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although he acknowledges " the chance of war had disappointed his "expectations, the enemy having penetrated into the interior of his "dominions, and that the experience, which he had so dearly "bought, and his solicitude to promote the prosperity of his domi"nions led to negociations for peace, yet that the desire of his people that he should not lay down his arms, till an honourable 67 peace should be obtained, could never allow him to agree to disgraceful conditions which threatened to shake the very foun"dation of the monarchy:"-This courageous declaration gave fresh spirits to those who were so anxious for the renewal of the war; and reports were shortly after in circulation, that notice had been given by Austria of the termination of the armistice, and letters were circulated in which it was stated, that hostilities had recommenced, and that Austria had gained a victory!

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Another report also was during this interval, confidently circu. lated. The Emperor Napoleon it was affirmed, had in consequence of extraordinary fatigue, and imprudence in remaining too long on the field at a review, beeu seized with a fever which brought on a delirium, and that the first physicians in Paris were hastening to his assistance. Had this report been well founded, we can readily conceive the joy with which it would have inspired the hearts of most of the regular sovereigns of Europe, who seem to have been raging in a delirium, for these sixteen years past, and with scarcely a lucid interval. The knowledge of such a misfortune having at last befallen the grand instrument of their humiliation, might have had the powerful effect of making them "reason in their madness," and adopt the taunting language of the shades of the departed monarchs, as represented in the sublime ode of an ancient prophet, when rising from their thrones to insult their fallen brother the King of Babylon, on being reduced to the same abject condition with themselves :-Art thou also become weak as we;-Art thou become like unto us?-But these reports have at length vanished all the pleasing dreams of those who were anxious to have the continent again drenched in blood, are by the conclusion of a definitive treaty, completely dissipated. This important event was first officially notified by an Amsterdam extraordinary gazette, and has since been confirmed from various quarters. Several of the marshals of France, with other officers of the army of the Danube have returned to Paris, where the triumphant NAPOLEON is daily expected with the treaty, detailing the fruits of his short, but brilliant campaign.

Although the terms of the treaty have not transpired, it is generally reported that they are, as might naturally be expected, humiliating to Austria, and injurious to this country. Several of Napoleon's generals have had titles conferred on them borrowed from

the names of cities, the scenes of the Emperor's victories, and to which considerable estates in the conquered districts are annexed. We still, however, conjecture, that Napoleon will endeavour to secure the friendship of the Emperor of Austria, (his new title will not transpire till the publication of the treaty) by making him some compensation for his lost dominions, and that, probably, the partition of Turkey will afford the means by which this project will be finally acccomplished.

CAMPAIGN IN SPAIN AND PORTUGAL.-EXPEDITION TO

HOLLAND.

France having thus triumphantly closed the campaign in Germany, let us now turn our eyes to our own country, and briefly inquire what has been the result of the measures of ministers, who have had the lives of his Majesty's subjects, and the resources of his kingdom entirely at their command. So far from having met with any impediments in the senate, or from having been in the least frustrated in the formation, and execution of their plans, the leaders of opposition, have agreed with them on the principle of the war, and have rather encouraged than opposed its continuance. What then have been the fruits of an annual war expenditure of nearly seventy millions sterling?

One of the principal objects of the war for the two past years, has been the deliverance of SPAIN from the dominion of their new King JOSEPH BONAPARTE, and the restoration of the old government. Notwithstanding the disastrous termination of the last campaign, in which a British army, to use the language of its commander, was sacrificed for the professed object of assisting a people, who had little inclination to assist themselves; notwithstanding the opinion of that commander, whose skill and experience rendered him a most competent judge, and who forcibly stated the inutility of our making farther efforts, our ministers resolved on sending another army to Spain, and they readily found a valorous knight suited to their purpose, to take upon him the command. The history of the campaign of Sir Arthur Wellesley, will be distinguished in the British annals, by the temerity of its commander; and the titles conferred on him by his employers, will constitute a lasting monument of his folly. The official dispatches of General Cuesta, afford us some additional and important information, respecting the battles of Talavera &c. and may enable the public to form a tolerable judgment of the correctness of the statement of the British commander, who had the modesty to boast of his having obtained a victory over" double the number "of the enemy!" We know nothing of the comparative merits of

Lord TALAVERA, and General CUESTA as military commanders; but for liberality of sentiment, and ingenuous language, we have in the respective official dispatches, sufficient evidence of the superiority of mind of the Spanish over that of the British general. Whilst fairly representing the exertions and the losses of his own army, so slightly alluded to in the dispatches of Lord Talavera, he, instead of claiming an undue share of the merits of the action, panegyrizes in the most exulting language the conduct of his lordship, and the bravery of his forces. The hasty retreat of the British general, the circumstances attending it, the melancholy condition of the army, with which sickness has made still greater havoc than the sword, must force upon the people the melancholy conviction, that another British army has been sacrificed in endeavours to obtain an object, which the dear bought experience of a former campaign warranted men of plain common sense in predicting would be fruitless. The event has fully verified the prediction. Even the most sanguine, and the most servile of our ministerial writers, the Editor of the Morning Post, is at length compelled to confess "that the cause of Spain is hopeless!"

The wretched state to which this country is reduced; the vast and overgrown power of France, the devotedness of Spain, as well as of the surrounding nations on the continent, to the will of NAPOLEON, are circumstances calculated to alarm the minds of the people of Great Britain respecting her future welfare; and what must increase this alarm is, the nature of the cause we have espoused. The friend of his country, and who ought at the same time to be the friend of the best interests of the human race in all climes and countries, is placed by the measures of ministers in a state so painful, as to render it difficult for him to support a cause, which even if successful affords but little prospect of happiness to the nation most interested. Whilst NAPOLEON, his brother JOSEPH, and his relative MURAT, are effecting the most important, and useful reforms in the Italian and Sicilian states, and in Spain; whilst POPERY and PRIESTCRAFT in these countries are falling, and those long established curses to the world, INQUISITIONS, and MONASTIC orders are rapidly dissolving, the government of Britain is lavishing her blood and resources, to restore the" ancient order of things;"-of systems of civil and religious slavery; and her ambassadors are toasting success to the restoration of that antichristian power the POPE of ROME, literally termed in the oracles of inspiration, the BEAST, for whose downfal, all protestant christendom, has for centuries past been uniformly offering up their ardent prayers. The Spanish juntas, with the royal prisoner FERDINAND professedly at their head, but who by his situation is prevented from exercising auy power, and is pro

bably ignorant of the decrees issued in his name;-these Spanish juntas have proved a disgrace to the name of government; and are surely the most unfit assemblies that could possibly have been formed to support the cause of a people, wishing to assert their independence, and to enjoy the blessings of freedom. At the present moment, these stupid slaves, instead of using the means of awakening and calling forth energies indispensibly requisite for the recovery of such inestimable blessings, are pursuing the most effectual means to stifle those energies. The foundation principle, FREEDOM OF DISCUSSION, is their abhorrence; and the only enligh tened print in the country, conducted on the principles of patriotism, has been suppressed. The miserable junta, having neither the ability nor the inclination to pursue those measures necessary to the regeneration of their country, are now in a state of disunion, and the British ambassador, it is confidently reported, is endeavouring to form a new government, and to place at its head as regent, the Archbishop of TOLEDO,-a wealthy prelate whose character for superstition, may render him a fit instrument for engaging in a project so dear to the ambassador, the restoration of the ancient government of Spain, and the re-establishment of the authority, temporal and spiritual of the pope of Rome!

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The "illustrious house of BRAGANZA," our Portugueze ally, likewise engaged the assistance of the British government. Wretched and degraded, as in every respect was the old government of Portugal, we entertained some hopes that her princes would, after witnessing the tremendous events of the past twenty years, have been accompanied in their transportation to their Brazillian territories, by a small portion, if not of extraordinary wisdom, at least of common sense! But the same system of civil and ecclesiastical despotism which has so long been the bane of the mother country is carefully adopted in her colonies. An edict has been recently issued from the court of Rio Janiero annihilating even the rudiments of freedom; by which edict not only all publications are suppressed unauthorised by a police, under the immediate orders of the court, but even any notices of intended publications! Thus the example of that dark and horrible tribunal the inquisition, which, praise to the Almighty, is falling to ruins wherever the arms of France are triumphant, is by the Brazillian court servilely followed. The regency at Lisbon, carefully preserve the same despotic system !—Such is the cause in Spain, and in Portugal, which Britons are fighting to support; and success to which was toasted with the utmost enthusiasm by the merchants, bankers, and traders of the metropolis, and by ministers, and ex-ministers with their respective partisans, at the jubilee meeting held in honour of a BRITISH

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and PROTESTANT King, at the commencement of the 50th. year of his reign!

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The expedition to HOLLAND has been another principal object which has employed the attention of government during the past summer. The magnitude and expence of the preparations, are almost unparalleled in the history of expeditions: in this, as well as in their other measures, ministers had the armies, the navies, and the treasure of the country at their command. The objects of the expedition were the possession of the island of Walcheren, as introductory to the attainment of superior objects, the possession of the city of Antwerp, and a considerable portion of the French navy. The dispatches of the commander in chief have proved to demonstration the ignorance of those who planned the expedition of the obstacles they had to encounter, from the nature of the countries to be invaded, the disposition of the inhabitants, and their state of defence. Never was there an expedition in which the expectations of the contrivers, and of the public, were more severely disappointed. The loss sustained in warfare is comparatively small, but the ravages of disease have destroyed the major part of the army; several thousands of the sick have been sent home to their own country; but the latest accounts state that the epidemic, and the consequent mortality were not at all diminished. We remain at present in possession of the island; and government having advertized to contract for one thousand oxen, to be delivered there, appear resolved to keep possession so long as they are able. If, however, the enemy do not shortly compel our forces to evacuate the island, it will, judging from present appearances, prove the grave of most of them.

We do not deem it necessary to recapitulate the lesser events of our campaigns; those on the coast of Sicily or elsewhere. They have all one characteristic:-British resources unprofitably squandered, and British blood prodigally spilt, may be inscribed on all our plans, and on every part of our operations!

PEACE BETWEEN RUSSIA AND SWEDEN.

The Revolution in Sweden by which another of the regular sovereigns of Europe has been deposed, and happily without bloodshed, is another of those events of which the present age has been so fruitful, and which naturally gives rise to many important reflections. It was our intention to have presented our readers with some account of the events which led to this Revolution-Of the Robbery of the rights of his subjects committed by the father of the late King-Of his melancholy fate-And to have compared the new constitution with the old but as the latter has not yet been published in this

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