Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1815-10-14
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FOREIGN.
From tie LiUe'tool Mercury, Juiy %.

gence OF the present week rs, the Surrer-
der OF Bcnaparte 20 a captain in the Bril-
fish navy. This will probably close the
political existence Of man who has sus-
tanned greater part On the theatre of Eu-
rope than any potentate, statesman or
warrior, OF modern times. The conclu-
ding events of his career have PASSED
with an astonishing rapidly. In the short
space of four months, we have beheld him
in exile, an emperor, a fugitive and a cap
tive. These four months contain matter not
only Of interest TO the Philosopher, and of
deep research to the future historian, but
OF the highest Importance to him who looks
forward to The progress of the cause of
freedom.-The overthrow of Bonapar,e
both now and in the spring of last year,
ought to be closely investigated, and the
more we discover its causes, the more will
the great lessen exhibited by it both to
sovereigns and to nations, be understood.---
The prominent circumstance in his fall is
his Unsuitable ambition. He was furnished
with power by the French people, which
he abused both t. their destruction and
his own. He could not content himself
with the character of the champion Of free
dom he sought only for military renown
combined with sovereign power his re-
cent temporary possession of the French
rank of imperial dignity, seems to have
been tenacious even to a degree of infatua-
ted obstinsCy his ruin is probably to be
entirely attributed to the reluctance which
the patriotic party in France must have
feit against assisting in his views (; for lit
tie as that party had to expect from the
Bourhons. still less confidence was due to
the idol OF victorious sol,liery, who see
| med resolved to defend the national indie
| penoence ofFrance, only that he might
possess 1t in entire sovereignty, and trans
| NIT its crown to its own dynasty. Whe-
| Their the patriotic party arc able to i'm
| prove the circumstances of his fall to the
benefit Of mankind, or to the establish
! meat OF any one OF these principles of IL
berty for which the human race have
! been contending with the preiudices of
ancient and ignorant institutions, is a ques-
| ton OF difficult solution. But on exanin-
| ing the appearance that France at pres
cnt offers to us, we see no reason TO des-
pair.
| In the capital Of France, and in many
| OF the provinces, there are large foreign
armies. The object Of the p0tentates 20
whom such extended forces appertain, are
security against the operation IF popular
principles, and personal aggrandizement.
| ihey have, however, an opponent 70 the
| first of these objects, which the force Dej-
therof bayenets or artillery can subdne !:
| The increase offo!itiCai kno4uledge. 1t is
also probable, that if in their other object,
! they aim at dividing France, they will
rouse spirit throughout that country.
which viii strengthen the armies under
Davoust and SuChet, and originate another
! war, of as sarguinary a character, as that
which they hoped to have terminated with
50 much glory.
After a contest IF five and twenty years,
the European soveTcigns have succeeded
IN destroying a government in France,
which, whatever was its origin, greatly
| resembled their own despotism, and was
weak exactly in proportion as it approxim-
ated in character to them. They have
gained no victory over these principles,
which at the beginning ofthe French rev
olution they pledged themselves to coun-
teract. On the contrary, those principles
have become every where more prevalent.
Russia, in receiving the dominion of Pc.
land, has acknowledged the representative
system, and has engaged herself to intro
duoe it into those parts of that kingdom,
which have been so long under the despot
ic authority OF Austria and Prussia. Even
the military tyranny of Prussia has BEEN
obliged to con EIDE much to the 1oice oFa
feof(e, and a Legislative bodv conshosed of
de7lufics, chosen by the inhabitants Of the
various states, is to form a part Of the
Prussan government The feudal system
IS completely br ken up: Saxony and
Prussia have mutually surrendered what
W. re termed Their fsUdaL rights-riqhts
founded ent rely upon The oppression + the
people. The Netherlands in receiving q
monarch, with authority exte ded over the
trmer aristocTatic republic of Holland.
and the mixed and ambiguous governments
OF Flanders, are to have the rehreSeutafiUe
sy8tem on an extensive plan, each deputy
to be elected by about two thousand per-
sons. 1t some fragments of feudslism are
to be found in the new German confsdera-
ton, they are attributed to the comple2. ST.
tuation Of the states that Compose it and
the friends Of freedom will still have rea-
son TO congratulate themselves, that HoIf7f-
Jar rights, have, even there, been acknow-
lodged among all the discordant claims of
a thousand petty sOveTsigntos From ST.
ely to Norway, The right Of the people to
participate in their own goveinm mt has
been asserted, and under various mod fca-
tons. has bsen ADM tel. The great Yves
tern peninsula Of Europe, containing the
supers.iious thrones of Spain and Portugal.
is the only portion of the most civilized
quarter Of the globe, in which no effects |
of the British REPRESENTATIVE 8gsfen1 Of 1
freedom appear to have taken root.---The |
Of the war in that region a.
gainst the invasion Of Bonaparte, have been
transient. The principles which the
cortes endeavoTed to propagate, had Moth