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disagreeable necessity of owning to you the sacrifices which we have made, in order to hasten our march. The last three days' march has cost the army two-thirds of its artillery. Yesterday 400 horses perished, and to-day, perhaps, twice as many. Some times, all the horses that were drawing a carriage perished at once. Several carriages were even furnished three times with fresh sets. The sufferings, during the last three days, have so dispirited the soldiers, that I think them unable to make any effort. Many have died with hunger and cold: others, being driven to desperation, suffer themselves to be taken by the enemy."-In the mean time, a variety of engagements had taken place, not only in the line of the retreat of the main army, but at Witepsk, Polotsk, &c., in all of which the French appear to have been beaten, with great loss, Witepsk and Polotsk were retaken. On the 9th of November, Beauharnois' corps was attacked and beaten, with great slaughter: 3000 prisoners and 62 pieces of cannon were taken. About the 14th of November, Bonaparte abandoned Smolensk, and collected his remaining force at Krasnoi. There he was attacked by Marshal Kutusoff, on the 16th. The conflict was long and severe, but it ended in the defeat of the French, and the capture of upwards of 9000 prisoners. At the close of the battle, Bonaparte, who had been an eyewitness of it, fled with his suite across the Dnieper. The attack was renewed by Kutusoff, on the following day, when, after a comparatively feeble struggle, 12,000 men laid down their arms. Miusk being in possession of the Russians, the remains of the French force, together with Bonaparte himself, took the road to Wilna, closely followed and dreadfully harassed by the Cossacks. The latest Russian accounts reach only to the 24th of November, and it appears by them that considerable advantages continued to be obtained. The Russian headquarters were then at Orsa.

Having thus pursued the course of the Russian intelligence, we turn, with pleasure, to that which is furnished by Bonaparte himself, and which more than confirms the hostile narrative. The last of his Bulletins which we have had occasion to notice, was the 25th. The 26th and 27th Bulletins, dated respectively the 23d and 27th of October, contain nothing worthy of observation. The 28th Bulletin is dated at Smolensk, the 11th of November, and is very sparing of intelligence. It is evidently intended, however, to prepare men's

minds for the account of further disasters. "The weather was very fine uß to the 6th, but on the 7th winter began. The ground is covered with snow. The roads have become very slippery, and very difficult for carriage horses. We have lost many men by cold and fatigue. Night bivouackings are very injurious to them. The Cossacks, like the Arabs, hover on the flanks, and fly about to annoy."After a long interval, the 29th Bulletin has appeared. It is dated on the Sd of December, at a small place about 70 miles east of Wilna. It repeats the information that the cold weather began on the 7th of November, and that numbers of men and horses died daily in consequence. "How ever hard it appeared," he says, " to put himself in movement during so cruel a season, the new state of things demanded it. The cold suddenly increased. The roads were covered with ice; the cavalry, artillery, and baggage horses perished every night, not only by hundreds, but by thousands. In a few days, more than 30,000 horses perished. It was necessary to abandon and destroy a good part of our cannon, ammunition and provisions. The army, so fine on the 6th, was very different on the 14th-almost without cavalry, without artillery, without transports." Their situation he describes as "miserable.”— "Those men whom nature had not sufficiently steeled to be above all the chances of fate and fortune, appeared shook, lost their gaiety. their good humour, and dreamed but of misfortunes and catastrophe." "The enemy, who saw on the roads traces of that frightful calamity which had overtaken the French army, endeavoured to take advantage of it. He surrounded all the columns with his Cos. sacks, who carried off like Arabs in the deserts the trains and carriages which separated." The Bulletin omits all mention of the battles fought at Krasnoi, and of those that preceded them. It details, however, a number of engagements between the 24th of November and the 3d of December, in which the advantage is uniformly asserted to have been with the French. Some aukward admissions, however, are made, which shew that the ut most extent of the advantage could have been no more than that of merely withstanding numerous and reiterated attacks which continued to be made upon them. They were forced, it appears, literally to fight their way from the Dnieper to Molodetshno, the place from which the 29th Bulletin is dated; and if they made any progress at all in their retreat, that progress was effected chiefly by having deceived the enemy by different

movements." Bonaparte has the candour to state, that on the 27th a whole brigade of bis army, mistaking its way and benumbed with cold, was surrounded and taken. This cruel mistake, he adds, must have cost 2000 indutry, 300 cavalry, and three pieces of cannon. On the 28th a severe battle is stated to have been fought, in which the Russians lost, 6000 prisoners. This victory, it seems, was obtained notwithstanding the miserable condition to which the army was reduced.→→→ "without cavalry, deficient of ammunition, and horribly fatigued by 50 days' march, carrying in its train all the sick and wounded of so many battles, and greatly in need of getting to its magazines." And yet, with a strange inconsistency, he states this very victory to have been achieved by his cavalry. The remainder of the Bulletin, which is very long, states repose to be of the first necessity to the army, and that it stands in need of re-. establishing its discipline, and restoring its cavalry and artillery. We trust that the repose which is described as so necessary will not be allowed to his army, if any army yet remain, which we doubt; but that the Rus sians will follow up their gallant efforts, until they have secured the repose of Europe by its entire annihilation.,

To shew how completely his cavalry had been destroyed, Bonaparte states, that it was necessary to collect the officers who had still a horse remaining, in order to form a corps of 600 men, in which generals acted as captains, and colonels as subalterns; and this, sacred band did not lose sight of the EmHe marched peror's person for a moment.

in the middle of them, and circumstances always were such as never to require them. to be engaged. The meaning of all this is pretty plain. Bonaparte did not dare to trust his person with the soldiery, mutinous from the severity of their suffering. He therefore formed to himself a body guard of officers. And this accounts also for the immense disproportion of officers taken by the, Russians in the late battles, amounting to not more than an officer to each 130 men.

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But what has become of Bonaparte himself? The same Moniteur which contained the above important Bulletin, has answered this question. He arrived at Paris about midnight on the 18th of December. Two days after the date of his 29th Bulletin, viz. on the 5th of December, he delivered over the command of the remains of his suffering army to Murat, his head-quarters being then at Smorgeny, about fifty miles from Wilna; and shronding himself under a feigned name, travelled in a single sledge through Wilna and Warsaw to Dresden, whence he pur

sued his journey, still in disguise, through Leipsic and Mentz to Paris.

After reading these accounts, and connecting with them the surreptitious Blight of Bonaparte, we cannot divest ourselves of the belief that the wretched remnant of the French army is destined to lay down its arins at the feet of the pursuing enemy. But be that as it may, we shall still look for the happiest results, to the peace and prosperity of the civilized world, from the signal reverse of fortune which this grand enemy to the world's repose has experienced. The annihilation of so large a military force can be no neutral event; and whether it operates by leading him to withdraw his troops from Spain, in order to furnish him with the means we will not say of maintaining the field against Russia, but of preventing the revolt of those vassal states which intervene between her and Frauce; or even of preserving tranquillity in France itself, while he renews his ruined armies by fresh levies ;or whether it produce in him (an issue far less likely) a sincere desire for peace in the spirit of peace-in either case, much will have been gained. But we will not detain our readers with speculations, which a short time will either realize or prove vain. We would rather call them to adore, in the awful dispensations which we have witnessed, the Divine judgments; and while they are thus visibly abroad in the earth, may we and all the inhabitants of it learn righteousness!

The Russian fleet has arrived safe in the river Thames.

SPAIN.

Lord Wellington reached his old position in the neighbourhood of Ciudad Rodrigo, on the 19th of November. During the greatest part of his retreat, he was in presence of an immensely superior force, consisting of 80,000 infantry, and 10,000 cavalry, which availed itself of every opportunity of harassing his troops. So judicious, however, were his Lordship's dispositions, that no serious impression could be made by the enemy; and though his troops suffered much from fatigue, yet the total loss of the British and Portuguese, in killed, wounded, and missing, between the 22d of October and the 12th of November, did not amount to one thousaud men. The missing were only two hundred and fifty, many of whom have since rejoined their regiments. Never, it is believed, did retreat exhibit more consummate military skill. As was foreseen, the French force which had been accumulated in the hope of overwhelming Lord Wellington by one great effort, finding its object defeated,

was under the necessity of speedily separat ing, in order to find the means of subsistence. Almost the whole of it has re-crossed the Tormes, and it is confidently said, that a part of it, if not the whole, has since been recalled into France. Lord Wellington, it was expected, would again advance into the interior of Spain. A considerable Spanish force, under Castanos, had joined him. Lord W. Bentinck has taken the command of the united British and Sicilian force at Alicant, amounting to 18,000 men, and, it is said, will have this force augmented by about 20,000 Spaniards, under General Elio and the Duke del Parque.

UNITED STATES.

We had it in our powes, at the very close of our last Number, to state the defeat of the American army, in a second attempt to invade Canada. The American account of the transaction has since been published. It leaves the statements of our Generals wholly unimpeached, but it serves to throw the air of the ludicrous over the military efforts of America, by unfolding the secret causes which produced this fresh mishap. The troops first forced their General to advance within the British territory, by their clamorous entreaties to be led to battle. When the advanced guard, however, is fairly committed, the courage of the remainder suddenly cools, and they refuse to march to its support. They find, unexpectedly, that there is danger in advancing; that there is something more to be done than robbing the farmer's yards of their pigs and poultry; that there are English men with bayonets, and Indians with rifles and battle-axes, on the opposite side of the boundary river, who are already making their companions repent their temerity in having crossed it. It would, therefore, have been a most unpatriotic act, to have put to risk any larger portion of their country's force. A sad blunder of some brave sea, or rather lake lieutenant comes most oppor tunely in aid of this gallaut determination. All the oars which were to transport the boats across the river, he had prudently put into his own boat, we suppose, to prevent their being stolen; but either forgetting the circumstance in his ardour to reach the onemy, or heroically wishing to share the danger alone, he departs to the opposite side, and appears no more. The wise caution of the rear-guard is thus made no longer voluntary, but necessary. The American General nevertheless affirms, that the victory was, in fact, on his side, though he unfortunately missed reaping it through these perverse

Occurrences.

CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 132.

Congress met on the 4th of November. The message of the President seems to shut out the hope we were anxious to cherish, of an accommodation of our differences. The conduct of the war on the British frontier is first alluded to, as a subject which is to be investigated by a military tribunal. The invasion of Canada having failed, means will be taken to gain an ascendency on the lakes by a naval force, in order to ensure a control over the savages. He next adverta to the refusal of the States of Massachusets and Connecticut, to furnish their quota of militia towards the defence of their maritime frontier, founded on, what he calls, an unfortunate exposition of the provisions of the constitution. He then takes great comfort from the capture of an English frigate; an event, certainly, which ought not to have furnished him with the means of vary ing the generally sombre tone of his speech. He proposes to add another frigate or two to the American navy, and to adopt laws and regulations which shall retrieve the present disorders in the army, and render it efficient. In alluding to the revocation of the Orders in Council by Great Britain, he strangely cavils at the alleged repeal of the Berlin and Milan Decrees being made the ground of this proceeding; for it seems there are objections to that repeal. So that, after insisting upon it, through a long series of negotiations, that we were bound by this act of the French Government to revoke our decrees, and actually going to war with us because we hesitated to admit this doctrine, we no sooner yield to his remonstrances than he turns round and tells us that the act, which he had done all he could to force down our throats, was objectionable, that is, invalid; in short, that he had been playing upon us what is vulgarly called a hoax. There is something as ludicrous in this proceeding, as in the conduct of the Canadian campaign; and both might incline us to laugh, were they not big with so many miseries to mankind. The only point which, even from the President's statement, seems to stand in the way of peace-in other words, the only existing cause of war—is the impressment of British seamen from American ships. The demand of America is, that we shall not take even British seamen from American ships, lest in so doing we should impress Americans; alleging also that this has been actually done in a variety of instances; and she proposes, as a substitute, to pass a law to prevent the employment of British seamen in American merchantmen. We, on the other hand, say, that we cannot forego

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the right (a right fully admitted by every civilian) of appropriating the services of our own seamen, wherever we find them; that if we should, our navy would soon be unmanned; that at the same time we are will ing to adopt regulations which shall prevent American subjects from being impressed, although we deny that such cases have frequently occurred; and when they have, they have instantly been redressed. We trust that the good sense of the American nation will perceive, that while this question is one of vital importance to us, it is one which is not worth to them one hour's expense of the blood and treasure which their Government is about to lavish upon it. But, in truth, this question is but the mere pretext; it never can be the real cause of war. The true cause, we have no doubt, will be found in the hatred of the reigning party to England, and their attachment to France; and in their hope to wrest from us Canada and the West Indies, and, perhaps, a part of South America from the Spaniards; and to supplant us also in the maritime commerce of the world. Let us hope that these things will shortly be seen in America in their true light. Indeed, the more enlightened part of the American public already see the matter in this light, and are labouring to open the eyes of their countrymen to the true nature of this foolish and wicked war. A work, called the American Review; an admirable pamphlet, writ ten by a New-England Fartner; an Address of the Minority of Congress to their Constituents, stating at length their reasons for opposing the Declaration of War-all of which have been re-published in this country-are calculated to produce a very powerful effect on the public mind. We recommend them to all who have any doubts as to the injustice of the war which has been declared against us by America.

It may be gratifying to our readers to have an opportunity of seeing what are the sentiments entertained of this war by the religious part of the American public. With that view we will lay before them a few extracts from a sermon preached on a fast-day by the well-known Dr. Jedidiah Morse, the author of American Geography, and one of the main pillars of sound evangelical religion in New England. "The calamity," he says, "on account of which specially this day of fasting and prayer has been appointed, is the war, in which it has pleased the Almighty Ruler of this world, in his righteous Providence, to permit us to be engaged;' a war unusually afflicting and portentous of evils to our country, because waged against the nation from which we are descended,'

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and therefore unnatural, and nearly resem bling a civil war, which of all others is the most affrontive to Heaven, and the most distressing to the finest and best feelings of our nature. A war, it is added, in the procla mation, against a nation, which for many generations has been the bulwark of the religion we profess;' yes, let me add, against a nation which is still the bulwark of this religion, and which has done for years past, and is still doing, under Providence, more than all other nations besides for its defence, and its propagation through the world.—A nation which embosoms a great multitude of devout men and women, precious pledges of her safety, and formidable for her defence against all her assailants; whose prayers, like a cloud of incense, daily ascend up before the throne of God for protection;-against such a nation as this, sheltered behind the shield of Omnipotence, our rulers have been permitted, in the righteous providence and displeasure of God, to engage our country, not in a defensive, but offensive war.”

In another place he observes: "The na tion, it cannot and should not be concealed, is divided concerning this war. Multitudes, among the most competent to form a judg ment on the subject, consider it as an unjust, unnecessary and ruinous war; without a definite or attainable object: a war, the tendency of which, if not the design, is to inflame our resentments against a Christian nation, among whom are the sepulchres and ashes of our ancestors, and with whom we ought on every principle, to endeavour to live in peace; a nation that is manfully strug gling for existence, and the protection of the small portion of liberty which remains in the old world; and to throw us into the fatal embraces of the tyrant of Europe, the insatiable devourer of every republic on earth, except our own:-a war, in the opinion of many, which a Christian nation cannot pursue, without incurring the awful stain of blood guiltiness. With such views, how can good men, how can Christians, give this war their sanction and support, or offer their prayers for its success? What good man, indeed, who has a mind capable of comprebending the consequences of success in this war, on our part, in the extent that is contemplated by at least some, who are its advocates, would not deprecate it as one of the most awful calamities that could befal the world?-But a nation so divided, so totally unprepared for war, as ours, were our cause even a just one, could not reasonably hope for success.

"What then are we to expect from the con

test in which we are engaging, but the ruin of our commerce, the depreciation and abandonment of estates, now among the most valuable, in our commercial towns; the sa crifice of an immense property of our citizens, which is now in foreign countries, beyond our control, or on the ocean; the loss of our little navy and brave seamen; the destruction of the lives of multitudes of our young men; a vast increase of national debt, and heavy taxes, without the means of paying them; disunion, alienations, animosities, insurrections, and civil war, among ourselves; and worst of all, an alliance with France, an event to be seriously apprehended, and more to be deprecated than any which my imagination can conceive, the evils of which, if we are to judge from the state of the European republics, comprehended in her em

GREAT

PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS.

THE Prince Regent opened the new Parliament, in person, with a Speech, in which, after adverting at some length to the conduct of the war in Spain, to the gallant contest maintained by Russia against the military power of France and its numerous allies, to the proof of confidence given by the Emperor of Russia in sending his fleets to the ports of this country, and to the new circumstances of Sicily, he comes to the war with America; regrets that the conduct and pretensions of that Government should have prevented a pacific arrangement; states that their attempts to invade Canada, or to seduce the Canadians from their allegiance have both proved abortive; and assures the House that his best efforts will not be wanting to restore peace between the two countries; but that, until that be done without sacrificing the maritime rights of Great Britain, he relies on the support of Parliament in a vigorous prosecution of the war. The affairs of India are then recommended to the early attention of Parliament; and satisfaction is expressed at the good effects which have resulted from the measures adopted in the last session to repress the spirit of outrage which had appeared in some parts of the country. The Address which was voted in answer to this speech was carried without opposition. It gave occasion, however, to some discussions, from which it appeared that Lord Wellesley and Mr. Canning were disposed to charge ministers with not having made the requisite and practicable efforts for ensuring a continuance of success on the Peninsula, and preventing the retreat to which Lord Welling

brace, no one can contemplate without horror and dismay. My soul indeed sickens, and is ready to die within me, when I meditate on the scenes, which in all human probability must be soon realized in our country, should this fatal war be persisted in, by the parties now engaged. Viewing things in this light, as I honestly do, and placed here as your spiritual watchman, I should be highly criminal, I could not answer it to my conscience, nor to my God, to my country, nor to posterity, if I did not blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm from this sanctuary; if I did not with my fellowwatchmen, weep between the porch and the altar, and with them cry,-Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen, (and worse than heathen) should rule over them.' ” BRITAIN.

ton had been compelled by the superior force of France.

Parliament have voted 100,000). for the purchase of the manor of Wellington, uow on sale, to be settled on the Marquis Wellington and his heirs, whether male or female, for ever, and to remain attached to the title of Wellington, as Blenheim does to that of Marlborough. This is no more than that great man has well earned at the nation's hands. His genius has given a new aspect to the world; and while it has frustrated the mad ambition of Bonaparte in the Peninsula, it has communicated an impulse even to the extremity of Europe. We are assured by the highest authority, that the very plan pursued by Russia, in her successful resistance to the aggression of France, was a plan suggested by Lord Wellington, in a letter to the Emperor Alexander, and to which that monarch steadily adhered. Its wisdom is no longer problematical.—It is not one of the least benefits conferred on the world by means of Lord Wellington, that he has dissolved the spell, by which the opinion of the military superiority of France had bound the nations. He has shewn himself more than a match for their most distinguished commanders; and, if the difficulties with which he has had to contend be taken into the account, we have no hesitation in saying, that he has equalled, if not surpassed, in heroic achievement, the greatest captain of this or of any preceding age.

We have great pleasure also in recording, that Parliament have voted a sum of 200,0001. to be applied to the relief of the Russian population, who have suffered hy the burning of Moscow, and the other cala

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