The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-11-20


under the circumstances Of the season, eli
mate. and topography ct the country, the
occupa,ion of these grea, aven,c, viii form
necessary part Of the plan os operations I;
aud the invading ainy viii turn is ,rtcn,
ton. FIRST, to ihterccpt.supphes Ia The CAPT
tai, as.d nest 10 cut off lis communication
with petersburg il is probabls. therefore,
tliat s,lc-fiSht wing of the grand army ,com-
posed Of the austrian force, WAS destined
after passin. the Dorysthcnes. 10 street, its
advance to Moscow river, ;.nj to occupy
the great southern national road which
leads from Moscow to the south, by Padot
and Joaia ; ard stretching further west. to
place its right flank upon the great south!
eastern road. which leads through Zdraysx
and Riazau /; this operation would cut off
all direct communication with the country
south of Moscow as the western road lead
ilig from Moscow by Boro7vsS and AialcisiS-
tasv is only SO miles ). +. OF Mojaisk SO
that four out OF the seven great roads, aud
two of the provincial roads. would be occu-
ped by the main army and it's Austrian aux
Hilary on the right.
The left of the French army would, in or
der to Invest Moscow, be employed in Sc
curing the great natiorai road of the north
west, that is the road between Moscow and
this road runs tlirogh Gin To
TIoer on the river of that name, a strong
position aS miles n. w. of Moscow, and in
sort OF isthmus formed by the confluence
ST the river Wslga, with the Twerza
Kiln is IS miles N. n. w. of Moiaisk. and
az s. T. of liver; there are two uterine
date provincial roads, proceeding from
Moscow. issuing like intermediary rays from,
the central point of Moscow, between Hin
and Mor'aiSk, but they do not extend be
yond the circle of the Moscow province and
are connected with the main national roads
There then remain but two great roads
from Moscow, that which takes n. E. di
rection by Porcelain, Bosiozv, and Yarosfosy
on the Wolga; and the great eastern road
by Borodsk. PocrozD, and Uladimir.
What then will probably be the counter
operations of the Russians will they threw
themselves into Moscow, use its palaces &
churches as Notifications, and risk IT to a
sack and conf1agratlcn, or will they aban
don 1t to the mercy of the victor? VII
they retire with all the force they can col
lect and. stand upon the strong line of the
IosSer, and seek to keep their communica-
ton open with Petersburg or retire behind
the Wclga? These are the only alterna-
tives which now present themselves.
IT Moscow be surrendered or taken, the
Russian nation must assume a new charac-
ter, and will undergo hartition-those
Foniatozvkiss whose municipalities we're dis
tributed between the plunderers of Poland,
may furnish monarchs for their former Cd
pressors Lith lania, will at once resume
the Polish character as nation, and the
country from the Baltic to the Wolga, from
the Dwina to the White Sea, may form a
distinct and Independent nation and Rus
STA, like Prussia. will determine in another
example, the superiority of the discipline
OF science over mere muscular or financial
power, without genius to preside over, or
wisdom to guard and govern its councils.
Should it be indeed true, that the Rrus
sian emperor has. duplicated the mercy of
the conqueror-zvhat then is 70 foiIorv !?
We see Austrian legons arrayed under the
French banner, in the, centre of Russia:
the siege of Narva and the desperate bat
tie OF Pultowa, appear in these days but as
the conflicts of the Lilliputian and Blefes-
cue armies; the consequences of former
wars are equally reduced in comparison
with the present. The conquest of Russia,
determines the political destiny not merely
of Sweden and Denmark, but it may do
may transport from the IPoLga to
the shores of the British channel, legions
as barbarous as those whose sanguinary fe-
rocity under Suzvarro7u-the friends of
teace and religion, received with such pure
and holy joy-with such bible society and
missionary zeal, whom they toasted until
drunk with meek and Christian charity