Star.
London, England, 1815-10-13 00:00:00

THE nuen-r Inn/ FRANCA

• THE FORTRESSES.
A short sketch of these places may not be *mints+
resting to our Readers at th►s moment.
Of the fortresses ceded entirely, LANDAU is the
strongest. It is in the Department of the Lower
Rhine, 200 miles from Paris, on the River Qieeich,
and contains :shoat 41014 inhabitants. Fiance acquir-
ed it by the Treaty of Baden, exactly a hundred and
one years ago.
SARRE Louts is in the Department of the fvfaselle,
about 30 miles from Mentz, and in a commanding
frontier position, on the River Sarre.
PUILIPPLVILLE is a fortified town in the Ardennes,
about 120 miles from Paris, and not tar front Mons.

It was formerly called Corbigny.
MARIENISERO is in the same department. and about
ten miles from Charlemont.
VEnsoix is a covering fortification to Switzerland,
situated near the Lake of Geneva.
AU these places, therefore, may be considered as
securities against inroads into Germany.
The cautionary fortresses are well known under
the appellations of the Iron Frontier," and the
14 Second Line of Fortifications," as indeed the list
comprises nearly the whole number, so denominated.
with the exception of Lisle, and some of them are
almo3t between that City and Paris.
VALENcIENNEs, a city in Hainault, with 20,0(X) in-
habitants, and one of the celebrated works of Vauban.
Louis XIV. took it by storm in 1677, and it was left
with France as a conquest by the 'Treaty of Nime.
guar. The Duke of York took it in 1793. It is on
the Scheldt, and 120 miles from Paris.
CONDE, seven miles from Valenciennes, on the
confluence of the Scheldt and Haisae. A strong
place.
MAMIEUUE, also acquired by the Treaty of Nate-
guen, and fortified by Louis XIV. It is seated tin
the Sambre.
LANDRECy, on the same river, and only 1(X) miles
from Paris, celebrated for many sieges, and a very
strong place.
La QUItaNOY, a smaller but also a rem irkably
strong tomes,. It is nine miles from Valenciennes,
on the River Rouelk. Owing to its situation on a
very wide plain, it is very difficult to approach it
nostilely.
CAMIERAY, well known as a populous city, through
which flows the Scheldt. The works about it are of
considerable force, and it is also within about 100
piles of the capital. •
Giver and CIIARLEMONT, close together on the
Meuse, protected by the walks of Vauban.
MEziERKs, also in the Ardennes, and on the same
river, twelve miles frok.
SEDAN, the birth-place of Turenne, celebrated for
its strong castle, its arseesls, its cannon foundery,
and its manufactures.
Rocrior, another of the fortresses of the Ardennes,
about twelve miles from Mezieres, and being situated
on a plain, not easy to be approached.
MONTMEDY is on the Cher. and as appears from
the resistance it has offered to the Prussians, a very
strong though not a very large place.
Avesszs, not far from Camisray, in the Depart-
ment of the North, and well fortified.
TUIONVILLE, ceded to France by the Treaty of the
Pyrennees. very finely situated on the Moselle, with
a noble bridge, and horn-work to protect it.
LOKOWY is also in the Moselle Department, and
seated on a height about 15 miles from Luxemburgh.
General Clarfait took it in 1792, and it was in the
same year retaken by the French.
&refit, notorious for the imprisonment of our
Countrymen under the tyranny of Bonaparte. It is
on the same Department with the above, and about
30 suites from Strasbergh.
FORT Louts, Bridge.heail—a work of equal im-
portance to France and Germany as a cautionary
place. concludes chi:catalogue, from which it appears
that the very heart and c tpital of France is opened
to the Allies, should circumstances unhappily render
it necessary for them to act against that country,
durs the period for which these fortresses are re.
signed, which is said to be five years.
It would have been of importance no doubt to
have got Strasburgh, but the value of that fortress to
France is much diminished by her loss of Mentz and
Landau. She will scarcely venture any irruption
into Germany from Strasburgh, whilst Landau,
Mentz, and Sarre Louis, remain in the hand; of the
Allies. Lisle, too, would have been an important
acquisition, but it would at least have demanded a
constant garrison of 40,000 men.' The cession of the
sixteen fortresses certainly fur three years, possibly
for five, is, in every point of view, most important.
During that time at least, France, feeling herself in.
capacitated from waging war, may return to her
long forsaken paths of industry and peace, and haw.
ing once begun to taste these blessings, we ho
(would we could add that we expect) she may be
disposed to abandon those prnjects which h tee prov.
ed at length to be so injwious to herself. Nothing,
we repeat, could have been more judiciously chosen
than this line of fortresses, extending from Valen-
ciennes to the Rhine, flanking and watching both
Lisle and Strasburgb, and thus diminishing, if not
rendering null, the importance of those fortresses.—
Of the '29 millions, our portion is about four millions.
Out it must be remarked, that seven millions are to
be assigned to raise or repair fortresses on the nor-
them and north-eastern frontiers of France—part of
the expenses of which would otherwise, is lids been
reported, have fallen upon its. The expense in main-
taining prisoners of war will, we suppose, ye.i.
by France, and the claims of individuals on the Go.
vernment of France, be stipulated by 41ir French
Government. Such are the principal conditions of
the peace: and when i‘ is considered what been
the conduct of France for the last five and twenty
years, the French themselves, we should imagine,
must acknowledge, unless they are blinded by preju-
dice and passion, that they are not dictated by uodue
severity ; that they are less in the spirit of venicalllCe
than of wholesome correction ; that the amount of
tine contributions is less than has been levied by
France upon either Prussia or Austria ; thin what
she is made to litre: op is not to afford the means of
attack or aggregates apunst her, but to deprive bee
of the mule 01 attack and aggression egkinst others.

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