Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1806-12-26
Fson rHz AusR1cAs CITIZEN.
Remarks on the Political and Military If
fairs Of Enrnhe

VIC Mig OF russia ana MS government DC
gan on the 9th of October, and ended on
the 18th OF that month: but the final event,
OF the total overthrow of the Prussian army
OF 10000 men OH the 14th, was not known
in England till the Goth or 9th of October.
The first public notice of it is in London
paper ofthe , 7th. The article in the Lou
don paper of the 27th, which announces
this event, begins as follows: "London, Oct
27--N as gvith vei-y great concern that 7ve
g are obliged to check the pleasing erhec-
tationS that zvere entertained YESTER
DAY ofthe success Of the Prussion ar
n.y."
The manifesto and declaration of the
English government on the failure of the
negotiation for peace with France, and
WHICH throws all the blame of that failure
on the French government, was published
in the London Gazette (the Official paper
OF the English government OH the 21st
of October, five or six DAYS before that go
vcrnment knew of the overthrow of the
prussians. Query. Would the English
government have published that manifesto
had it been kept back till after the over
throw of the Prussians we're known9
| think not, unless it be true which fanatics
have formerly said, that those 7Yhom Cad
! intends 10 destroy he first renders mod -
ence, that e one story is good nH the other.
Is toia." In little time we shall have the
manifesto of the French government, and
then comparing the two with each other
| and with such circumstances as are known,
which is the only true way of interpreting
manitestoes, we shall be enabled to form
| some Judgment of the whole.
But as TAR as circumstances are already
known, Bonaparte has done exactly what
| would have done myself, with respect /
| mean tothe present war, had been in his
place, which thank God am not. WHY
are coalitions continually formed and FORM
ing against him, against the French natl
on, and the French government Or why
does the government of England Cypress
and empoverish the people it governs by
leading them with the burdensome expense
| of paying those coalitions? 1t is they who
pay all ard / pity them sincerely.
The op2osers of Bonaparte say, "hc is
a usurper." The case is that allthe kings
III Europe are usurpers, and as to heredi-
tary government, itis a succession of usur-
Ipcrs. The present hereditary government
of England is derived from the usurper
| William of Normandy, who conquered En-
gland s. usurped the government. Ifthere
is any man amongst them all that is less
a usurper than the rest, it is Bonaparte.
for he was elected by the French nation to
the rank and titles he now holds,-The o.
theirs assume it by the sword, or succeed
ed in consequence of the first usurpation.
AS to the coalitions against France it is
impossible az the nature of things they can
succeed, while the French government
conducts itself with the energy and activi-
| ty it now does. The English government
may amuse itself with forming coalitions
as long and as often as it please, but they
will al! come TO the same fatal end For,
in the first place, there isno Single power
on the ccatinent of Europe that is able to
stand against France until coalition ar
my, coming IN detachments from different
and distant parts of Europe can be collec-
ted and formed. And in the second place,
those distant detachments of an intended
coalition army cannot be put in march for
the purpose or assembling somewhere in
Germany without its being known to the
French government. The case therefore
will alwSys be that as soon as the French
government knows that those distant parts
are in motion, the French army with b.
naparte at It's head viii march and attack
the first part of the coalition army he can
come mp with and overthrow it. Last wear
that part was Autria. This year it is
+, Prussia. the English government may
vote coalition armies in the cabinet, bur
Bonaparte can always prevent them in the
field. This is matter so very obvious 10
any man who knows the scene Of Europe
and can calculate the probability of events,
+ that cabinet must be sunk in ignorance
and stupidity not to see it, and thus it is
that the lives of unofending men are spor-
ted away.
AS TO the late negotiation for peace be-
tween England and France, 7 view it as a
trick IF 7oar on both sides andthe contest
was which could outwit the other. The
British manifesto says--ss Tie neg9ciafion
=" originated in an oi9cr made brittle french
" government IF treating TAR fcace on the
"bdSis ofactudL hossesSion." We'll be it
so; it makes TIC matter neither better nor
worse; for the fact is, though the British
manifesto says nothing about it, that the
British cabinet had planned and was form
ing this coalition army of Prussians, Russ-
ans, and Swedes several months before
that offer was made and the French
government had knowledge Of it, for it is
impossible to keep such things a dead Sc
cret. The French government, therefore,
Ihaving, at last, what may be called eushi-
cious k1o7riedge of this coalition intrigue
made the offer TO find out the Whole Of that
intrigue that it might be prepared against
lit. And OH the other hand, the British
cabinet closed with the offer and went in
to the negotiation to give time 60 the Rus