Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1812-11-06
From, the Bsston Messenger.


,or, and spoil have been SO long the iof-
tunes Of Bonaparte in all his wars ,oas
mos, Of the nations he inyades are nall
subdued by dread and aismay before Is1
French armies are in sight. But lot
three years past, the observing have rs
marked a reverse in the fortunes OF 'ne
smneror. Some secret and mysterious
agency seems to have batfied MS
sshames. The mind and hand OF an
English general are at last traced IN tue
r.pid decline of French glory ard sue
cess. Wherever the oppresser Is &c
fe,ted, the counsels and strength OF 'he
Old Island may be seen In STEADY anu
powerful operation.
The French wars have been general
~ sudden and short. The armies Oh
Franse have lived on the harvests anu
been enriched with the treasures OF 'ne
invaded country. They had only 10
strike the blow, & then Sit down 70 r'os
on pillase.1 The treasury was nI.eo
with the fruits of successful CONNECT
and victory became at once the plsus'
and means of future conquest
The policy and views Of the emperor
have at last come to light. He hghts
for plunder-, his finances require me
supplies of victory" His troops Will
hardly endure " wstching, abstinence &
,oil'-hardly be kept from revolt ;tthr'r
wars do not make them rlc' IN glory
and spoils. His drained treasury can
only be supplied by foreign contribution
He must defeat his foes at once-torce
them to battle without delay, in order TO
spare hi. own falling resources and Sc
cure abundant and uninjured booty
What then becomes the policy OF the
nations invaded BY France? 10 refreat
and lay waste. They would thas avoid
the danger of an engagement--they
would weaken the enemy by forcing him
TO live upon his ewn resources. lhey
would even strip victory Of its chief al
lurement, by destroying the tTeasa' es'
whichare, with the hired troops OF France
the magnificent, the only wished tor ap-
pendage of conquest.
These very Important considerations
have had their due weight IN the recent
wars on the continent The emperor
| finds at last, that he has to do with men
| who know his object, his necessities,
and the eager expectations OF his soldl-
srs. lie crossed the Pyrenees tor plum
| der, and there plumber failed him. The
Spaniards and Portuguese retreated be-
fore his army-laid waste their country
carried away or destroyed provision
and treasures. They harrassed the enc
my in the mountains-cut OFT their sup
p!ics-thinned their numbers, and broke
| down their spirit. The French, burn
| ing for prey, found no rapln TO tesa on
| IGeir eyes sparkled at no visions OF the
| gorgeous pilIage of an old county,
f.sy lound not even the meagre spoil
If food and provende' They marched
over desolate kingd on-"ver the hot
ashe: Of consumed cities. Their spirits
wer. not supported by any dazzling a.
chievement. Their pride and glory suck
under dismay, disaster, and defeat
The Provinces too-Mexico and the
Br..ziIs-on whica tho emperor SO fond
Iy reck"ned-so very costly to him in
his golden dream Of acquisition, have
either declared themselves independent,
or adhered TO the Parent country. Here
then is disappointment, reverse OF
fortune, that may we'll make the empe-
ror tremble, and the world hope.
| The en- .rmous disbursements ofFrance
towards carrying on the war in the pc
ninsu!a, have been SO much wealth lost
to the smpre. In this case, the eXhaus-
t.on has met with no corresponding sup
| ,iy-for once The burden of the war has
| Aot oecn borne BY the invaded country.
The mode of warfare adopted by Spain
and Portugal, in which famine and de-
ISOLATION are weapons as uellas thc sw ord
will account very satisfactorily for the
loss OF five hundred thousand men to
the empire. The arrangement in the
systep of French finance will easily tell
rs y the war has been SO unpopular.
lie hard fortunes, which have followed
Inc the most skilful Of the French gene.
ais will explain the reluct4nce Of the
man of wonders" to head his troops in
Spain. The emperor has at last met
with dcfeat---a defeat more solemn to
oneself, and more loaden with promise
to the world than any which has marked
the age OF the empire.
Where nov shall the emperor look
For foreign receipts? How shall he sup
ply the enormous waste Of wealth and
blood which the war in the south has
cost him? The North is not yet ex-
1austea; the wide dsminions of the
Cars, cold ana remote as they are, are
not bs!ond his inspection; they arc net
too aesolate to offer some plumber to his
srssdiness. not too insignificant to AVA
ken his Jealousy, and, thank heaven,
aey are not too AFFECT to resist his rule.
The mode of warfare, SO successfully
pursued In the peninsula, has been a
dspted in Russia The immense armies,
mustered BY Bonaparte in the North,
and H:lic for subsistence in the country