Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1807-08-24

! Bark3 Of The 1.-the, lane 10" AS
was foretold, the capture Of Dantzic ha;
not occasiUncd any immediate resum.
ption Of offensive operations on the part
Of the French and though the Altons
Mercury ofyesterday announced, that
the master Of vessel coming from
Aoningsburg to Copenhagen had heare
Oh tho lst inst. a strong cannonadc
from the point where the hostile ar
mics are stationed, yet | have informa'
ion that up to the Sd instant there had
been 10 battle in East Prussia. have
reason TO believe Bonaparte will await
the fall of Graudentz and Colberg.
I'm the meanwhile, this delay on
the part Of the French leader gives
rise 10 reports which might be despi-
scd as ridiculous, if they were not to
be dreaded as very mischieyous. Our
public papers have spread the lntelli-
gcnce that PIenipotenuaries are arrived
at linekensten, il order to treat for
peace. There is not the least truth i'll
this. And, after all, should theFrench
delav making the expected attack ON
the Russian line, even long after the
fall of Graudentz and Goldberg, | should
see nothing in this symptomatic OF Sc
cret negotiations, because such con-
duct would be consistent with the
known tactics of their commander.
Hitherto, all the victories of Bonaparte
have been gained by the concentration
Of all his disPosable force III one point,
and then pressing forward with ire
slstable energy, and pursuing his first
victory I'LL his adversary IS entirely
crushed, as after the battle Of Jena /; or
forced 10 a peace, ignominlous and
more Dernicious than further defeat,
as after the battles OF Marengo and
AusterIitz. 1t requires no second
sight to ioresee that he IS projecting
and preparing another Of these
overwhelming attacks but the
doubtful issue of the bloody days OF
Pultusl and Preussisch Eylau, has
convinced him that he has to contend
against an enemy, whose leaders may
be his interiors in military skill, and
whose soldiers may not be equal to his
own in dexterity and rapidity, but who
still cannot be driven in,o flight, or
struck with panic, and who can at
least die at their post. ltwas decisive
" said in the French journals, the
Russian troops, it must be confessed,
have more merit in the manner IN
which they receive, than IN that III
which they give death" But it never
yet was known that an army which
despised death and would not fly, could
be otherwise than dreadful for 1t Is
only in the pursuit that the slaughter
is OH one side. Against Russian sold
iers, therefore, Bonaparte can succeed
only by positive superiority Of force.
IL is by the weight of his weapon, not
by the impetuosity of its motion, that
he can fix a mortal wound upon the
enemy. If this statement Be correct,
why should Bonaparte precipitate his
attack In his rear, he has all the
southern productive part Of Europe to
furnish his army, and he lives in an
tnemy's land. He is in position that
cannot easily be attacked [or the Al
lies would have attempted the relief of
Dantzic7 and lis force receives daily
succors from bis vassals Add to this
that he Is always at the elbow of his
foe; and, we fear, he possesses both
tie means Of being acquainted with
and the ability 10 avail himself Of, any
momentary negligence.
1t is therefore to be supposed, that
he may for a considerable time, main
tain his position, daily increasing in
strength, and daily acquiring that local
knowledge and that information con-
corning the strength and position of
his adversary, and securing 10 himself
those advantages which 1aay render
victory, If gained at all, decisive. In
the mean while, 1t ought not 10 be for
gotten, that this delay affords those
Courts, which have been hitherto re-
miss, the means Of repairing their er-
ror. And, perhaps, It is only their re-
missness which encourages Buonaparte
TO proCraatinate, for lis own benefit, the
proposed attack nave thus verbose
ly dwelt on this point merely to shew,
that a seeming suspension Of hostiliiies
is no proof Of secret negotiations, The
dniounded suspicion Of which may be
IS luxurious To- the common cause as
the reality for il is by the arts of the
field-lt is because we may, indeed,