Star.
London, England, 1813-04-22 00:00:00

aSADAMIE DE STALL'S POLITICAL PAUPHLIT.
This day was published,
Ity Y. M. RiCIIMILDioN, No. 23. Cornhill, price
.AN APPEAL to the NATIONS of EUROPE,
against the CONTINENTAL SYSTEM.
By MADAME DE STAEL HOLSTEIN.
The above is one of the most eloquent effusions which hat ever
appeared against the Oppression of Bonaparte. It also contains
some highly interesting and. hitherto unpublished Anecdotes of
the Tyrant; understood to have been furnished by Ilse w A DOT rs,
the Crown Prince of Sweden, at whose Court the elegant and
.atcomplished Authoress now resides.

AN APPEAL TO 7HE NATIONS OF EUROPE
AC;AINST THE CONTINENTAL sysrEm.
Published at Stockholm, by Authority of Bernadotte,Marchsl sig.
BY MADAME DL STAEL HOLSTWJ.

Upon travelling through the provinces newly in-
corporated with the French empire, or in those coun-
tries which have fallen- under its sway, it is easy to
;
I perceive that the people have a very just sense of their
situation. 'Unanimous expressions of regret for the
past, complaints of the present, and anxiety for the
future, are every where heard. There is no peasant
so ignorant as not to know who is the true author of
the evils which overwhelm his country. There is not
a ceet ige in Europe, however miserable and remote,
where the name of Bonaparte has not been heard ;
Li bat, for many centuries, no man has acquired such
"'a dishonourable celebrity.'
lie France itself the public opinion, although radi-
cally the same, is manifested with more reserve and
hesitation. In the first place, the language of the
country places the inhabitants there immediately un-
der the superintendence of the central police, to which
foreign languages still present an obstacle. Besides,
they compare their present condition, not with the
tranquil times of the 18th century, but with the hor-
rors of the revolution, which have effaced the remem-
branee of them. To the hopes, so frequently defer-
red, of a great reform in the social order, incredulity
and apitliy have succeeded.
Many persons, perhaps,' of honourable minds,
1 )scribe to Napoleon the restoration of order and tran-
s quillity in the interior: they forget that the revelu-
-.' urinary horrors ceased long before his appearance,
~ and that he succeeded to a government which was
lather feeble and vacillating than oppressive. They
ihreaten the French nation with the return of terror,
if this man is not permitted to watch over their dse-
tinies. Strange sophistry ! By a chimerical fear,
they think to convert into benefits the heaviest afftic-
dons. Revelittionary terror marched boldly, with
stn uncovered front ; it provoked resistance, and,
even from its very nature, could not endure long.—
' At the present moment it is terror, also, but it is a
muffled terror which palsies the courage, while it
disguises the danger. It is a chef-d'oeuvre in the
policy of Napoleon, to give an air of stability to a
state truly violent and insupportable.
Nevertheless, in France itself, the eulogies of Bo-
- maparte are scarcely heard but from the lips -of his
slaves—the supporters of his power, and of those who
enjoy g'; eat personal advantages from him, and would
tremble for their personal security if he was over-
thrown. He is not now reduced, as at the commence-
ment of his career, to purchase the silence of orators
and intrepid journalists ; but he still pays very high
: for a good name : that concert of high-flown praises,
which he takes care to propagate from one end of his
. empire to the other,- annually, costs his subjects
many millions. The legislative body and the senate,
' the only remnants of republicanism, which he has
alloyed to subsist, have become, literally, mere courts
of roc, rd. They are the imperial conservatories of
Battery ; it is, then, amid the noisy uproar of bad
rhetoric, they announce to the nation every burden-
: some law, every aggravation of imposts, every new
levy of men froal an exhausted population, every
new war which desolates humanity, as an act of uni-
versal pacification. But the people are deaf to these
fastidious voices ; they disdain the purple of false
glory, with which they wish to cover their misery ;
' they are profoundly indifferent to public affairs ; and
all those who do not aspire to etlice, confine them-
selves to the circle of their domestic affairs.
In preparing to develope the nature and conse-
quences of the continental system, I am almost
ashamed to insist upon truths generally known, if
there were not nations, among whom it is still pos-
sible to create delusion as to their true interests, be-
cause they have been hitherto but distant spectators
of passing events ; and because they have not yet
made the woful experiment of that system, er, in
other words, of the dominion of Bonaparte. Of the
whole European states, Sweden alone is in this for-
' tunate predicament. She has suffered great losses,
but she has preserved her independence : She has
- hitherto preserved the liberty of choosing her politi.
cal relations. The time may come when she may
to low -- have it in her power. The present mo-
. ;ive for her liberty, her glory, and her
ity.

:ain from drawing the character of that
iccess has astonished the world. Elo-
leclamation are useful only where it is
excite the passions ; but in the deliberate
4 a political subject, nothing ought to
and nething advanced vaguely : the
ice of facts ought to be our guide.—
: the motives by which Napoleon is ac-
cher by unbounded ambition, or by the
tecessity of his situation, which admits
the results of his actions are always the
.:t that he labouts incessantly for the
happiness of the human race; it must,
be granted, that he does not compre-
method of attaining these desirable ob-
. he has held the reins of government, de-
l.: have constantly raged, and the sources
;perky have been dried up wherever. his
extended. Since, therefore, in spite of
he has for so many years adhered to the
Is, it would be absurd to imagine that he
Ist.
irospect of the events which preceded
of Bonaparte, with a sketch of the
trope at that period, will be sufficient to
he seized upon the supreme authority,
-es the most layour4ble for a pacific and

rti3n.
, provoked by the first effervescences of
iun lasted but a few years : 4 coalitioa.
Iced nearly the halt of Europe, was gra
gently dissolved. Prussia was the first
in the spring of 1795, awl save race

quences of the continental s
ashamed to insist upon truth
there were not nations, among
bible to create delusion as to t
cause they have been hitherto
of passing events ; and becau
made the woful experiment
other words, of the dominion
whole European states, Swede
tunate predicament. She has
but she has preserved her in,
hitherto preserved the liberty
tital relations. The time may
Ito lon.ger have it in her port
meat is decisive for her liber
future prosperity.
I 4)41,1 abstain from drawin
wan' whose success has aston
• quence and declamation are t
Necessary to excite the passions
rxamination of a political subj
be exaggerated, and nothing a
simple evidence of facts oug
Whatever are the motives by
mated ; whether by unboundt
imperious necessity of his si
.of no recoil, the results of his
same. .Adm:t that he Jabot
peace aivJ happiness of the
nevertheless, be granted, that
bend the true method of attain
!; jets. Since he has held the co
1 atructive wars have constantly
of public prosperity have been
influence has extended. Sine
oxperiente, he has for so man
same ma4ims, it would be ab;
• 'will ever desist.
A short retrospect of the
the elevation of Bonaparte,
state of Europe at that perk
thew that he seized upon t
under auspices the most fayot
co.lciliatory
The wars provoked by the
the revolotion lasted but a
which embraced nearly the h.
dissolves.
dually and silently
ip wit..l4lFavf, 411 the spring oZ