, -he 14.1
been utterly, frustrated in his purAtit.—Quere.
he devoted but one quarter of the-lime and money irl
courting the similes of Fortune through the medimn
of her Lottery Wheel, might he not have stood a
much better chance of gaining wealth Her disi-,en-
sations, for example, announced for Saturdq next;
are capable of giving.more riches in•t he t w klitp2; of
an eye, than may be gained by a whole life of legacy.
hunting. .

CinA;ln EvgNTs.---2The First-drawn Ticket, IV,.
1 6;787 , in the present State Lottry. and whica
distributed -to the Public the Surtilof 40;000,1. WRS
Sold in one Quarter, One Eighth, and ten Sixteenth
Sharv, HODGES, PAINE and Co.'s, Coriihill,-Ox-
ford 'Street, and St. Jaines's Street: On Sttirday,
gay 2d, the First-drawn Ticket' will be entitled to
20,0001. independent of any other Prize ; and there
are numerous Capitals yet in the .Wheel.: Also,
every Ticket that maybe drawn -on the above day
will , .
be a Prize.

On Saturday Adkins', the Boy.-street Officer, ar-
rived in town with three witnesses to endeav6ui-
identify the person of Jack Maccoui, who is charged
On suspicion of having stoic a parcel from the Yotk
coach, containing nutes and bills the arnouLt of
42001.—Mr. Chamberlain,' of Cho While Hart,
toxeter, identified the Prisoner to be the man wh,)
got one of the stolen notes discounted at Bell's Eank
in that town, when the Prisoner signed "J.
rt.n" as his name. He was. ,