Star.
London, England, 1806-01-23 00:00:00

lIPIRING LAWS.

Mr. ALEXANDER moved to renew the Com-
mittee for enquiring into the Expiring Laws.
Mr. Sr AAAAA then proceeded to put the quellion
for the Revival of the ()foal Itatiding Committees and
Orders of the Honfe, as cuitomary on the commence.
Mem of every &Ilion; which being agieed to, the
Hoofs odknuneti.

DEFENCE OF THE COUNTRY.
• t
To THE EDITOR OF TIHE /11TAIL‘'01! •

LETTER f.
Sibi team
Infontes pepertre ISOM : lucangearstai
Projaere animas.

- ..

SI It—When we (hall have, in fome degree. reco-
vered from the aflonithment and difmay which the
fate of our illufirious and generous allies has pro-
duced, I think that the moll Rapid and gravelling of
the Britifh nation mutt be roufed to enquire into the
tattles of events fo dreadftil and unexampled.
The conqueft of territories larger than our Mandl
from the Emperor of Germany, in lefs time than we
ever over-ran the dominions of an radian Rajah—
the fall of Ulm and Vienna, while Burtpore has
been defended ; the dellruelion or captivity of brave
and difeipllned legions, more numerous than our
whole regular ftrength, which were the model of our
imitation ; and, finally, the diablution, by force of
armr, in two months, from the commencement of
hoflilities, of a confederacy formed by the only po.
teinates who remain independent of France ; are faifts
which demonfirate a change in the relative Rate of
military fcience beyond the poffibility of difpure.—
Spain did not conquer with fuck rapidity in Mexico
and Peru. All idea of the Commonwealth of Na-

lions that once fublified in Europe, feems to vanifh
like a dream—and it is no longer true, that. the ufe
of artillery, confequent upon the invention of gun-
powder, can fccure to a nighty Rate fix months of
exiftenee, if not polTelfed of the fame martial fkill and
energy with that power which the French Emperor

(ways.
It is to this awful change of &nation, that it is my
()Nett to call the mat carnet and ferious attention
of my countrymen, in the hope that there is yet
time for us to remedy our fatal errors, before all in-
dividual refletlions and efforts cat{ be overwhelmed
and extinguifhed here too, as in Außria, by national
panic and, deftruCtion. Their patriotifm, loyalty,
valour, and unanimity, in our common sanfel never
were more undoubted, and are as onquettionable as
our fupetiority in bodily Rrength. It is from fuch
materials that battalions, really invincible, Should
be fcrmed. My motives and hopes, in my Fe-
int attempt, reft upon this conviction. But we
have ken how all thefe qualities may be thrown away,
may be devoted to certain perdition. Imprefftd with
the belief, that the fame faults eziß, to a certain de-
gree, in the organisation and difcipline of our armies,
which have ruined that under General Mack, and not
leis firmly perfuaded that we can correct thefe fatal
error► when we will ; I am fatisfied that it is a facred
duty to publifh my thoughts. With the haft minded,
to whom the ideas of public principle, and of their
country, are loft—who think, 2a, and eziß as citi-
zens, but for the purpofes of fadion—whether
Aerial or anti•minifterial, 1 know well, that no
vehicle or form, or mode of communication, can be
chofen which will not, to them, Ramp the writer as
actuated by the vile motives of which only they are
confcious in their own bofoms. I would, however,
folicit the honour of a place in that newfpaper, in
which the publications are moR diftinguilhed for in•
formation And ability, with a total difregard to the
confideration from which party thefe moR frequently
come, and with not leis contempt for the opinions of
all, who retain not enough of the fpirit and cha•
ruder of our forefathers, to furnifh to '
them a crite-
rion by which they may fairly decide from the ibtrin-
ftc merits of flateritents and arguments, whether theft
are calculated to fare our country, or to drive a
filthy job.

There is not, Sir, any novelty in the obfervation,
that ever finee General Dumourier was called to the
command of the grand army of Revolutionary
France, there has been a great and progreffively en
creating contrail between the principle upon which
the tactics of their armies in the field have been eon-
dulled, and thole of the nations they have combat-
ed. The celerity of combination, and rapidity of
movement in all changes of pofition and hollile open
rations, which exerting to the utrnoft every energy
according to circumstances, prefent unceafingly to the
foe a menaced danger not to be eftimated, becatife
the force that brings it is never at nett, and which
(hilts its direetion too quickly to be met by arrange
ments in the flow method and formal regularity of
the tyftem of Frederick the Great, have been often
before ~marked. Their effees have been manitelt
during the whole pre-Tres of that new mode of (lir-
cipliae and of warfare, which Bonaparte has, per-
haps, now brought to perfeftion. Both the advan-
tages and their caufes were as viable in the campaigns
of that General againft Beaulieu, Wormier, Alvit:-
zi, and Melas k in the fuccefs of Humbert, with a
handful of men, at his firft invafion of Ireland, and
in the proceedings and fate of our expedition to Hot-
land.in the tail, as in the amazing difafiers of Auf-
tria in the prefent war. There is no alteration of the
cale,but from tlwadditional improvement of theFrencl',
while their continental enemies have remained Ratio
nary. That blindnels (as it were by the fentence of
Goo), even to the dictates of filf-prefervation, which
has brought the affairs of the latter to fo defperate

crifis, and not its confeqnences, ought, Lowrie, ,1
be the objea of our amazement.
All mankind have likewife had the opportunit► fro
perceive, and all furroundiog nations have had tl,
misfortune to feel, that in connexion with this our
ward and general change of difcipline and operation,
one not lets vital and momentous has taken "hoe
with regard to the perfonal condition and motives
the whole officers and foldiers of France. Every ad'
vantage refulting from which alto their neighbours
have allowed them to poi:refs almoft
This coons in an invigorating and (visitant ailed.
Lion to merit in all ranks with a certainty of prows.-
tion and honour, obAruded by no privilege or ezclo.
lion upon the principle of merit only, and with no
limitation hut the degree of that merit and the Cum.
mit of military command in a felled. The ambi-
tious and perfidious tyrant, who is the fcoorge anti
dread of Europe, in this too has furpaffed all his
Revolutionary Predeceffors--every difpatch of his
Generals bears the inspreffion, and every battle pew
claims its force—Deprived as his nave, are of Con-
ftitutional Freedom, and of independent individual
Rights, hence his armies derive their. foql and

energy.
The uniform operation of thefe two great eanfes
of fuperiority has been difplayed, both through tlic
laR and the prefent war, not only in conquelis and
battles, but in the chandler and genius of the coin.
batants. It is molt remarkable that, during thefe.
an unexampled. number of Generals have rifen to
high reputation upon the fofid evidence of fuccefe,
from the loweß ranks in the French fervice ; while,
with the exception of the Archduke Charles, it will
be difficult to produce one commander of celebrity,
who has, finee the French Revolution, attained emi.
nence in the armies of Andric. Clairfait and Co.
hours had acajured their Imo Wrote that sera. But
pride and prejudice only Mitt the telt of experience
and the evidence of fees. Rather than acknowledge
the effect of thrifts principles, which fatal experience
has but too fully and frequently thews, we lay thq
Combing Calico to our folly, that the enemy pre-
sails not liy-tlailaPerlasil of his Rem, but by trim
fon-.Bonaparte, it is faid, overcame Warmer, Al,
vinai, and Males, ,by corruption. General Mack,
too, is ioutor seenfed of treafon here. But all jut
and fair men matt demand the proof. All rational
men can trace the events to other and evident minks.
My convittion is direaly the reverie; nor is it now.}
for the firll time, that the evidence of fuch a charge
hes been called for. The fates and the faults of there
Generals feem to have been precifely the fame. Their'
eeputation and their armies have perithed from infiv.
mated adherence to the tactics of the old fehool.-7,
The l l mentioned, upon whom fo much obloquy
has been heaped, is esteemed, by tbofe who knots
him, an excellent grater Matter or Adjutant Gene-
ral, not left faithful to bit. Sovereign. than to the fyg.
tern of warfare in with be was bred. Whoever, with
the command of a large army in a wide field of ac-
tion, will not Tonic the energies and reafon of Ma
troops, according to exißing circumßances, god op-
pofe to the foe equal exertion and altivity,
apprillend, with equal reafon, by fimilar fortune,
fubjea himfeif to limilat imputations.
Believing, as I do my geed, that we have but to
refolve and to pares all that difcipline has done in
point of taffies for our enemy, and that to animate
the minds and nerve the arms of our warriors, we
have in our King, our Conaitution, our Counter,
our national Virtue and Fame, tbe means of bellow-
ing impulfes which he can never feel but in our
blows.-4 dull endeavour, in my following letters,
to point out the regulations and changes which I
hold not only to be necefrary to do jullice to our fpi-
tit and caufe, but candid to enable u 4 to fight on
equal terms far our eaiftence as a nation. Mean
while, I cannot conclude my fire Addrefs, without
citing the example of our naval hillory, and hailing
the omen which the atchievgments and renown of one
lama and greatelt Hero afford. Are we Rill a ra-
tional people, and unconfcious that the belt and
brarelt feamen of the world were uniformly baffled
in the combats of our Ron, till individual exertion
weskit unfettered, by adopting a more difengaged
fyttem of fighting Have we hearts, and do not
' feel what we owe to individual merit in that glorious
it t

Oar Nelfon, when the loweft Admiral
upcin the Lift, averted the fate perhaps of his coun-
try, and of the world. Had fenfelefs chilling rotation,
or pecuniary difabilities in more early progrefs pre•
vented his advancement, how different might have
been oar recent fitnation I cite every intuition,:
some, and every glorious atchievement of his fti .
'lying companions, to fupport the impreftton of his
deeds I nor, when every tongue ftrives to proclaim,
that the unrivalled Chief has breathed a portion of
his departing fpirit into the fouls of his countrymer,
can I imagine that it (hall be inhibited and chained down
in the other grand department of our forces.