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VOL. XXII. No. 26.] LONDON, SATURDAY, DEC. 26, 1812.

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ful. This Message tells another story; it speaks, in a language not to be misunder stood, of the sufferings of the Russiansa It was, it seems to me, the business of the government and army of Russia to keep the French out of that country; to prevent the people from suffering; and, not to let in the

SUMMARY OF POLITICS. GRANT TO THE RUSSIANS."After sweet "meat comes sour sauce," says the old proverb; and so in our case; after so much rejoicing and gun-firing comes a demand upon our purses. The reckoning comes, and we look just, as foolish as a set of fel-enemy, and afterwards appeal to the people lows at an ale-house, when, at the end of of Russia to compensate the sufferers. four or five hours singing, and hallooing, Be this as it may, however, I cannot see, and swallowing, the landlord comes in with for my part, any reason why the people of his long Score, -This grant was called England should be taxed for the purpose of for by the Regent, in a Message delivered feeding or clothing those of Russia, who, to the House of Commons, on the 17th of but à very little while ago, were amongst December, in the following memorable our enemies.If, indeed, I could see; words:" G. P. R.-The Prince Re- that the sufferings of the Russians have led gent, acting in the name and on the be to our benefit, I should have less objection half of His Majesty, having taken into to the grant; but I can see no such thing; his serious consideration the accounts I cannot discover any possible advantage which he has received of the severe dis that we are to derive from the results lately tresses to which the inhabitants of a part witnessed in Russia; and, though I may be of the Empire of Russia have been ex thought singular in this my opinion now, I posed in their persons and property, in shall not, I am convinced, be so thought ni consequence of the unprovoked and atro- a few months from this time.During "cious invasion of that country by the the debate upon the subject, it was observ Ruler of France, and the exemplary and ed, that the Russians were fighting for us extraordinary magnanimity and fortitude as well as for themselves. The idea was "with which they have submitted to the this, that by their sacritices, which had 66 greatest privations and sufferings in the produced such distress in the army of Na defence of their country, and the ardent poleon, and which had been the cause of loyalty and unconquerable spirit they all those victories over him of which we "have displayed in its cause, whereby re- have read, a market is opened to our manu "sults have been produced of the utmost factures. This may possibly be true; but, 65 importance to the interests of this king- if it be, it only tends to make good what "dom, and to the general cause of Europe, the French have so often asserted; namely, "recommends to the House of Commons, that we derive benefit from the sufferings to enable His Royal Highness, in aid of of the people of the Continent; and, I the contributions which have been com- really do not think, that there was a great menced within the Russian empire for deal of wisdom in making the avowal."this purpose, to afford to the suffering The sufferings of the people of MOSCOW "subjects of His Majesty's good and great were particularly mentioned, and Mr. Van"ally the Emperor of Russia, such speedy sittart is reported to have said, that, after "and effectual relief as may be suitable to the burning of that city, some hundreds " this most interesting occasion."-This" of thousands of persons were driven to Message, and the grant of £200,000," the shelter of the woods in a Russian which has taken place in consequence of it," winter." But, who was it that caused are, one would suppose, sufficient to make this dreadful suffering? Who was it that this “most thinking nation" begin to think commanded Moscow to be burnt? This is a little. They have been taught to believe, that the French alone were suffering, and that the Russians were completely success

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a great point; and, therefore, we will hear what the Czar himself, in his proclamation of the 15th of November, says upon the

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matter. He expresses himself thus: Sovereign" had a plain, full, and perfect "It is well known to the whole world in "right to cause Moscow to be burnt;" "what manner the enemy has entered the who called Napoleon a murderer because he "boundaries of our Empire. No step or put some of the incendiaries to death; and "means that have so frequently been re- who called upon the Czar to put to death "sorted to by us for the punctual fulfil- ten times the number of French prisoners "ment of the peaceable stipulations, nor of war by way of retaliation? What will our steady endeavours, by all possible they now say? Will they turn short "means, to avert the effects of a bloody about, and again accuse Napoleon of the "and destructive war, has been able to act; an act which they have applauded to "check his obstinate design, in which he the skies; an act which they said was fully "has shewn himself entirely immovable. justifiable in the sovereign of the country; "With peaceful promises on his tongue, an act, in short, with regard to which the "he never ceased to think on war. At Morning Chronicle has recently read its "length, having collected a large army, recantation, confessing that it was in error "and strengthened it with Austria, Prus- when it disapproved of the act? What "sia, Bavaria, Wurtemberg, Westpha- will they now say; now, when they hear "lian, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and the Czar laying this act, of which they "Polish regiments, who were constrained, have so much approved, upon the shoulders "through disgrace and fear, he put himself of Napoleon? I suppose that they will say " in motion with this immense force, sup- no more of the matter. They will leave "plied with vast quantities of artillery, it where it is. They will not contradict "and penetrated into the interior of our the Czar; they will publish his assertion 66 country. Murder, fire, and destruction that Napoleon caused the city to be burnt; "were his attendants on the march. The and will leave their accusations about his "plundered property, the towns and vil- "murder" of the incendiaries unretracted; "lages set on fire, the smoking ruins of so that, between the two, the thinking "Moscow, the Kremlin blown up into the people of England may, if they choose "air, the temples and altars of the Lord (and it is likely that they will choose), to "destroyed-in one word, all kinds of believe, that it was Napoleon who ordered "cruelty and barbarity, hitherto unheard the city to be burnt, and that he murdered "of, at length prove by his own actions those whom he employed in the bar"that they have long been laying conceal-barous work!-Nevertheless, there is "ed in the depth of his mind. The mighty one difficulty, as to this memorable " and happy Russian empire, which pos- event, that these gentlemen will not, I sesses every thing in abundance, awaken- think, find it easy to overcome. Since "ed in the heart of the enemy envy and Napoleon began to retreat, and espe"dread. The possession of the whole world cially since news has arrived of the great "could not satisfy him, so long as the sufferings and losses in his army, these "fertile fields of Russia still were hap- writers have been filling their columns with "py."Here is a distinct declaration, dissertations on the wisdom and magnanithat it was Buonaparte who caused Moscow mity which dictated the burning of Moscow. to be burnt; for what does it say? Why, This act it was, as they told us, which this: "That the smoking ruins of Mos- produced the necessity of his retreat at so "cow prove, by his own actions," that inclement a season; and, in short, that led his designs of cruelty and barbarity have to all those brilliant consequences, which long been lying concealed in his mind. have been detailed to us during the last This is quite clear. There can be no other month, and which are looked upon, by construction of the words. The Czar dis- most people, as forming a happy begintinctly says, that the smoking ruins of ning in the great work of the deliverance Moscow are one proof of the designs of of Europe. But, where was the wisdom, Napoleon; that they are a proof of what where the magnanimity, of this famous his own actions have been.- -Now, act, if the act was committed by order of then, what will those hirelings say, who Napoleon and not by that of the Czar ? accused the Czar of having commanded We must leave these ingenious gentlemen Moscow to be burnt? or, rather, who to settle this matter with the Czar himself: applauded him for the act; and who justi- for the point is much too delicate for us to fied the detected incendiaries upon the pretend to decide.- -Again, as to the ground of their having obeyed the orders people of Moscow, who have been apof their Sovereign; who asserted that that plauded to the third heaven (for which

many of them have taken their departure) | "Whether we could go the length of adfor having voluntarily burnt their own "dressing one of the French Princes in houses and food and raiment, rather than "this language of Shakespeare, we do not suffer them to afford shelter and comfort to" pretend to decide. But at least we may the French; what will be said of their" assert that this is the time in which voluntary sacrifices, if we now adopt the Louis XVIII might produce much belief, that it was by the enemy's order" effect by publishing an Address to the that the burning took place?—These are "French Nation.If the reluctance to difficulties out of which none but persons" do this arise from a belief that the like those who conduct our press would be" French will be the first to make overable to extricate themselves. Whether "tures to him, it is, we think, by no they will or not I shall not pretend to say; "means politic. A frank and open debut, certain I am, that, if they fail, it"claration should come from him, guawill not be for the want of falsehood and "ranteeing the purchasers of the national impudence unparalleled in the history of" property, acknowledging the Senate, and the world. With respect to the grant, I" confirming the civil officers in the posshall only further observe, that it seems to "session of their places. The effect of me of little consequence whether the money "such a declaration under such circumbe sent to Russia or to the Peninsula. It"stances as the present, might have every is, perhaps, full as well to expend it in "beneficial effect, at least it could do no the North as in the South. I do not like" harın."--Here, then, we have, at to make a great deal of the matter; if I last, openly avowed that which it has alhad had the distribution of £200,000, Iways been suspected was at the bottom of could have found objects in England on whom to confer it; but, if it be to go to foreigners, I would as lief the Russians should have it as the Portuguese, or the Sicilians, or the Spaniards, or the Hanoverians, or any other nation. I have really no choice in such a case. I would give none of them money; and if we are compelled to pay taxes to give to any of them, I care not a straw which of them it is.

THE BOURBONS.- Ever since it was known that Napoleon had experienced a reverse of fortune in Russia, our hired prints have been preparing the way for the introduction of the project of restoring the ·Bourbons; and, on the 18th instant, the Courier, in the height of its joy at the from Russia, openly avowed the project in the following terms:- "If ever there was a time when, more than another, "the Bourbons had a chance of remounting "the Throne of their ancestors, this is "surely the lime, when defeat and dis

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grace have attended THE USURPER, "and when the French nation, drained of "its population, and ruined in its commerce, must be discontented from one "end to the other. Whether it would be """wise to have one of the Princes of that "House, the husband of the interesting "daughter of Louis the XVIth, or the "Duke de Berri, hoist the Royal Standard ❝ at once:

"Now is the time of help: your eye in France Would create soldiers, make our women fight, "To doff their dire distresses;

the hearts of some persons in this country.
Here, too, Buonaparte and the people of
France will see, what these persons would
do, if they had the power. -As to the
guaranteeing work spoken of in the close,
the people of France will, I dare say, see
that they, at present, stand in need of no
guarantee, and will not be in a hurry
to desire one. They will, doubtless, re-
collect, that with him, whom we now
call an usurper, we made a treaty of peace
and friendship some years ago; and, per-
haps, they will find it very difficult to com-
prehend what has made him an usurper now
more than he was then.But, it seems,
that "the French nation MUST now be

"discontented from one end to the other."
And why? Because its population has
been drained and its commerce ruined. Do
these produce discontent? Are they jus-
tifiable causes of discontent?
Do they
warrant a people in desiring to put down
their ruler? Oh, blockhead! why do
you not think a little before you speak?

-As to the defeat and disgrace of Buonaparté, why, as the Morning Chronicle asked the other day, should we suppose the people of France more alive upon such a point than the people of England? And, experience has taught us, that such events produce no such effects with us, as are here contemplated to be produced in France.

-The truth is, however, we have, as yet, no proof of either the disgrace or the defeat of Buonaparte. That he has had, and, perhaps, still has, very great difficulties to contend against; that his army has greatly

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suffered; that he has experienced enormous "the Island of Houat, with a design to losses; that he may be obliged to evacuate penetrate into the Morbihan; notice of a great part of the Russian territory which "the circumstance was given on the 21st he had overrun; all this may be true; and November to Captain Molini, Comyet, in the usual meaning of the words, he" mandant of the Imperial Navy, of the inay have suffered neither disgrace nor de- four departments. This officer immedi-: feat; and, therefore, it is the height of "ately dispatched his Majesty's lugger. folly, to say nothing of its detestable wick-" Alert, to seize the Brigands. The Lieuedness, in any one in this country to broach" tenant of the lugger arrived in the evensuch a project as that of carrying on the" ing of the 22d, at the anchorage of the war for the restoration of the Bourbons; island, and landed at midnight, at the and, of course, for bringing Europe back" head of a detachment from his vessel, to the state in which it was twenty years "with which he went to the house where it ago.- The Times newspaper of the "was supposed they lodged. They found 19th instant says: "To suppose that de- the whole three. The moment the Lieugradation will effect any moral change in "tenant entered, they fell on him and his "his nature, will humble his mind, and party with pistols and poniards, deter"incline him to peace and good faith, and "mined to force their way out. After a des"the severe duties of justice, is to betray a perate struggle to overpower them, it "total ignorance of the force of passions was found necessary to shoot them. There "deeply rooted, and nurtured by long and was nothing found about them but pistols "excessive indulgence. Whilst he lives and poniards. Their Chief alone had a "and acts the Monarch, he will endeavour "small paper of poison in his pocket. 66 to act the Tyrant. He must, therefore, "They were recognised to be Depiege, "be divested of all power to do mischief; "alias Debar, Deguern, alias Sans-Souci, "he must be entirely beaten down and "and Droz. Their papers and instructions 66 destroyed. Towards this great and salu- were found by Lieutenant Allanioux, in tary end, much progress has been made " a portmanteau, and were immediate"by the late splendid victories of the Rus-"ly forwarded to Capt. Molini, who sian arms. It is for our Statesmen to sent them to the Police. These miser"finish the great work so happily begun,able wretches only obtained lodgings "by animating the oppressed nations of Europe, with one common spirit, of re"sistance against a tyranny which now, "totters on its base." -These are the sentiments now afloat, the expression of which, though through channels so contemptible, may, perhaps, prolong, for years, this terrible war. It is impossible, It is impossible," after this, to think of peace with Napoleon upon any terms which shall leave us the power of annoying him. I, the other day, quoted a passage from one of these papers, graph in the London papers of the 30th in which the whole French nation were "ult. which stated that a French General made participators in the alleged crimes "and two French Colonels had been landed of their Chief; and they are now told, that "in France by the Armide frigate.— that chief must be beaten down and wholly "The pretended General," it says, destroyed.- -In the meanwhile there is an "the old Chouan Chief Debar, and his account published in the French papers of "soi-disant Colonel, Droz and Deguero, some attempts having actually been made" ruffians notorious by the crimes which to bring about a counter-revolution in that "they committed in our civil broils. They country. This account is very curious, and "embarked at Plymouth in the beginning not less interesting to us, as will be seen "of November, and arrived in Quiberon from a perusal of it and from the observa- "Bay, where they remained four or five tions which it naturally suggests. days on board, not daring to land. At articles from the French papers are as fol- length they caused themselves to be conlows: "L'Orient, Nov. 25.-The Com-"veyed to the Isle of Houat, where they "missary of Police, at L'Orient, having "received information that three English

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agents had been landed a few days on

" by threatening the inhabitants of Houat. "This event will deter the Spies of Eng "land from returning to this island. The Quarter-Master Person, who attacked "Deguero, received several stabs of the poniard in his clothes. The artillery"man Allcan, received a ball in his left side, but the wound is not dangerous.

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-The Journal de l'Empire refers its "readers to the intelligence from L'Orient, "as affording an explanation of a para

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were put on shore on the 16th Novem"ber." After stating their capture, it says, "there were found on Debar, who was

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DECEMBER 26, 1812.-War in the Peninsula.

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is possible; and, if it should not really
happen, I dare say the new Dukes and
Counts will thank us full as much as if it
did happen. In short, the notions of our
writers, and, indeed, the notions now set
afloat in the public papers, are truly alarming.
They menace us with a war for the rest of
our lives; or at least a war to continue as long
as the pound bank-note will buy a quartern
loaf. The promulgation of such notions
places all upon the hazard of a die. If
Napoleon fall, why, then, we may have
peace from that cause; but, if he rise; if
he surmount his present difficulties, what
hope can we rationally entertain of peace
with him upon any terms short of such as
will deprive us of all future power? Af-
ter the publication of these denunciations
against him, against all persons in authority
under him, and, indeed, against the whole
mass of the French people; after this, who
can hope for peace, if he should survive?—
The same career that we ran during the
Anti-Jacobin war we now seem to be en-

shot on the 23d November, several de"tailed reports of his operations, dated "France, Morbihan, the 2d, 3d, and 4th "December. The first is addressed to the Prince of Wales, the second to the Duke of Kent, and the third to the Secretary of State for the War Department. Debar "announces in these reports, that he had "made his way into Britanny in the midst of the greatest dangers; that he had al"ready assembled a great number of malcontents and deserters, and would soon "be in a situation to strike some decisive "blow; in short, he gives a daily state"ment of his progress up to the 4th De"cember. Thus it appears, that before he had arrived at Houat, and perhaps " before he had left London, this able Ge"neral had drawn up a faithful account of "the signal advantages which he was to "obtain twelve days after his death. We "cannot refrain from congratulating the "English Ministers upon their choice of and the incredible success with agents, " which they execute the missions intrust-tering upon anew. During that war many "ed to them. This, however, is not the occasions offered for making a safe and ho"first time that they have so worthily jus- nourable peace; but, whenever we saw This affair may the French arms experiencing a reverse; "tified its confidence. "serve as an appendix to the mystification whenever we saw the difficulties of France ❝ of Drake, and merits that it should be disposing her rulers towards peace, our "recorded as an additional specimen of the hopes of humbling her revived, and our * sublime combinations of English policy. refusal to treat goaded her on to fresh ex"We hope the details we have just given ertions. In those auspicious "will gratify the impatient curiosity of a when moderation in our views and our "London public, and we promise them, language might have done every thing for us and our allies, we assumed a tone that "for the future, that we shall give them punctual advices respecting such expedi- soon threw us back to our former situation; and, by a series of such conduct, we, at ❝tions as often as they are sent to us." The Times news-paper, in the height of its last, reduced ourselves to the necessity of rage at the result as here recorded, falls making a peace like that of Amiens. foul of the French police, and ascribes its when Buonaparte returned from Egypt, (a vigilance to the circumstance of the fate of fugitive as we then called him) we had acthe new Dukes and Counts being dependent cepted of his offer of peace, how different They must, the at this day would have been the state of that of their master. upon Times says, all stand or fall together, and Europe, and of England in particular! But, therefore the former are so faithful in the we then threw the Bourbons in the teeth of absence of the latter; to which he adds, France; we then talked of seeing a governthat "the short road to peace is over the ment established such as we could make These are peace with, One would think that, with corpse of the monster.". expressions of great weight; they ought to the bitter fruits of that day still on our be attended to by us, because they are sure palate, we should be more cautious; but, to be attended to by Buonaparte and by the there are men whom nothing will teach people of France. This writer threatens prudence. the new Dukes and Counts with the gibbet, in case of the fall of Napoleon; and he thinks, perhaps, that, he shall have to record the putting of that threat in execution. It is, however, to look a little too far before him to see them, in "his mind's eye" thus swinging so soon. To be sure, the thing

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WAR

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PENINSULA.

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French official papers give an account of the prisoners and deserters, which entered Salamanca between the 16th and 21st of November, which are stated at 25 officers and 3,497 non-commissioned officers and

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