Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1803-10-20
! oPUSSI4V ARNl.


Amidst the shock of contending power,
for these ten years of sanguinary war, ths
army Of the immortal Frederick has beer
the least affected; in fact it is still what /
was. The Prussian generals have avoided
partial engagements, by keeping their ar
my united. They have won every battle
which they gave, and never experienced /;
check but when they suffered themselve:
| to be attacked. The ehoes of Frederick
the Great were easily to be distinguished
in them.
The neutrality of Prussia has been I'M
pated to various reasons, but that of thu
French revolutionary principles as having
crept into the army is ostensible. Aftel
much consideration on this subject we are
convinced it is equally false and ipiuriou:
but to shew that this motive, supposing
it to be true, would be an additional reason
for continuing the war against the French
and, at the same time, for making thei,
articles and frauds more thoroughly
known.
Xenophon tells Us, that it was a maxim
of Clearchus, that soldiers ought to fear
their general more than the.enemy. In eff
feet discipline supplies the place Of good
will. Example, and the force ofhabit, sue
coed in rendering soldiers insen5ible to
those dangers which terrified them at first.
If, through the medium Of discipline, sol
dier can be forced to expose or sacrifice
his life, surely hiswill may be made to benz!
upon other occasions. Who can have any
doubt but that the French army contains a
prodiglous number of officers and soldiers,
who are either royalists or enemies to the
party or person who governs them? 1t is
discipline only that prevents the conscripts
from returningto their habitations, which
constraint alone Obliged them to abandon.
1t is the common opinion, that Desaix, one
of the most able generals among the French
and one of those who had rendered the
greatest service TO the revelation, was a
troyalist. He lost his life to F4;n the Bat
tie of Marengo; and perhaps he would
have freely given it 30 ensure the loss Of
the day.
Surrounded with terrors, isolated from
mistrust, and engages in active scenes, a
person must o. necessity cooperate with
those he hates; and look upon those as enc
mics whom his inclination would prompt
him to Join.
Surprising there are number of iacobins
in the Prussian army which is directly
contrary to convic.ion) at what time will
they be dangerous Il must be only when
the leisure, res' ting from peace, and the
facility of COMMUNICATING together, furnish
them with the opportunity and means of
cabal, seduction and bribery. IF Prussia
has the misfortune to have reyolutionists
in her dominions and army, they viii be
dangerous only in case Of the French ar
mics being on her frontiers. It is the IN
terest, therefore, of Prussia not to consent
that the French should obtain the empire
Of land and sea. She ought to fear lest
Austria should carry her resentment so
far, as to avenge herself, by suffering, with
out afording her any assistance, to expert.
ence the dangers of war with Frances The
republic may get the upper hand Of those,
whom as yet they have not been able to de-
stroy.
TIE SPANISH APNl
Is but the shadow of what it once was.
1T bears strong marks of the weakness and
vices Gifts government.
Ia military matters the Spaniapds are as
backward as In the year 1910. They are.
neither disciplined nor instructed. Place
one other regiments in line with another
: Except in Champaign, and thar presume
was golden one. Pdat Der 80
Tyas,lstsy.