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CHA P. X.

Fragility of Confederations.--Victorious career of Buonaparte :

yet his continued offers of Peace.-Circumstances that induced him to muke such offers.-Miserablc state of France :-Conscripts.Campaign of Ten Days - Battles of Heilsberg and Friedland. Pacification of Tilsit.-War with Sweden.-- Evacuution of Stralsund.

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was employed in debates to foreign countries, he professed respecting the means of quieting, or an enjulation of only great acof opposing, the growing ambition tions, and useful enterprises; and

nce, Buonaparte pursued his was determined to perpetuate a career of conquest, triumphing peace, that should constitute the over the vanity of subsidies, the happiness of the French, and the futility of detachments, and expe. happiness of humanity.*" This ditions, sent ai different times, to indeed would have been true policy, different places, against one and true glory. And there were pacted and mighty power, and the not a few who entertained sanguine imbecility of confederation; and hopes that Buonaparte would have shewing to 'all nations, that it is on exhibited as illustrious an example the direction, not the existence, of of moderation and justice, as he had military force, that the issue of cam. done of bravery, skill, and success paigns, and fate of empires turns.

But it soon appeared that When Buonaparte was raised to he was actuated only by the vulgar the dictatorship of France, it was spirit of domination, as we have aldoubtful whether he would pursue ready observed, in a former volumet, a system of war and conquest, or which he pursued, both by arms and of conciliation, peace, and all good politicalintrigue. Peace was always in arts. He was at first careful to ap- his mouth, war in his heart. Where pear in the light of a good, as well the interests and the rights of men as a great man. He was solicitous are consulted, the war may be reto be considered as the patron of sorted to in cases of necessity, the religion, good morals, the arts and uniform end is peace.

When tysciences, and all manner of improve- ranny and the lust of conquest prement: nor, in his own personal vail, though peace may occasionally conduct and deportment, was he be made the means, the end con. deficient in the observance of all stantly in view is war. the decencies of life. And for tem, unfortunately for the nations of

* View of the Republic presented in the legislative body at Paris, 23d of November, 1801. + See Vol. XLIII, 1801, HISTORY OF EUROPE.

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Europe, but for none so unfortu. claration that he was desirous of nately as the French, was the system peace, above all things, and ready adopted by Buonaparte.

to listen to any reasonable Overture After the battie of Jena, a pro. for that end. That the French position was made, either by chief was sincere in this declaration, Russia in concert with her allies to there is little reason to doubt.

The the ruler of France, or by the ruler progress of his arms from the Elbe of France to Russia and her allies, to the Oder, and from the Oder to for a congress of all the belligerent the Passarge, beyond the Vistula, powers, to be held for the purpose and the commanding position of his of a general pacification. The armý, strengthened by the reduce Russian government, keeping a stea. tion of Dantzig, might enable him dy eye on Constantinople, objected to treat with advantage, and to reto the admission of the Turks into turn to Paris with glory. On the the congress.

Buonaparte insisted other hand, the battle of Eylau, as on the admission of the, grand-sig- well as that of Pultusk, and other nior as the friend and ally of France, engagements, proclaimed the unin return for which, Russia would certain issue of a decisive action be permitted likewise in the con. with such an enemy; and in whose gress to make common cause with favour a powerful diversion might England. The basis of negotiation be occasioned by a combined Sweproposed by Buonaparte, between dish and English army, landing in what he called the two belligerent Pomerania, in his rear, and commasses* was cquality and recie manding the course of the Oder procity, and a system of compensa. from Stralsund to Frankfort. The tions. Though the negotiation had necessity too, which would be in. been interrupted by a serious of hot volved by a prolongation of the actions, and the king of Prussia, war, of drawing levy after levy, of and the Russian generalissimo, bad unfortunate young men and boys, declined to enter into any treaty for from their wretched families, could an armistice, or peace, as above no. not be any other than a cause of ticed, after the battle of Eylau, most serious alarm, and appreheu. Buonaparte, on the fall of Dantzig, sion.+ Since the commencement made a direct proposal for renew. of the war against Prussia, that is, ing the negotiation to the emperor in the course of six or Alexander, accompanied by a de- months, three several levies of con.

scripts * A term that might include a maritime pacification with England.

+ Besides the conscripts of actual servue, there are an equal number of conscripts of the reseroe, to march only in cases of emergency; and besides this, a third body, called supplementary conscripts, amounting to of the whole contingent, for the purposeof filling up the contingencies occasioned by death, desertion, or other causes, before junction at head quarters. If the supplement should not be equal to this purpose, the reserve supplies its place; and, at all events, no deficiency is permitted, as each canton is accountable for its full assessment. No Frenchman under the age of thirty, can travel through the Empire, or hold any situation under government, or serve in any public office, unless he can produce a certificate duly authenticated, attesting that he has dischriged his liability to the conscription. Thus the whole male population of France is organized

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scripts had been raised. The last of these, by which the conscripts of September 1808, were called for in March 1807, created a melancholy bordering on despair. Although all correspondence relative to the position of the armies, was rigor ously interdicted, and no letters suffered to pass without scrutiny, it was impossible wholly to conceal the mortality and the hardships in separable from the various movements of the troops, and the unaccustomed rigours of a northern winter. A third conscription was generally considered as an undertaking too bold for the internal administration, especially at a moment when a belief was current among all ranks, that the emperor would not be able to extricate himself from the embarrassments, in which, after the battle of Eylau, he was supposed to be involved. The government, apprehensive of the danger, set themselves to prepare the public mind for the event, by employing emissaries to announce their intention in whispers through the circles, and three thousand coffee-houses of the capital. But an impression of terror was visible, even to a cursory observer, on the countenances of those who were either themselves exposed to the danger, or shuddered at the prospect of new revolutionary horrors, of suspicion and joy,

but half disguised in the lowering brows of the most resolute of the disaffected, constantly on the alert to improve the concurrence of opportunity, and who hailed this despe rate expedient as a confirmation of their hopes. The orator of the government, Renaud St. Jean D'Angely, shed tears, whether of sorrow or joy, as he stated the necessity of the measure: and the senate received it, contrary to their usual practice, in silent acquiescence, and with every symptom of reluctance and dismay.* In order to assuage the general grief, it was found adviseable to qualify the new call for 80,000 men, by a clause enacting that they were then to be merely organized, and retained within the limits of the empire, as a national guard. Circumstances enabled them to adhere to this condition, which most certainly would have been violated, if the armies had sustained a defeat.-In the midst of disquietude and fear, public festivals were multiplied, in order to give the administration at home an air of confidence: and an unusual degree of splendour brightened the court of the empress, who, remained in Paris, and took a prin cipal share in those mummeries of despotism.†

It was not to be wondered at, therefore, if, all things considered,

into a military system. The members of the confederation of the Rhine are not subjected to the conscription. The French government unwilling to make the allies as warlike as the French nation, does not demand any very copious supplies of men; but incredible contributions for the maintenance, pay, and clothing, of its own troops.

* As a proof and illustration of the abject condition to which that body was reduced, it may be mentioned that before the law was passed by the senate, the minister of police had issued his orders for the appearance of the conscripts of Paris at the registry.

+ Code de la conscription, &c, Paris, 1806, seance du senat conservateur du 4 April 1807

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Buonaparte should be desirous of the right hand and the left.* The a pacification. There was no re

offices and administration of the ception, perhaps no return, for him government were now transferred to Paris, but in the character of a from Warsaw to Dantzig, which conqueror. Though, after the fall seemed at this time to be intended of Dantzig, the main army was for the capital of the French domi. increased by a disposeable force of nions in those parts. This city was more than 30,000, and though there visited on the 30th of May by Buo. was neither truce nor armistice, he naparte, attended by the greater did not take any measures for im. part of his staff, his minister for mediately opening the campaign, foreign relations, and in short, all and surprizing the enemy according his court. He reviewed his troops,

to his usual system, by the promp- and gave orders for the reparation . titude and the celerity of his move- of the works demolished in the ments, but manifested every sym.

of the siege.

General ptom of a sincere and even somewhat Rapp, a great favourite, was apearnest desire that hostilities might pointed governor, and Le Febvre be, for the present, terminated by created duke of Dantzig. Each negotiation. Till this negotiation soldier engaged in the siege, recei. should be brought to some issue, he ved a gratuity of ten francs. From seemed determined to remain on the his imperial camp at Finkenstein, defensive. The ambassadors at. May 28th, Buonaparte wrote to the tending his court at Finkenstein, conservative senate, that he had were witnesses of the proud emi. instituted duchies, as rewards for nence on which he now stood, and eminent services done him, whether abundant care was taken that they military or civil, and that, in pursu. should fully understand the impor. ance of this system of encourage. tance of his récent conquest, the ment, he had created, by letters great bulwark of

the Vistula. patent, the marshal Le Febvre, he. When the ambassador of the port reditary duke of Dantzig, not only (Seid Mahomed Vahid) was presente in consideration of his late achieve. ed, on the 28th of May, by the ment, but because ont, and ever prince of Benevento (Maurice since the first day of his reign, Le Talleyrand) to Buonaparte, he said Febvre had rendered him the most to the ambassador, that he, and the signal service. It was his business, sultan Selim, would be for ever he said, to establish the fortunes of aster, as inseparably connected as such families as devoted themselves

Buonaparte, of whom it has been said that he is an honorary member of all religions, has always been at great pains to propagate a belief among the Maho. inedaus that he entertains the utinost veneration for Islaumism and the propher. He assumed a Mahomedan name, and affected not only to fall in with all the religious prejudices and fooleries of the Turks, but to adopt the genius or turn of their language. See Vol. XLI. History of EUROPE, 1799, pp. 7-14. A journalist who, now and then, seasons bis Chronicle with agreeable sallies of wit and biumour, observes that the emperor of Austria thus closely embraced between the two inseparable hands of Seliin and Buonaparte, must have telt himself in an awkward situation. L'AMBIGU. No. 152. p. 617. I see Vul. XLII. History of EUROPE, 1799, p. 16.

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without reserve to his service, and extravagance of misrepresentation, constantly sacrificed their own par- which restrains us from repeating, ticular interests to his.

on all occasions, their gasconades of The secret history of the nego

this kind. At the same time, also, tiation for peace, the circumstances the Russian commander in chief, that determined the Russians to general Bennigsen, with the grand avoid a general action before the duke Constantine, the imperial fall of Dantzig, and yet to make grlard, and three divisions of the a vigorous attack on the French, other troops, attacked the positions fifteen days after the capitulation of of marshal Ney, on the right wing that place, time has not yet disclo. of the French line at Aldkirken, sed. On the 5th of June, the grand Gutstadt, and Wolfsdorf. After a a French arniy was attacked by the al. scvere contest, marshal Ney fell liesat different points of its line. On back, but in good order, to Ack. the right of the allies, and the left endorf. of the French, twelve Russian and On the following day, June 6th, Prussian regiments, forming two the allies attacked the 6th corps of divisions, attacked the tête dre pont the French army, under the com. of Spanden on the Fassargo, which mand of marshal Soult, and general was defended by a regiment of light Marchand, at Deppen, on the Pas. infantry, strongly covered by en- sarie. The Russians in the action trenchments and redoubts. They of this day, lost according to their were repulsed seven times, and as own acknowledgment, if we may often renewed the attack. But im. credit the French bulletin, 2,000 mediately after the last assault, they killed, and more than 3,000 wound. were charged by a regiment of dra. ed. The loss of the French, accor. goous, that had come up to the as. ding to their statement, in killed sistance of the regiment of infan. and wounded, was extremely tri. try, and forced to abandon the fling as usual. But they acknow. field of battle with a great loss in ledged the loss of 250 taken pri. killed and wounled. Two divi. soners, for the most part by the sions, belonging to the centre of the Cossacks, who, on the morning of allied arniy, attacked, at the same the attack, had got into the rear of time, the tête du pont of Lomitten, the French army. which was defended by a brigade of Buonaparte informed of the move. the corps of marshal Soult. The ments of the allies, left Finkenstein Russian general, with 1,100, fell in on the evening of the 5th of June, the action; 100 were taken, and a passed the night of the 6th at Saalgreat many wounded, The loss of field, and that of the 7th in bivouact, the French, according to their bul. with marshal Ney at Deppen, and letin*, was no more than 120 men. immediately took upon himself the This is incredible. And it is here command, and issued the necessary stated, only as an instance of that orders to the whole army. On the

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* 78th Bulletin de la grande armée.

+ Birouric is a guard at night performed by the whole army, which, either at a siegé, or lying before an cneniy, every evening draws out from its tents, or huts, and continues all night in arins.

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