Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-06-24
FRoM THE AMERICAN CITIZEN.
Reflections on the Afairs Of SSPals.

~ L
he storm which burst upon Spain, when
Charles and Ferdinand were decoyeo TO
Bayonne, and which threatened to sweep
away in its career every vest'ge OF opPosl-
.tion from the Pyrensan mountains % the
Pillars cf Hercules, after traverslng IN va
,sonss directions the greater part OF the Pc
ninsula. finds such obstacles toits progress
that many are induced to believe Its force
yaavsvet be bafled, and Its desolatlons ter
minated.
The Austrian armies have once more
taken. the field against the worlds tyrant,
.nd although it is to be feared with faint
prospects Of success, yet with sufficient force
10 create powerful diversion IN favor OF
the Spanish cause. The discipline and va
lor Of the Austrian and Hungarian soldiers
rhs experience and acknowledged talents OF
the archluke Charlest and the ancient pre-
drliction of the Rhenish confederacy for the
German interests, will compel Bonaparte
TO summon his best troops and most sklltul
generals into Saxony and Bohemia, to pre-
vent, those successes, which would besAnore
fatal to his power, than # Spain and for-u-
pal and their colonies were all transferred
to the English.
While, then, the war is prosecuting IN
Germany, the diminution Of the French@ar-
mics in Spain byeperpetual conflicts and the
rayages of disease, must be inevitable, and
cannot easily be renedied. The Spaniards
will gain time, and that will be hardly less
than gaming apictories. II will enable them
to recover from the first blow-to re- assem-
bIe. recruit and discipline their forces-to
sort;ey their towns, mature their systems OF
defence, and purge their armies and their
councils of treachery and disafection. 1t
Is yrobable that one campaign will end the
: war in Germany, and that Bonaparte VIII
then pursue his designs upon Spain with re-
donbled vigor. OF the result, we can form
tons however, may dsraass Our spseula
from a review of the nature OF the contest
and the character of the parties. And TO
those who may perceive, in the vast power
and constant successes of Bonaparte, an
earnest of his triunaphs over Spain, COM
parisyn of the interests involved In the pre-
sent contest. with thoss that the French
have successfully appealed to in enslaving
Europe, may relieve the prospect Of por
ton of its gloom.
When Ronaparte scaled the Alps, he as
cended upon Piedmont, with liberty and G.
quality Inscribed on his banners.
The Italians were charmed with the pros
pect of emancipation. The revolutionary
mania had perverted their understanding
They were weary of subsection to the king
of he Romans, and the promises ofliberty
and fraternity were too alluring to be des-
pissed. They joined the standard of the re-
public, or opposed it feebly and were
conquered.
The fate of Helvetia was worse-The
Swiss knew what it was to be free their
: chains therefs.e would set no easier for be-
INC gilded. The Italians only changed mas
tsss, but the little finger of the new one was
thicker than the loins of the old. 1t was
still mere transfer: 1t was revolution
and until it had settled down into con-
crete Of tyranny, there was hope that even
the slavish spirit of an Italian might be
reused into courage. But before their fears
were alarmed, their chains were rivetted.-
1t was too late to resist when all the mo-
tives for resistance had perished-but des-
pair. Holland set the example earlier, with
less justification than the Italian states, but
with more than Switzerland. They all Pc.
rished, the dupes of artiiice, the victims OF
credulity~and the slaves Of infatuatlon. lie
who shall hereafter record their ruin, VIII
wonder at the madness which courted Its
approach, and the muse of history Will drop
a tear on that page which is stained With tue
melancholy recital. 80
The second epoch of French success III
success thar may be called, which IN decld-
ing the fate of ether countries, likes more.
irretrievablv the wretchedness of its own}