The Sun.
London, England, 1815-01-07 00:00:00

LX.)

l'atmin. and SAXONY ; or, an Appeal to the Good Sense of
Europe, on the Claims qf the -ging of SAXONY to the Li.
legrity and ind.-pendente -of Ms Dominions. Translated
from the German. AnOnymons. T. Underwood,
Fleet-
stre-et. Bvo. pit 80. Price 3s. •

There is so much in this pamphlet which de-
serves to be known, and it is so evidently the
pi-Auction of a person of better information and
greater talents than the ordinary class of political
writers, that we offer no apology for laying aside
works of general literature, in order to bring it thus
early after its publication under the notice of our
Readers. It will he rightly presumed from its
title that it treats of one of the few important
national questions which yet occupy the attention
and divide the opinions of Europe—namely,
the question of the union of Saxony with
Prussia, or the restoration of that country to
its ancient Sovereign.—The author is a stre-
nuous aAvocate for the expediency and justice
of the former measure,' and has produced a
case which we imagine it will be more easy to
censure without argument than to answer by
facts or -reasoning. It is in reply to a brochure
cm the other side, entitled, " Saxony and Prussia,"
of which, as we have not seen it, we can have no
further knowledge than is acquired by a perusal
of the present essay. After vindicating the Prus-
sian Government from the aspersions which are
alleged to be unsparingly thrown out against it in'
This p'ublication„, our` author proceeds to demon-,
3trate the scAndalons and besotted attachment
with *hich the Kit% of SAXONY adhered to MU-
IsTAVARTE 1.6 the last—a matter, by the bye, which
;terns to have strongly recommended that monarch
to the zealous support of our honest Opposition
and self-named Pat riots, alias agitators at home—
Had the SaXon King been true to the cause of
Europe, and of the'people under his dominion in
the spring of 1813, all the lives that were after-
wards Jost might probably liave been saved, and
the catastrophe of the Tyrant shortened hy an year of
almost matchless bloodshed and misery. The drawn
battle. of Gros-Gorchen in which 45,000 men
were engaged on each side, .might have closed the
career of the Corsican, had the 12,000 Saxons at
Jr organ, and the Allied corps which was detained
there to observe them; been united to the warriors
,ivbo cOmtended Oli that brilliant day, against the first
efforts made by the Enemy after his disasters in
Russia. But owing to the blind and selfish de-
votiOn of the King of Saxony to the Oppressor of
the Continent, the Allies- were compelled to fall
back, to yield the greater part of Germany to
him once more, to fight several sanguinary battles,
and finally to consent to an Armistice, which but
for the untamed ambition of the Despot, would
. have left him predominant in Europe. The King
Of Saxony had right and wrong in his choice he
thought that BUONAPARTE would continue to be
conqueror, and forgetful of every moral obliga-
tion, he forsook, or rather refused to join the
comin.on cause, and threw himself into his arms.
But Ate. was mistaken in his calculations, and his
kingdom was Subdued by the victorious Con-
. federates, Who at Dresden, 'KUhn Nollendorff,
Dcnnewitz, Wartburgh, Mocker!), and finally at
Leipsig,, acquired a right to .this territory at the
expence of millions of treasure and oceans of
blood :

" For the first time (says the Wtiter), towards the con-
cluson of the battle of Leipzig, a part of the Saxon Army
went over to the Allies, and merely wade more strikin; the
accomplishment of a victory which had.ben long since decid-
ed. At that moment when nearly 250,000 men fought on
eact side, a few thousands could have little weight in decid-
ing ,'Lie fortune of the day. The AllieS, nevertheless, ae-
loo„.1,400, with becoming,respect this resolution of the
Saxon Arnr,'; in virtue of which they were allowed to remain
in their own country, instead of being Compelled to Make a
precipitate and elisorderly retreat towards France. '
" Leipzig was ta ken by.storm nest morning. Tin: King of
'Saxon,' was found in the place, abandoned even by Napoleon;
and the remains of his troops were still under arms. There
• never was a conquest if t was not "a fair one ; and there are
no laws of war worthy of heirig respected among civilized Na-
Cons if they do not declare that thi.s seas a fair and legitimate
c ipture."

Upon these premises the Authnr contends, that
Saxony has no pretensions to be considered in
any other light than a conquered country, and we
confess, in our opinion, the argument is unan-
swerable. The claims, indeed, so boldly urged
by the advocates for the re-establishment of
DERICR. AUGUSTUS, in L. 4 lull sovereignty, appear
to us to resemble the modest request which an-
cient history informs us w
of Macedon. In those days it was usual to con-
sign a!ithe prisoners tal;en ip battle to the chains
of shiver—.
y Pllmtr, alter the victory of Cheronca,
magnanimously restored his Athenian captives to
freedom .without ransom ; upon which, these mo-
. &rate persons addressed his 'Majesty, to request
that he would also have the kindness Ai? Jeturn
them their baggtige. gilt PHILIP naturally
• enough thought that this was asking rather too

rout try mla negatlveci the -propoiiition, saying,
What then, ! did you suppose we were fighting, in
Pest."--The truth is, that if the side on which -
the King of Saxony enlisted had been successful,
his fidelity would have been rewarded by a good
slice of Prussia ; and we can really see no kis-
ticC or equity in the opinion, that haVing failed,
he should suffer nothing for his offence. Should,
such a rule be observed, and such doctrine be re-
ceived as the Law of Nairolis, it would render
ambition a sure game to play; for a Monarch co-
vetous of conquest, mig,ht always safely try the
issue—if he was victorious, all would be well ;if
he was beaten, he would only have to raise an
outcry against despoiling laWf.il Sovereigns of
their inheritance; transferring -free people like
beasts ; and a number of beautiful abstract sen-
timents which had only one fault, that of not be-
ing applicable to his case.
• But it may be said, that we only assume that
Saxony, had her friend NAPOLEON overcome,
would bare been aggrandised at the expence of
Prussia. This is, however, not an unfounded and
gratuitous supposition. What Saxony had done
before, she was likely to do again, and her
policy in 1813 or 1.814, would,, it may be fairly
argued, have resembled her policy in 1806 and
1808. The following extract front the pamphlet
under review, throws much light upon this
point : _ .

" The Saxon Court, however, not only hastened to place
her troop immediately after the haul.- of Jena in a state of
inactivity, but united them speedily afterwards with the Army
of Napoleon, and became extremely active in the very same
war, to beat down unfortunate Prussia still lower on the
ground.

" The King of. Saxon,y was rewarded for services so cheer-
fully performed with the Dneby of Warsaw, theft c'onsisting,
(without including-the subsequent addition of a part of Gal-
Lela) of one thousand eight hundred square miles, and con-
taining two millions and a half of subjects, which were.for-
nierly Prussian: his uew accrasition was, its fact, far more
extensive and much more -populous than the Kingdom of
Saxony.
" The plans of Napoleon against Russia rendered it neces-
sary that he should occupy a strong position on the
itself and this object could not be attained, unless Saxonj
• leather assistance by taking upon her the government of the
Duchy of Warsaw. This could not be effected by appointing
a French Prince to that office, without 3tussia and Austria
being provoked to attack the French army before the arrange-
ments of their leader were fully completed. Far less could
he trust a Polish Magnat, who might suddenly, in the most
critical moment, declare for Russia.

is Two years afterwards, the King of Saxony served- Na-
poleon as zealously against Austria as he had against Prussia ;
and was again rewarded with upwards of nine hundred square
miles of territory, and another half million of subjects,
which were wrested from Austrian tiallicia, and added to the
Duchy of Warsaw.

" The occupation of Warsaw by Saxony may be justified
upOn the ground that the Polish provinces belonging to
Prussia were new acquisitions, and that the Poles themselves
were i❑ arms against her; but it must not be forgotten that
Saxony was not ashamed to accept of the Kotbus Circle at
the hands of Napoleon, which appertained to the oldest and
most faithful of the provinces of the Prussian House. Bran-
denburgh avas in possession of Kotbus and' Peis long before
Saxony by the Treaty of Prague in 1635, obtained thel...au-
sitz as a reward for her apostacy towards Sweden and the
Protestant Cause, after the unfortunate battle of Nordlingen.
. " Finally, should the conduct of Saxony towards Prussia be
ascribed not to his selfish policy, or his unnatural attachment
to Napoleon, but to hi inflexible integrity, may we :not be
permitted to ask why he should be allowed to display his po-
licy towards Prussia, and to reserve his integrity for Napo-
leon ? And if the determination to share every danger with
his people., and to live and die in the midst of them; drew
him from Prague towards Dresden, then the head-quarters of
Napoleon, wherefore did not the same determination induce
him to return'to his States in March, in order to defend them
against the Allies, who had then entered them ?"
The Author dwells with great distinctness and
ability upon this part of his subject, which is in-
deed the strongest ground til)on Which he can en-
trench himself.

" The world (says he) cannot decide from hidden motives,
but only by manifest actions. The King of Saxony had two
examples before his eyes, that in the war against Prussia,
even in the worst event, he did not run the risk of losing a
single village, and twenty examples, that in the league with
Napoleon, he had the chance of gaining many, Which of
these two motives guided his conduct, the public (1,4 not

),now ; but it cannot fail to be remarked, that lie acted as if
bis policy was founded upon selfish considerations."

And again, a. few pages -further on :
' 4. At all events, no State has the pilvilege which is now
claimed for Saxony, namely, that she may undertake a most
unjustifiable war, anctif, fortunately for her opponents, she
fails, h'er 'population is to ire increased two, nay, threefold,
while her neighbours, even in the most just and necessary
defensive war, dare not infringe upon the integrity of the In-
vader's States, but must faithfully restore to her all their
conquests, even to 'the most trilling village. The rights
which the Conquerer acquires over the whole of conquered
States, and the person of the Ruler,. when he is ma,:e a pri-
soner, are nevertheless pretty generally admitted these rights
do not permit the vanquished to recover his possessions and
libtsty, but 'prescribe a supplication for peace, and intimate
that he. must await the decision of his Conqueror."

Several historical examples hearing upon this
view of the question are next produced, one of
the most apposite of which is, that the reign-
ing House of Saxony owes the Crown to the
very same line of conduct which it asserts ought
not to be observed towards itself. This, at least,
indicates- a notion of the difference between 'mem
and lanai !

The next •matter dis Cussed is the conduct of
Prussia towards Saxony, fr:tul the period of the

Battle of telpsig Oetaher wlilch
Ait 1S

affirmed bas been tempt rate, etriitaLle, and in

every respect uptight. It i sbewn that Pru.sia bad,
previous to the, late ‘var, been despoiled of !alp:

territories on her eaitefn frontiers, elntaining
2,643,000 of hut population, which, up to last
month, (Dec.lBl4) had mot
,been restored to her,
In this part of the work we read the following kn.,
portant passage •

"'The public•is not yet acquainted with the future destiny
of those countries : decrees and ordihance!" only have appear_
ed,,which shew that the greater part will tie,er again return

under the Prussian Government

Now when we recollect that provinces thus
spoken of, are'iNew East Prussia, South Prussia,

New Silesia, &c. &c. as well as the city of Dant-
zie ; and observe, that the Writer may be, esteem-,
ed artofficial organ of Prussian authority, the ob-

vious conclusion is, that Prussia has consented to

the-re-organization of Poland. But to proceed :
for the ,sacrifice"of these provinces Prussia demands
an indemnity-She declares, that she cannot ac-

cent of tit in the distant conquests of the Allies
on the left Bank of the Rhine (which pa•oposi-

Lion was, originally' made known to the lir!tish
public in THE SUN Newspaper)—and continues

the Author,—

" Saxony alone, of all the conquests of the Allies, can tur
nish Prussia with a fair and moderate indemnity for her Po-
lish provinces. Saxony has scarcely three-fourths of their
population : she 'cannot inter, opt the natural intercourse be-
tween agricultural and manufacturing provinces cleating in
the produce of Silesia and the Marches, because she has al-
most the very 'sante wants and habitudes,. Still less can she
interfere with the commercial advantages of Konigsberg, El- •
bing, Dantzic, and even Breslau, which the vicinity of so •
great a part bf Poland furnish.
" But Saxony will give to the Prussian states an my ondisse- ,
ment on, the western side, which will indemnify her for what-
ever,
by this arrangement, she may lerise in the east ; nor is
there any thing to hinder the Saxons from becoming as faith-
ful subjects of the Prussian states as the Silesians have long
been. Then will the high degree of intellectual cultivation
of the enlightened Saxon nation become one of the most
powerful supports of a monarchy, whose strength is founded,
far less upon an extensive territory or a numerous popula-
tion,- than upon the moral superiority of its subjects.
" By all these arrangements Prussia will administer the
Saxon States upon the principle of being entitled to them as
a suitable equivalent for her Polish provinces, precisely in
the saint tv?,y aS Bavaria took possession of Wartzburg- and
Ascbaffenbuigh as indemnities for the Tyrol." • -
The very intelligent and able Statist, by whose
labours in these pages we find out selves so much
enlightened, next addresses Ititnself. to the,refU-
tation of reasons adduced for the independence of
Saxony, and against her union with Prussia. Of
this division of his work, we shall confine our-
selves to say, that it' is worthy of the ta-
lents displayed in the rest ;. but Ave have
gone too much into previous detail, to be
able to enlarge upon it, or take extracts into
our columns, ile strenuously 'urges the impUlicy
of 'Prussia being. satisfied • with a moiety: (')f the
country, and vindicates the expediency and jus-
tice of the whole being annexed to that Kingdom.
The only alternative that is mentioned as having'
been proposed instead of the total extinction of
the Saxon Dynasty, is contained in the following
passage, which is new to us ; and as it 'has pro-
bably been discussed at the Congress, and. tray
be the ultimate arrangement determined, is welll
deserving of the attentiOn of the Public :

" Anspach and Bayreuth are not even yet restored to
Prussia, and she can undoubtedly take possession of thou
with as much justice asshe lUts. Magdeburg and Halberstailt,
and her old Westphalian provinces. No cession of these •
Provinces by Prussia was ever heard of: the Treaties by which
they were placed at the disposal of France have hex: annull-
ed by the Treaty of Paris. If Prussia, therefore, should think
proper to resume the possession of these fine countries, to
watch over the interests of their present inhabitants; it will
then belong to Prussia to specify the indaemnity for which
alone she will make the sacrifice; and Prussh; will then act
precisely in the spirit of legitimate policy, i,f she now demands,
as an indemoity fur it, what Austria andßavaria, with Saxony
herself, by the TesehenTreaty of 1779,deslined for her in the
eventof her not taking the Franconian principalities; namely,-
the Laasitz.. In this case the Lausitz, as part el Saxony,
will be an indemnity for the Polish Provinces; while the i.,,-
deMnity lon Bayreuth and .-In,spach must be
_band auxcl,s, the"
otiter conqui.sts Gf the
Alain recommending this clever production to
general perusal, as a pamphlet as replete with use-
ful informa'tion, and as clear and distinct itt its view
of foreign politics, wrapt it present in so much
myste'ry, as any that 114,s yet reached us front the
Continent; and briefly stating that it has found a
very competent and able translator, we- shall with
one quotation loons take our leave of it. This
may be considered as promulgating. the plan of the
New Government of Prussia ill her acquired pro-
vinces
" The party who wish to restore to the King of Saxony
only :a part of his dominions, including Dresden. on the
principles of generosity and moderation (setting aside all i.:ea
of right) desire something, which is as contrary to the
iote-
tests of the Saxon nation as it is to the interests of the tin-
fortunate Royal Family themselves.
" Prussia can leave Saxony in full possession of her own
Constitution ; she can respect 411 her claims to- nationality ;
she can promote all the improvements which the nation itself
wishes, and, under its own inspection; she can -continue
Dresden, the pride of Saxony, in possession of alt its privi-
leges, white the smallest of the Saxon towns shall retain
their peculiar advantages also. It would be absurd to anti-
ciliate every measure which the Prussian Government may
think advisable when it takes possession of Saxony. Bat we
cannot avoid briefly pointing- out what may in all probability
be dune, in order to give Saxony the full advantage of -lwr
new situation.
" A Prince of the Prussian Family will bold a Cc-art,' as
Stadtholder, in Dresden ; the Land Colleges will remain as
before, as well as one of the former
.garrisons. The Saxon
'Universities, Leipzig and Wittenberg, may be united together
•at DreSden, and their revenues may be plac.s.d under the ad-
ministration of the Dresden Authorities. The Diet wilt also
meet at Dresden, and consist, as formerly, of -a due proportion
of the Nobles and Citizens.. file old divisions of the codotry,
with ail the institutions tonnded thereon, may remain unal-
tered. On no ace:mitt shall any tie be broken throiigh which
the warmers of the -age have rendered necessary."