The Sun.
London, England, 1812-12-19 00:00:00

RELIEF TO THE SUFFERING RUSSIANS.

The Order of the Day for taking into considera-
tion the Prince Regent's Message of yesterday
upon this subject being read,
The Earl of LIVaRPOOL rose, be said, to pro-
pose an Address to his Royal Highness, in conic-
quenee of his most gracious Message. It was
pimps unfortunate, as to meeting their Lordships'
wishes, as well as his own, that he could not at
once leave its adoption to an emanation of that
candour and feeling, which be was confident, must
pervade the minds of the great majority, not only
of that House, but of the country, on the subject
to which it refeared. But, however, having un-
derstood, that, not there certainly, but among
sonic persons, doubts were expressed of the pro-
priety of the measure to be proposed, heshouldill
discharge his duty, if he confided it to such an ef-
fect. Among the extraordinary events of the last
20 Rears, there had been no period in which events
were more unexpected, more singular in their na-
ture, or momentous in their consequences, than
-those which had taken place within the last 6 months.
They had seen the Ruler of France, whose career
ot successes exhibited in so many conquests, un-
-tier so musty and various combinations against
him, they bad beheld placed in a situation and
circumstances very far different from any of those
that have preceded. He believed, he may say,
:t.inat if all the armies ever yet collected by France,
either with respect to numbers—to the qualifica-
tions of the Officers who commanded, or the va-
rious appointments of the force, there never had
been exertions equal to those which France had
lately brought to act against the Russian Empire.
The aggregate amount was not less than three
Inundred and sixty thousand men, with a body of
lio,ooo cavalry. With these the defensive force
of Russia bore no comparison. The circum-
stances in which it was placed at the time peett
tiarly deteriorated it. The-delays of the pacifica-
tion with Turkey, retarded the junction or, co-
iaperation. ot the principal Russian armies. The
circumstances tinder which these forces were
placed, lead necessarily to a system of defensive •
warfare. There were other considerations which
rendered the Russians armies inferior to those of
France; besides being numerically inferior, they
were particularly so with respect- to -cavalry. Ile
slid not intend to enter into the detail ofthe
miii-
tray operations that took place_ .But there was
-one most important consideration to which he had
to advert, namely, that the species of opposition
evperienced by the ',French in Russia, was far dif-

ferent from any they had yet encountered in their
aggressive wars or invasions, with the exception
of that inthe Peninsula. The difference was, that
whatever armies' they had to contend with, the
'people did not stand forth as in Russia. Their
exertions in defence of all that was dear to'thein
- -shewed their disposition to make any.sacrilices,
rather than submit 'to their cruel aggressive in-
vaders. FroM .a view of these exertions may be
judged what countries are capable of in their own
defence. Proofs of this would be seen in the
great and prominent feature of the campaign ; the
evacuation and destruction of .MoscovV: • . What
parallel had that stupendous sacrifice in thea:inals
of warfare ? d population.exceeding two- hundred
thousand had evacuated, and left their habita-
tions, and 'nine-tenths of the city, was devoted to
the flames sooner than it should' become a retreat
to,the enemy. Where was any event that could
be put in composition with that ? But the sacri-
fice of Moscow was not the only one made by the
patriotic and indignant Russians. No 'less than
one hundred villages . were left and consumed on
the advance 'of the enemy, and their inmates re-
tired for shelter anti security to- the woods and
forests ! Those sacrifices were the greater, where
. the rigours of the climate -are•lwoverhial. If he
• made these statements way of appeal. to
British generosity or to British humanity, the es-
tablished characteristic of the nation, he felt con-
fident the appeal Would be. sufficient ; but tu-
peradded to these, there were considerations con-
nected with feelings of.national interest, and of
national advantage. ',The question did not rest on.
considerations of-feeling or humanity ; important
Britisb:interests were involved, not 'only great
and remote, but immediate and direct. It was
well known that a favourite object of the French
Rider's policy was, the exclusion of British trade
.and commerce from the Continent ; and that the
principal and most . immediate. object for which
Russia was invaded, was fur the purpose of strik-
ing a deadly blow against Great Britain. In fur-
therance of what was called the Continental Sys-
tem ; it was a direct strike upon the interests of
Great Britain, immediate and direct. Consider-
ing the conduct of Russia farther, with a view to
national interest, was it no object to open to the
country a market of 35 millions of people ?
Were they to look to the conduct of Russia, only
as an advantage and a relief to this country,
where articles were rising in value every day ?
What it was proposed to afford to that gallant
and patriotic people, who had made such unpre-
cedented sacrifices in defence of the independence
and religion of their country, no gronud of hesi-
tation could consistently exist. A country pre-
served as this was from the ',lethal evils and cala-
Mities of warfare, could but ill judge of the suf-•
(clings of a. country so circumstanced. He felt
as-much as any man for the unavoidable sacrifices
this country had made, and may still be obliged
to make ; yet these were nothing to-the real ca-
laMities of actual warfare—they were nothing to
the sacrifices made by Russia, or other countries,
where the war was carried into their bosoms. This
relief they were called upon to afford, was that
which of all others was the least burthensome or.
injurious to the country. It was a measure of
prudence as well as humanity ; it was a manifes-
tation of the national feeling at least, if the relief
may not be so extensive as was desirable ; such
measures tended to cement and consolidate that
bond of union and amity which so happily sub-
sisted between countries where alliance and
connection .may. be formed, and above -.all
others, on national principles. Ile would not
look more narrowly into the question, but
had to observe, there appeared a disposition
among the higher orders in Russia to contribute
largely'to the relief of its suffering peasants.—
What they were called upon was only to come
forward in addition to the contribution so made.
It Would make them feel that the aristocracy of
this country also cherished a strong •interest (he '-
meant that House), as well as the British, in
what so deeply affected them. They should feel.
a pride and t satisfaction at an opportunity of
coming forward in a way which would so decid-
edly evince the feelings and disposition of the
British nation to the subjects of a most faithful
and magnanimous ally. The Noble Earl Con-
cluded, by moving an Address to his Royal High-
ness the Prince Regent, assuring hint their Lord-
ships would cheerfully concur in such measures as
may be necessary to enable his Royal Highness to
effectuate the object of his most gracious Message.
He then added, that the amount of the proposed
relief would be 200,0001.