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nitely poorer persons in their own? Will they reward their seditious adherents amongst us?-Yes, they will reward them as all history informs us such traitors ever have been rewarded-they will reward them with contempt, pillage, beggary, slavery and death. The nation will be ruined by exorbitant impositions our naval power will be destroyed our commerce transferred to France-our lands will be divided (not amongst those who wickedly covet their neighbours' goods), but amongst French soldiers, who will be every where stationed, as the Roman soldiers were of old, to awe the people and collect the taxes the flower of our youth will be compelled to serve in foreign countries, to promote the wicked projects of French ambition-Great Britain will be made an appendage to continental despotism.

: I would say to the most violent Democrat in the kingdom-Suppose the business done: after seas of blood have been shed, millions of lives lost, towns plundered, villages burned, the Royal Family exterminated, and unutterable calamity has been endured by persons of all ranks :-after all this has been done, what advantages will you have obtained beyond what you now possess? Will your property be better protected? Will your personal liberty be more respected? Will our code of jurisprudence be improved? Will our laws be more impartially administered ?Quite the contrary of all this now takes place in France. I do not say that when things are settled there, the present wretched condition of its inhabitants will be continued, and I hope it will not; but I am sincerely of opinion, that few of us will live to see such a system established in France as will procure to its inhabitants half the blessings which our ancestors have enjoyed,

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which we do enjoy, and which it is our interest to take care that our posterity shall enjoy, under the constitution of Great Britain.

FRENCH TREACHERY

IN SWITZERLAND.

TIE wanton and unprovoked barbarity, with which Switzerland was attacked by the French in 1798, is too well known, and the English nation has too deeply commiserated the situation to which the brave Helvetii have been reduced, to make it necessary again to bring those scenes of horror to public view; yet, in the present situation of this country, when threatened with an invasion from the same unprincipled and inveterate enemy; a few circumstances, perhaps not generally known, cannot have too much publicity.

The French, for a long time before they entered Switzerland, sent emissaries over all that country to sow discord, dissention and mistrust, and to disseminate their invidious principles among the people; they succeeded but too effectually with some, but the great→ est part of the inhabitants remaining firmly attached to their liberties and to their laws, were determined not to survive the loss of either. The French' pretended, at first, to aim only at changing the Constitution of the Canton of Berne, and to wage war against what they termed the aristocracy of that Canton, professing the greatest friendship to the others, and to the people at large, offering them protection, and what they were pleased to term true Liberty! Some of the Cantons were thus lulled into security, and did not afford that assistance which they ought to have done; so that the whole force of the Swiss army did not exceed

$0,000 men. These men, however, though composed only of the militia of the country, were full of zeal, and eager to encounter the enemy. The most judicious dispositions were made by their venerable leader, General d'Erlach, then upwards of seventy years of age. At the same time, the French General, Brune, was advancing with his army, still pretending to negociate, still offering peace, protection and friendship. At last, it was agreed by the senate of Berne, that the General should attack the French line; every preparation was made for that purpose; the day, the hour, was fixed, and the attack had actually been made by the right wing and attended with success, when the treacherous and unprincipled Frenchman sent to the Senate to request an armistice for three days, under pretence that he had offers to make which could not be rejected. armistice was unfortunately agreed upon much against General d'Erlach's wish, and to the discontent of the army, who began to suspect that they were betrayed by their leaders. Lulled into security, many of the soldiers had even returned to their homes; and the very next morning, before day-break, the infamous Le Brune attacked the Swiss in all directions. Taking them unawares, they were obliged to retreat; they rallied again and again, and it was but on the third day of an almost uninterrupted battle, that they were dispersed and defeated. Enraged at their defeat, these brave men, prompted by the insinuations of the French themselves, that they had been betrayed by their officers, massacred several of them, amongst whom was the brave and veteran d'Erlach, whose innocence was

This

afterwards fully proved, as well as that of every other officer of the army.

The conflict was terrible, and the loss on both sides very great. Three hundred Swiss, all young men, who had sworn to conquer or die together, having taken possession of a pass which they had orders to defend, overpowered by numbers, were all, to a man, either killed or drowned in an adjacent lake. Six hundred brave women were found killed on the field of battle, after having fought by the side of their husbands or their brothers. A father, two sons, and a daughter were found dead upon a catinon they had bravely defended.

The loss of the French must have been immense, if we may judge from the state of one of their regiments of cavalry, who, on passing through Lausanne, was 850 men strong, and on their return through the same town, only amounted to 156.

The first Swiss General that bled in

his country's cause was named Le Gros. In honour of his heroism, a young lady in London wrote the following verses, which, I trust, will not be unacceptable to your readers.

ANTI-GALLICUS.

* LE GROS' GHOST.

PENSIVE by the glimmering taper,

While the March winds loudly blow, And the storm, with blasting vapour, Drives along the fleecy snow; Sat I, musing on the dangers

Which environ us around, From receiving Gallic strangers, And some English faithless found. A form majestic rose before me, Hack'd with the sabre's cruel stroke; Sudden chills at once fell o'er me.? Faint, yet vauntingly I spoke

Le Gros, the Swiss general, eighty years old, was killed at the head of the army.

VOL. I.

H

• What

What art thou who thus appals me,
Wherefore dost thou thus appear?
Wretched spectre, vanish from me!
Know, I was not born to fear.-

♦ I come not, mortal, to affright you,
Hearken to a tale of woe;
Alas! my story can't delight you,
I'm the ghost of dead Le Gros.

Old Le Gros now stands before ye,

Listen or my powers may fail; Mark, oh mark! the piteous story,

And to thy country tell the tale. Insulted was my peaceful nation

By the French, that barbarous crew! Torn by grief, and sad vexation,

To their arms my country flew.

On that + plain, where once so gallant,

"We fought and conquer'd Charles
tha bold;

On that plain we still were valiant;
There three thousand men lie cold.

Did ambition ever fire us ?

Returning inj'ries we were slow,
Till our country's wrongs inspir'd us,
Then bravely fighting, died
Le Gros.

No riches had we for their plunder,
Our lives supported by our hands ;
Our country's peace they tear asun-
der,
ravage

And

all our fertile lands.

Our brave § youth, with hearts high beating,

Swore to keep the dangerous pass;

Not a man but secrn'd retreating,
There the lie, a mingled mass.

Puvenge, revenge the wrong'd Hel

vetia!

Prove your blood and courage high; Britons, when they sail to meet you, Seize the saitis, let them die.

My wan shade shall hover o'er you,
Mighty masters of the sea ;
Sailors, when they fly before you,
Point
your guns, and think on me.

Glorious English take no quarter
When you meet th' insulting foe;
Better steep your swords in slaughter,

Better fall, like Old Le Gros.

Valiant soldiers, on their landing, Rush upon th' insidious foe; English soldiers, firmly standing,

Point your musket for Le Gros.

Gallant horsemen, scorn their number,

Like light'ning give each nervous
blow,

For my spirit cannot slumber
Till you've avenged old Le Gros.

Generous Britons, haste to meet

them,

Your noble hearts with honour

glow;

Your strong arms are doom'd to BEAT them

And revenge the dead Le Gros" !

On the same plain was fought a battle, 22d June, 1476, between Charles the Bold, duke of Burgundy, and the Swiss, in which the latter were victorious.

+ The Swiss did all they could to preserve their neutrality, yet Mr. Neckar advised them

to the contrary.

A band of young men were resolved to keep the pass or die. They were all killed.

The ancient name of Switzerland.

>

VOTE OF THANKS

TO THE

VOLUNTEERS.

THE spirit and promptitude displayed by the multitudes of BRITONS, who have voluntarily associated in defence of the threatened Rights of their Country, have been made the subject of Parliamentary Commendation; and after an inte resting debate in the HOUSE OF COMMONS, on Wednesday the 10th of August, it was RESOLVED unanimously, on the motion of Mr. Sheridan;

"That the THANKS of this HOUSE be given to the several VOLUNTEER CORPS of the United KINGDOM, for the promptitude with which, at a crisis the most momentous to their country, they have associated for its defence."

It was RESOLVED also, in order that the patriotic example of such voluntary exertions may be committed to posterity; "That a return be made to this HOUSE of all VOLUNTEER CORPS, properly distinguishing those whose services shall have been accepted by his Majesty previous to the next meeting of Parliament, in order that the same may be entered on the JOURNALS OF THIS House.”

The following animated Review of Foreign and Domestic POLITICS, appeared in the Mirror of the Times (Sunday August the 14th) two days after the Prorogation of Parliament.

PARLIAMENT has at length retired from its labours, and we have to congratulate both Houses, and the country at large, on the wisdom, the promptitude, and the efficiency of the measures, particularly those calculated for the national defence, which have been canvassed in their debates and sanctioned by their votes. They have confined

themselves to a line of conduct admirably suited to the crisis in which we are placed, and no less adapted to strike the Corsican with terror and dismay, than to diffuse through every part of the British Empire, whether near or remote, increased confidence and spirit. The Vote of Thanks passed by the Commons to the Volunteer and Yeomanry Corps is, notwithstanding the frivolous objections started by some captious in

dividuals, a tribute of gratitude and encouragement to which the gallant defenders of their country possess every claim that can emanate from true patriotism. It is in fact a dignified me'morial of the ardour and readiness of the people to meet and triumph over a cruel and perfidious enemy; it must impart to the coldest bosoms a zeal in the common cause which they might not otherwise have felt, and it will be transmitted to distant times as a glorious record for our posterity to admire and imitate, should they be threatened with similar dangers.

We can say with pride and confidence that never has there occurred an instance of so much zeal, fervour, and devotion for the public good, as that which dis◄ tinguishes and ennobles the present moment. The LOVE of our COUNTRY, that pure source of every great and virtuous action, pervades and animates all classes and descriptions of the community. We witness its effects in every part. It invigorates the wisdom of our

Coun

Councils; it inspires with a just sense of exertion and activity our County, City, and Parochial Meetings; it gives new force to the eloquence of religion; the venerable oracles of the Law propagate it in every corner of the kingdom where their duty calls them to administer justice; it blends with all our public amusements; it cheers domestic society; and beauty is heightened, when decorated with its symbols. In short, it has given the country the very tone which fits it for superior enterprize, which makes BONAPARTE tremble while he threatens, and qualifies Englishmen to tell him and his hosts to come and be conquered.

Prepared then as we are, to confront every danger which may threaten our constitution and our dearest interests, we should never dismiss from our minds the important consideration, that it is to ourselves alone we must be indebted for the re-establishment of tranquillity, and the attainment of an ho nourable and permanent peace. The absurdity of placing any reliance on the mediation of Russia, Austria, or Prussia, is too obvious to require illustration. After the shameful apathy with which these powers have witnessed the fresh insults and aggressions of France, can there be any man so besotted as not to know that nothing just or honourable can be expected from their interference? Our best, and indeed our only friends, are our resolution and our strength. We must owe our salvation to the vigour of our own protection. In the prosecution of this plan we have, no doubt, many sacrifices to make, many privations to undergo; but is it not better to incur, for a short period, a great inconvenience, than to be exposed, for a long space of time, to what in the onset would be comparatively lighter, but which, by continually increasing

in weight, would ultimately become a burthen too heavy for us to bear? The actual conjuncture of affairs forms an æra which must perpetuate our glory, and consolidate our happiness, or blot us for ever from the map of nations.

In the contest which we now wage, single-handed, with France, and which is, in reality, a defensive, colonial, and naval war, we want no allies, we wish for no allies, and the means it might be necessary to afford them, must now be all concentered in our government, and give a proportionate increase of energy to our own exertions. If, however, the despotism and boundless ambition of BONAPARTE should, and it does not appear altogether improbable, excite a firm and decided confederacy against France, which may promise the emancipation of the Continent, our assistance would not be misapplied in giving vigour to an alliance, which might, with more promptitude, lead to a permanent period of peace,

From the state of war, evils of the first magnitude are inseparable, and the struggle in which we are engaged, does not promise to be marked by forbearance, or the want of daring enterprize on the part of the enemy; but we have the consolation of seeing the noblest and most cheering display of public spirit. All ranks evince an unshaken disposi tion to resist the encroachments of a foreign tyrant on the rights, the liber ties, and the property of the nation, unmingled with those effusions of violence which are sometimes the result of exaggerated hope, or the fore-runners of deep despair. This disposition can only be maintained by a conduct ́that must secure to it the uniform flow of public opinion. All persons must continue convinced, that the conflict in which they are involved, is just, honourable, inevitable; that the govern

ment,

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