Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1809-10-03
VIEW BEFORE US.

IF Austria should be compelled, as we
think she will be, TO accept of whatsoever
terms the French emperor may dictate, the
weight Of the war will fall more immedi4
ately and oapressively U, BON the British ma /.
tion than ever. Without an efficient con-
tinental associate, the English must drag
on the contest in very heavy and most
Improbable manner; and it is very clear,
If Austria be humoled completely, Spain
will eventually be conquered, and instead
of buying up armies on the continent for
money, the British will have to furnish men
and MONEY to,. The natural population of
North and Sou,h Britain, aided by that of
the degraded but llAnt Irish, will not per-
NIT the English ministry to attempt any
permanent conquests IN the European main !;
all that Gao D. done vii be the multiplied
ton of expeditions by sea and littoral de-
predatiors at CERTAIN weak points of the
French empire and the territory Of its ala
lies and dependents. With regari to the
navy Of England, uoon what object will it
act (! has the ocean at comm md, to be
sure; bur, havns conquered every thing
there, il must at las Geese to be useful,
at least to any gre It extent, from the actu-
al wan. of object for employ nent And as
| TO piundering descents upon the coasts of
the,r enc MES, the bombarding Of a few
towns, an the burning few sh ps, the ex-
tent of success must be very circu nscribed,
because Bonaparre, having no internal enc
my, can present at every exposed point of
the maritime coast of continental Europe, a
sufficient force to repsl he assaults OF a ina
raud ng and buccaneer n, foe.
At present. the English appear to have
on foot three diff rent expeditions. The
one, and apparently the most power I'll, is
| acting on the coast o II ilan1; the second,
is employed in an temp upon the king.
dom of Naples aud the third is engaged
in Spain under General Wellesley. That
any or all of thes. will so operate as TO d.
| maish Bonaparte's authority is incredible.
The force that mas e me against the islands
of the Scheidt, may probably get tSmpSra-
ry possess ON OF "A few towns, AMI seize some
OF Napoleon'S ships Of war, which are bull 4.
| ding or ou'lt but even il the British troops
were TO hold possession of Walcheren,
| Schowen. and Bevelani, during the war,
we Cannot perceive how that can niure Hol-
] land materially. In all wars prev GUS to
| the present, the blocking up Of the mouths
| of rivers and haveUs, has been considered
as grievous evil, para cuiarly to a com
percial peoPle; and, IN this point of view,
the English fleets were Of preponder ,ting
influence in the scale OF warlike operations |;
but 10 block up the mouths of the Scheldt
or any other river in Holland with a ew
| TO the injury of the Dutch, by cutting off
their commerce. in the present posture OF
affairs, by cutting off. in fact, what their
Own sovereign has not for two years per.
mitted them TO enjoy, is an absurdity which
cou d only enter the head of the Portlands
or that of Canning, the London joker. The
expedition under Wellesley, the last &C.
counts from Spain inform US, has met with
present success; tue head quarters were
in the first days of August at Talavera, a
position near the Al5erche, a river which
emptles into the Tagus. Tnis very Incl
pient victory may prove the ruin of the no
BILE Marquis /; for he may thereby be indu.
ced TO march on, and every one knows that
the farther he proceeds into the interior Of
the country the surer Bonaparte will be o
beating him. Unless Wellesley, and Cuesta,
and the Portuguese CON nander, make q
timely change o/hositton they will be luc.
T, ky men il they escape with as much ease a,
the English refugees Of Corunna. The En-
glish troops which went from Sicily anc
! took possession of Ischia, after seeming the
fne air of that little island for short time
and, as we learn by the accounts from
thence, looking for a considerable time a
the French in the Uicinity of N1j5kes wer,
hastily ordered away by Lord Collingwood
because there was a rumor that larg,
Gdulish force was coming out of Toulon
aud might take them in the rear. II is ra
ther singular that the British army shouiC
be afraid OF being taken in the rear, becaus
that IS part they have generally presen
ted 70 their foes in all their continental ad
ventures, and in that aspect we have tho
them truly inyulnerable.
How loug Great Britain will be able {
contend with the French empire, under tn
circumstances IN which the avulsIon of a
her continental connections will place her
, is political problem OF difficult solution
There is such an immense mass of wealt
in the British kingdom, and that mass
{ so much at the disposal of the ministry b
means OF the corrupt maxims upon whic
che government Is administered, that, wit
| IN UaVa and neana mr. rooro no,al