Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1806-03-18
TUESDA1, MARcH 1s, 1906.

"a eAS AHeSi ~oeS "a 1uAopS diO VI TIC
situation of the continent. He was,
in one word, as younger trumpeter
to England. He spoke to the enpe-
ror as he speaks to Russian officers
whom he has long provoked by his
haughtiness and i'll usage. The en-
'peror contained his indignation, and
this young man who has gained a con-
siderable influence over the emperor
Alexander, returned full of the idea
that the French army was on the eve
Of its ruin. One may be convinced
of what the emperor must have suf-
fered, when it is known that towards
the end of the conversation, the
prince proposed to him to give up
Belgium, and to place the iron crown
on the head of the cost implacable e.
nemies of France. All these diffe-
rent steps fulfilled their intention.
To beat the French army was no
longer the question, but to turn and
take it; it had done so much only
through the cowardice of the Austri-
ans. 1t is asserted that several old
Austrian generals, who had made
campaigns against the emperor, warn-
ed the council that it was not with
such confidence they ought to march
against an army in which there were
SO many old soldiers and officers of
the FIRST merit. They said that they
had seen the emperor reduced to a
handful of men, in the most difficult
circumstances, insure his victory by
rapid and unforeseen operations, and
destroy the most numerous armies /;
that here, however, no advantage had
been obtained that, on the contrary,
all the skirlnishes of the advanced
guard OF the first Russian army had
been to the advantage of the French
army to these observations these
Prcsumptuous youths opposed the bra
very of $4,000 Russians, the entiiusi-
asm inspired into them by the pre-
sence OF their emperor, the picked
corps of the imperial guards OF Rus
STA, and what they probably did not
dare advance, their talents, of which
they were astonished that the Austri-
ans did not comprehend the power.
On the 10th, the emperor, from the
top OF his 6iO0uac perceived with un-
speakable joy, the Russian army be-
ginning, at two cannon shot from his
advanced posts, movement in flank
to turn his right. He then saw to
what pitch presumption and igno-
rance of the art Of war had nisled the
councils of this brave army. He fire.
quently repeated ssBefore to-mor-
row evening, that army will be in my
power" Nevertheless the enemy
entertained a very different idea: he
came up within a pistol shot Of our
advanced guard, deiling by a aaak
march on line of four leagues in
length; extending along the French
army, which appeared as il 1t dared
not move out OF its position it had
but one fear, that the French army
would escape it. Every thing was
done to confirm the enemy in this j.
dca. Prince Murat caused a small
corps OF cavalry to advance into a
plain, but suddenly, as if astonishcd
at the immense forces of the enemy,
1t hastily returned. Thus every thing
tended to confirm the Russian general
IN the ill-calculated operation he had
fixed on.
The Emperor caused the annexed
proclamatlon to be placed la the order
OF the day. In the evening he wished
to visit on foot and incognito all the
night guards; but he had scarcely
made few PAGES ere he was
recognised. 1t is impossible to des-
cribe the enthusiasm of the soldiers, on
seeing him straw lights were in an in
slant placed on the tops of thousands
o. Perches, and $4,000 men presented
themselves before the emperor salut-
ing him with acclamations some to
celebrate the fete of the anniversary of
his coronation; the others saying that
the army wouldgive its nosegay to the
emperor on the morrow. One of the
old grenadiers came up and said to
him /" Sire, youneed not expose your
self, | promise you in the name of the
grenadiers of the army, that you need
only fight with your eyes, & that we