Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-11-01
wan OPERATIONS.

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n less clear Uuc We ne,rr read.
III, gl,ea short and meagrc de-.
srripiiun of buua ,arir's operations
~ Bohru,ia, where hc hid gained
s.ur martial successes but before
d. hnd time o. state either the num.
her or his prisoacrs. or the cannon
or eagies. lee IL called TO another
gulr,r?, where I've finds the enemy.
on the Lower t.lbe. getting in his
rear, and where he finds il necessa-
~ TO repair, and quit the adyanta-
ges which he boasts OF having OBJ
tanned elsewhere. The French ae.
count then says, "ai this moment
Gath Anguish it appears that his
majesty, the Emperor Napoleon.
is .maneuvriug the allied armies on
the Elbe." The previous part OF
the French Bulletin stated Bona
parte to have been on the Bobr he
is aow, by this very despatch. MA
noeu,rins on the Ellie, 90 miles in
the rear OF the Bobr. From the
whole of this preliminary operation
II is evident. that about the 18th or
19fh August the French made ge-
nerai attempt TO penetrate into 80
hernia. by different routs. and il is
also evident that this attempt has
failed.
OF the operations OF. Davoust,
there appears to he a similar defeat /;
for a Paris account of The S0rh states
him TO be al Schwerin ; but other
accounts, which we know TO be cor
rect. place him at MasIow on the
22d: that ne had been roughly hand
led IN "a charge OF cavalry made from
the heights before that place and
that his line of march, which was
towards Sehwerin, was continually
harrassed by the enemy. Thus far
we give the French account OF these
preliminary operations. 4 brief
commentary will be expected by our
readers.
Indeed the crisis is singularly
eventful. Military talents Of the
highest order, armies formed or
most gigantic scales, operations in
comparison OF which many OF the
most renowned battles which swell
the page of history were mere skir-
missiles. Russia. Prussia. Austria.
Sweden, Great Britain. Portugal n
Spain, on the one side; France.
Holland, Denmark. Italy, Bavaria,
Saxony and the other states OF Ger
xnany on the other; and whether
We reflect upen the vast tract OF
couatry over which the desola,ions
OF war must sweep. the wide waste
Of human life. or the vast issue at
stake--the erolonsation Of a system
OF oppression and violence " hich has
flied all Europe with woes. or the
emancipation of millions OF our fel
low men from rapaeiOus and rest
less ambitions. no precedent period
since The political formation of mo
dem urope has horne interests so
mighty. and occurrences SO preg-
nant with curses or blessings sus-
pended in uncertain and wavering
balance of military fortune.
Tie circumstances of the allied
belligerents are Of a nature TO war
rant the indulgence of cheerful anti
cipations. France has yanquished
formidable coalitions but the pre-
sent coalition stands upon grounds
peculiar to itself 1t has this distinct
and important feature. that each
party is assured ofthe fidelity OF the
ether. and assured on the best and
most certain principle. that OF me-
cessity. The principal aud most eft
fiticBt memhersssof, the league are
Russia. Prussia aud Austria. Of
these, two are playing their last
stake. and the third isinterested that
they do not loose il. Should the
cause Of France triumph. Prussia
ceases to exist as a kingdom, and
the House Of HaGhurgh mnst de-
scend from tire throne Of Austria.
III the territories Of these monarehs
he parcelled cut into vassal states,
then the European frontier of Rus
sia is ne longer secure, because
France could then second time hurl
upon that empire the force of the
hole continent. The bond which
h.,i,ls them is therefore recipro-
cai. and 'hongh in alliances the
greatest difficulty lies in maintain.