accompanying ridicule ought to be excited, and, let us hope will be excited, by this unmannerly, this foul, this base abuse of a distinguished general (in the service of our principal ally) against whose honour and fidelity nothing has been alleged, and whose conduct in the instance referred to may, for aught this writer can know, have been as gallant and even as judicious as that of any other man would have been under similar circumstances. "The imbecility and inca

pacity" of General Mack cannot, from this quarter, but remind the public of the "incapacity and imbecility" imputed to the Addingtons only just six months before Mr. Pitt solicited them to join him in the ministry. Those who reflect on that; those who reflect on the language made use of towards the Addingtons, by the man who had selected them for office and recommended them to the House of Commons, will be the less surprized to hear his partisans calling the "veteran Mack," in "cha"rity" calling the "veteran Mack," after his defeat, "the most stupid of all God's creatures!" General Mack may possibly be, "a TALKING fellow without brains," and, if he be, there would be no rational ground. for wonder at any folly or mischief he might be guilty of; for, Gracious God! what follies, what fooleries, what mighty, what terrible mischiefs, what national sufferings and what national disgrace, have arisen from the councils and the influence of " a "plausible talking fellow without brains !!" Would that all such fellows were methodist preachers, or mountebank doctors; or, any thing but politicians and regulators of armies! They are every where, when off a stage, detestable, but, that king or people who listens to them in military affairs shall rue it. The genius of war seems to say, with a voice of thunder, wce unto the nation that trusts its glory, or its defence, to the guardianship of " a plausible talking fel"low without brains !"-But, observe me well; let me not be misinterpreted; I mean not to say, or to insinuate, that General Mack is such a fellow. We can know very little of the circumstances that produced his defeat; and, as to "the-plan of the cam"paign;" as to his "not waiting for the "Russians," as to his advancing too near to the French frontiers, these writerscertainlyforget, that, previous to the receipt of the news of the defeat, they had attributed that plan and all those advanced movements solely to the

"all-commanding genius of Mr. Pitt !"— They perceive the effect of these their former representations: they are well aware of it they are all upon the alert to remove it, to wear it out of the public mind, or to disfigure the impression, if possible. With this object in view they stick at nothing. The Emperor of Austria, or, at the very least, his ministry, are involved in the censure and abuse, bestowed upon General Mack. "Those who laid down the plan of the

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campaign cannot," we are told " escape "blame;" they are said to have no more sense than General Mack; no more sense than "a talking fellow without brains;" and a clumsy story is resorted to in order to convey the idea of their being fools, without using the term directly. And, observe well (for this is the main point) all this is said, by a ministerial paper, in a defence of Mr. Pitt against the charge, the anticipated charge, of having precipitated the movemen's of the Austrians, and having, thereby, been the principal cause of their overthrow. This charge would have been made, without doubt, when parliament came to meet; for, whatever different views men might entertain as to continental connexions in general, or as to an alliance at this present time, all men who reflected must have been of Mr. Fox's opinion as to the impolicy, the extreme danger, of hurrying Austria into a war, or, as the Pittites exultingly called it, of " quickening, the alliance into action,” before Austria was duly prepared. The "voice of parliament" will not, therefore, be so forward to express its gratitude for this favour; and, indeed, it is truly shocking te contemplate the motive, to which it is but too obvious these writers attribute the war. What did they mean by saying, that, when parliament met, it would show the "grati "tude of the country," and that it would not again see with pleasure the precious "time of the ministry wasted in vexatious inquiries?" What did they mean by this? Are we to understand thent as regarding the subsidies granted and the continental war exacted merely to answer a domestic purpose! Shocking idea! Let us hope, that, here, at least, their minds have outstripped those of their superiors! [Here I must break off. The other parts of the subject, as elucidated by more recent intelligence, shall be discussed in my next.]

"

Botley, Thursday, 31st Oct. 1505.

SUMMARY OF POLITICS. CONTINENTAL WAR.---The official papers, received from France and Germany, since the date of the preceding sheet of the Register, have confirmed the truth of the melancholy intelligence before unothicially communicated to the public. These official papers will all be found in another part of the present sheet, together with some demiofficial statements, regarded as useful in forming a record of the transactions of the time. Whether there be, or be not, any exaggerations in either the official or demiofficial accounts of the French is, in this case, a matter of little consequence. We know, to our sorrow, that the army of Aus tria, about a hundred thousand strong, has been, with regard to the present war, tos lly destroyed; and, as to the consequences, we know, that the victorious enemy was! when the last intelligence came away, on his march. (and not a slow march!) towards Vienna. He may, possibly, be arrested in his progress by the combined arms of Austria and Russia; but, who can expect such an occurrance? It was, as was observed in the Register of the 20th ultimo, p. 671, evident, that, be the position of the Austrians what it might, Napoleon would assail them; it was evident, that the next battle was for his crown, and that, as was then said, it was "for something approaching very near to the crown of the House of Austria;" for, as I continue to fear, the Russians will oppose but a feeble resistance to a victorious army of a

hundred and forty thousand men. It was then supposed, that, in case of a decisive victory on the part of Napoleon, "the dan

gers on the side of the North, if they really menaced him, he would cast be"hind him, rushing forward upon the wings of vengeance, to humble, to chas

tise, to destroy, his most dreaded adver86 sary, the last remaining bar to his inor"dinate ambition." He may be stopped in his career. Without a fuller knowledge of all the circumstance of the war than we possess, it is impossible to say what probability there is of a reverse of fortune: but. to expect any thing short of a treaty of peace,

[706

signed upon the drum-head, to save the capital and the crown of Austria, does, at present, appear to be treasuring up disappointment for ourselves.-- -At such a time, and upon such a subject, it is useless, it was worse than useless, to build any thing like a system in specalation; but, as to the line of conduct, which Frussia will probably pursue, it does, seeing the sanguine hopes that prevail, appear to be necessary to offer a remark or two.--" Our

strongest hope," says the COURIER of the 4th instant, " is placed upon the im"mediate interference of Prussia. If the "reluctant confession of the French and "Dutch papers had not informed us, that "the Prussian armies were on their march,

we should have felt no doubt, that the "Cabinet of Berlin had determined upon a system of vigorous action against Buonaparté. These reverses will only quicken "and invigore. her. Our readers will recollect, it was after the account of these " sucresses of the French had been receiv"that the Prussian minister warned Prussian ships not to sail for the Dutch and French

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ports. Had he not been sure of the sys"tem of his court, had he felt the least "doubt with respect to the conduct of his

sovereign, in the event of the Austrians being defeated, he would have pansed, ha "would have waited for further instructions. "And can it be conceived for a moment "that Prussia will withdraw her troops, and "thereby prove her fear of Buonaparté ?

Can she think she would really conciliate "him by such a measure? He has already "declared Europe to be in a state of revo"Jution, and characterized himself as the "dictator. Let Prussia look to that; but

we feel confident she sees that not only "her glory, but that her interest and her

independence require her immediate in"terference. Buonaparté seems to be aware "of the inten ims of the Frussion Cabinet, "and it is on that account he is accelerating "his march and operations against Austria, "in order to compel her to sign a separate peace. But the capture of Vienna would

U

hardly, we should think, compel Austria "to sign a separate peace. If Prussia march "her armies immediately, she will be able

to do that to the French which they did to "General Mack. But every thing almost "depends upon the utmost promptitude, "dispatch, and decision."It is truly disgusting to observe the coolness, with which writers of this description talk of the misfortunes of the powers upon the Continent. "The capture of Vienna would hard

ly, we should think, compel Austria to "sign a separate peace!" Senseless assurance! The only reason why it should not compel Austria to sign a separate peace, is, that it might, possibly, annihilate, totally and for ever annihilate, that authority, which constitutes what we, when thus figuratively speaking, call Austria. But, to return to Prussia, whose hostile operations against France, will, we are told," be quickened

and invigorated by these reverses;" I, for my part, retain my formerly expressed opinion. "If things go well on the Danube, "" we shall have Prussia for an ally; if they 66 go ill, it is to be feared, that Lord Har"rowby and Mr. Hammond will preach in "vain; for, if the Austrians be complete

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ly defeated, it is to be believed, that all "the bank notes that ever were printed in "Threadneedle-street will make one Prus"sian soldier shoulder his musket?" The COURIER asks: " can it be conceived for a moment, that Prussia will withdraw her troops, and thereby prove her fear of Buonaparté?" Yes. I conceive it, and I believe it; and, I should be glad to be convinced that I ought not to believe it. No: it was not after the intelligence of "these reverses" that the Prussian minister issued his notification as to the ships of that power; and, if it were, that circumstance would be very far indeed from warranting the inference that has been drawn from it. I may be deceived. The reader will do well not to rely upon what I state as a mere opinion; but, if, after what has happened upon the Danube, Prussia should join in open hostility against France, my surprise will be great indeed. We are told of the bitter complaints of the court of Berlin relative to the violation of the neutrality of Anspach. Those who mean to fight do not usually content themselves with complaining; and, besides, these complaints bear date, it seems, on the 14th ultimo, several days previous to the defeat of the Austrian army.To speculate, however, upon what will happen is a waste of time with us, whom it behoves to reflect on the past, and, having discovered the cause, to endeavour to remove that cause,

"The mind," says the ministerial hirelings, "his scarcely yet recovered sufficient calm"ness to take an impartial view of the

events that have occured; events which "have disappointed the expectation of every man in the country, and which no ad"mirer, no, not the most sanguine admirer "of Buonaparte himself, could have been "prepared to expect."-No; they have not disappointed the expectation of every man. They have not disappointed any one of those, who agreed in opinion with Mr. Fox; for, read his speech of the 21st of June last, and say if he did not, with perfect accuracy, foretell what has now come to pass. Have the readers of the

of

Register been "disappointed by those events?" If they have, they have shut their ears against the voice of truth and reason; for, has it not, from the first, and all along, been shewn, that no good could be expected from the present hasty and crude coalition? Was there not the objection to it, that Mr. Pitt was the grand mover, on the part of England; he who never succeeded in any measure of war or of peace? He, during whose administration, the power of France and the debt of England have been more than doubled? He, the father of the Catamaran and Parish-Army projects? Must not that man be a dolt indeed, whose expectations of good from such a minister have been disappointed?-The insinuation, that all those who did not expect good from this Pitt and Melville undertaking (for that is its proper appellation); the insinuation that all such persons are "admirers of Buonaparté"

is just what one would expect, at this time particularly, from the partizans of Mr. Pitt and his Colleague. What a pity for them! what a lamentable thing, that there are no Corresponding or other political Societies, towards whom they might turn the attention of the public! Can none be found? Can nothing disloyal be found out, whence to trace the opinions of those who expected that the professed object of the continental war would not be accomplished? Can it not, some how or other, be made out treason, or, at least, sedition, not to have been disappointed at the successes of Buonaparte? Miserable hirelings! And is it by devices like this, that you hope to stifle inquiry! Do you imagine, that we are to be deterred from exercising our judgment and expressing our opinions as to the events of the war, lest (those opinions being unfavourable to the measures of the ministers) you should ascribe to us sentiments in favour of the enemy ?The most important part of this subject is, that which relates to the cause of the recent