The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1814-05-11
ToreigB Dntetligenfe.
Cent"uasi0a Of extracts from iare FreacA papsrs.

4
ousy mistaken, as to the situation of our for
ces. We know how asionished B.ucher was,
when he was SO promptly attacked by the
| French, and expelled from his general quar-
ters al Brienne. He, indeed, thought the
Emperor to be yet in the Palace of the Thu.
ilieries,whilst The Prussan and Russian troops
perceived but too Clearly The magic eifecrs Of
his presence, That affair, although il astoa-
shed the aliiss,did not lesson their confidence.
Deceived by fallacious tales, they continued
10 believe that we had only q handful of men
to oppose them 30 great was the secu ity
that the persuasion OF our weakness had in
spirsd them with. They were marching di-
rectiy TO Paris. with TWO armies that did not
even expect 10 meet the slightest obstacle.
ihe Russians and the Prussians particularly,
irom the meancst soldier to the general in
chics, could mention the day, hour, and mo-
ment, OF their entrance into the capi,al.--Had
they not been perfectly ignorant of the state
OF our forces had not an absolute silence
been faithfully kept by every body, which con-
ceaed from them that the Emperor had il in
ms power to take from his numerous army
considerable detachment, TO rush upon them
with the velocity Of lightning, to destroy them
and come back to oppose the pi ogrcss Of their
principal aimy-surely they would not have
had the temority to await those battles, by
which they lost in four days all those hopes
that they had vainly INDUCED themselves in,
OF arriving at Paris, and have rendered them
incapable ot hereafter attempting, with the
least probability OF success, any enterprise
from which France may apprehend danger.
Their mistakes have not been confined to the
numbers of our soidiers--,heir ideas of the
quality OF our army were equally erroneous.
nnfaithtul reports, such as they have been de-
ceived by Tor twenty years, such as interested
and corrupt men have used to mislca6 the
continental powers at every new coalition for
med against France, have made all Europe
believe that we had no longer single corps
OF our old soldiers remaining. Thus iIl-in-
formed OF The truth, which it was our interest
TO conceal from them, the coalesced sover.
eigos have suffered themselves to be carried
asaaisaE y aa iIapsEi0ps saaear aaeaa persons and
those princes, although perhaps disposed to
listen TO moderate councillors, have yielded
to calculations built upon mere scpposit!on.
They have come TO conquer Gs, as though VIC
were people unprovidcd and unskilicd. Eu-
rope now knows the result Of their rashness
--and cannot fail TO profit by the example, land
to be convinced OF the necessity Of listening
to the voice Of reason, and asccrtaining the
truth. One can hardly have a just idea Of
the disastrous consequences which the errors
adopted by the enemy have occasioned him.
Hear his prisoners--they will themselves give
you the secret Of their defeat They bcliev-
ed they had but weak children 10 fight against
--how were they astonishcd and disconnected
when they saw square battalions of infantry ten
thousand strong, pierced and dispersed by
brave men who did not give them time 10 ma
nGuvre. At the sight of the French march
ing upon them with so much rapidity and
courage, they have recognized old soldiers,
and have felt themselves vaLquisbed before
fighting. II will DO the same hereafter with
whatever enemy may dare to appear before
us. The encmy's army, certain OF meeting
10 resistance, generals, soldiers, all, looked
at the capital as sure prey. Now that de-
feat has destroyed their Illusions, now that
their retreating armies have felt our superi.
ority, by what artiice, by what new device
can that enthusiasm which bad been excited
by i!lusory hopes, be re-established When
once the moral Of an army is weakened, when
it has no longer tho confidence that 1t had
been inspired with, it requires length Of
time to rc.establsh it in his former attitude.
The enemy has exaggerated his forces and
his means to the eye OF his own soldiers this
imprudent arti6ce turns now TO his disadvan-
tsge. Each individual OF the allied army will
now reason thus g." Since We were so nu-
mcrous, and we experience such disastrous
reverses, France then has more people than
was said, or her army consists Of old soldiers.
Since, instead of taking Paris, we were re-
treating with French bayoocts at our backs,
our generals have been mistaken in their CAL
culstions. We had an army eighty thousand
strong on our right i, is anoihilated, and we
see the French army increasing necessarily
if The people raise against US, as they do al
ready, we are undonc We will at length be
surrounded and exterminaicdy'
The pledge of victory is in those disposi-
tons Of the enemy's soldiers, dispositions