Page:Repository of Arts, Series 1, Volume 01, 1809, January-June.djvu/43

 Count Stahremburgh applied for his passport and left the country. In both the overture of Count Stahremburgh and the offer of Russia to mediate after the treaty of Tilsit (in which a month was the time specified for England to express her assent), Bonaparte seemed to adopt a tone more resembling a summons to the garrison of a besieged city, than a proposal of sincere peace to a great and equal power. If ministers had discovered an eagerness to welcome proposals offered in such a tone, they would have compromised the honour and security of the country; for every Briton must feel, that there could be neither honour nor security in any treaty which implied a superiority in our enemy. He had some grounds for assuming a tone of superiority over those continental nations which he had conquered, but certainly not towards this country, over which no triumph had been obtained. The conduct of ministers on these occasions was arraigned in parliament by some of their opponents, who seemed to think peace upon any terms desirable, and who appeared to be so dazzled with the genius of Bonaparte, and the splendour of his successes, as to consider him invincible. The present ministers, however, in this most alarming crisis, did not despair of the fortunes of their country, and the result has already justified their hopes. There can be no doubt that the prospects of this country and of Europe are brighter than they were at the close of the year 1807, or than they would have been if England had condescended to accept what Bonaparte had been pleased to dictate under the name of peace.

The principal events which mark the history of they year 1808, are the attempts made by the Emperor of Russia (under the dictation of Bonaparte) to subjugate Sweden, the attempts of Bonaparte to make himself absolute master of Spain, the expulsion of the French troops from Portugal, the incorporation of the Papal territories and Tuscany with the French empire, the armaments in Austria, and the revolutions in Turkey. The general result of these operations has been, that Russia in a whole year has not been able to conquer Sweden, or advance beyond the province of Finland; while, on the other hand, she has lost a fleet at Lisbon, and has been defeated in a naval action in the Baltic. The French Emperor, who governed Spain completely by his influence, has put every thing to hazard in order to obtain the appearance only of a more complete and absolute dominion over that country: in this attempt he has experienced great losses, and whatever may be the final issue of it, it appears almost certain, that Spanish America, and probably the Spanish navy, will be withdrawn from his influence; while Spain will, for many years, whether victorious or beaten, employ a considerable portion of his armies. On the side of Austria and Turkey, Europe appears to have gained considerably in strength during the year. Austria has at length learned in the school of adversity, that regular armies are not sufficient to save a country from such an enemy as Bonaparte. The Emperor of Austria has appealed to the spirit of his people, and they have answered his utmost wishes. By the immense levies which have been made, and the organization