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rences of which the third book of the history of our own times is concluded, will be rendered memorable by the death of two of the most distinguished statesmen this country ever produced. In the advantages of birth and fortune, they were equal in eloquence, dissimilar in their manner, but superior to all their contemporaries; in influence upon the minds of their hearers, unrivalled; in talents and reputation, dividing the nation into two parties; in probity, above suspicion; in patriotism, as in all things else, rivals. Whatever the spirit of party, in the ardour of contention, may have suggested to the contrary, their opposition was a constitutional struggle for power, to which each had pretensions that must have borne the palm from any other man of his time.

one session of parliament, that, which the eloquence of Mr. Pitt had not been able in eighteen years to accomplish.

Upon the French revolution, and the coalition of the European powers against France, it is but candid to believe, that the difference between these great men was one of real political opinion. As far as it was a measure of mere foreign policy, the one was tempted to the course he pursued, by the flattering hope of increasing the military power of Britain, and extending her influence upon the continent. At the same time, this policy afforded a counteraction to the spirit of reform, which at that period so much embarrassed him at home, and which, had he not suppressed by occupying the public attention with foreign war, and by strong and unusual measures of domestic coercion, would certainly have effected a reform in the commons' house of parliament, by means, which, in his opinion, would have endangered the true equipoise of our mixed form of government. The other was led to observe more profoundly the consequences of an attack upon the infant republic of France; and, knowing that the coalition was composed, as indeed all coalitions are, of powers jealous of each other, and that England neither possessed a great military establishment, nor, at that time, a Marlborough to give an ascendency to a small one, justly predicted that the conflict must tend to render France a nation of soldiers, who would become the masters of the continent.

At the commencement of Mr. Pitt's long administration, to which he succeeded by one of those court maneuvres which have been practised in all countries, Mr. Fox could rarely object any thing to his measures, except that their proposer obtained his power against the will of the majority of the house of commons. In the delicate and difficult affair of the proposed regency, the whig leader of opposition, the man of the people, endeavoured to check the limitation which the court minister, the champion of tory principles, through the two popular branches of the legislature, would have fixed upon the hereditary successor to the extensive government, on a temporary demise of the crown. In opposition, each declaimed against the corruption of the commons, and proposed plans of reform. This was the fulcrum by which the one raised himself in early youth to popular favour, and gained the citadel of ministerial power. This too was the engine that the other employed to besiege him in his state, when he found it necessary to lead, Mr. Fox, on the contrary, in and not impair parliamentary influence. How Mr. Fox, as minister, and the avow- every stage of its progress, opposed the ed patron of reform, would have encounter-war with firmness, and no doubt with sined the difficulties of a similar situation, is cerity; for in support of his opinions, he doubtful: he died before the hour of trial employed his pen in the only composition arrived. On the subject of the Catholic which he ever avowed, and sacrificed even claims, each of these statesmen gave them the friendship of Burke to his conviction their avowed support, but neither of them of their truth. To conclude the parallel, they were was able to carry his views into effect, and the attempt was fatal to the power of those men of such transcendent talents and towto whom Mr. Fox bequeathed his plans ering ambition, that had they lived in a and his influence. In their efforts to ef- republic, one or the other would probably fect the abolition of the slave-trade, the re- have been dictator; in an absolute monarsult was different: Mr. Fox effected, inchy, either might have founded a dynasty;

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Whether the minister, having quenched the flame of popular contention at home, might have chosen a happy moment for the cessation of war abroad, is a question which puts the political sagacity of Mr. Pitt to a test the most difficult for his reputation. But it must be considered, that when, perhaps, he desired peace most, it was unattainable.

while, in a mixed government, they were rival statesmen, alternately ministers, and during their political lives, leaders of the great councils of the nation, whose names may be fairly placed in competition with any of the ministers of modern empires, or the popular leaders of ancient republics.

BOOK IV.

CHAPTER I.

FOREIGN HISTORY:-Invasion of Naples by the French under Joseph Bonaparte-Battle of MaidaPolicy of Prussia-She accepts Hanover from France, and shuts her Ports against British Commerce-Measures of Retaliation adopted by England-Prussia involved in a War with both Great Britain and Sweden-Indications of approaching Hostilities between France and Prussia-Confederation of the Rhine-Renunciation of the Title of Emperor of Germany by Francis II.-French Expose-Act of Aggrandizement-The United Provinces erected into a Monarchy under the Government of Louis Bonaparte-Seizure and Execution of M. Palm, the Bookseller, of NuremburgConvocation of the Jews-Traits in the Character of Bonaparte.

THE events of the campaign of 1805, consummated by the treaty of Presburg, had drawn around the eastern frontier of France a cordon of feudatory sovereigns, indebted to the Emperor Napoleon for their recent elevation, and bound to his service by the combined operation of policy and gratitude. Possessing too much collision of interest to unite in opposition to his authority, they exhibited a mighty bulwark against the attacks of his enemies, and seemed to free the empire of France from all the dangers of future molestation. The kingdom of Italy derived also from this treaty advantages, in territory and population, of the highest importance; and the iron crown of the Lombards was strengthened and enriched on the field of Austerlitz. But triumphant as was the treaty of Presburg to Bonaparte, in the same proportion was it humiliating to the house of Austria. Her losses were deplorable, and her influence in the affairs of Germany was drawing fast to a termination. Her splendid dependants, her mitred ecclesiastics, and the long catalogue of princes who formed the minor stars in the imperial constellation, were many of them for ever extinguished; and with impaired influence in the west of Europe-influence which at that period it appeared scarcely possible she should ever regain, she seemed by this treaty to retrograde from the world of civilization, and likely to be shut out from those political concerns, in which she had borne so commanding and preeminent a part, for a succession of ages.

The consequences of Bonaparte's successes against Austria, were particularly unfortunate for the kingdom of Naples. A treaty of neutrality between France and that country, had been concluded at Paris, on the 21st of September, 1805, and rati

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fied at Portici, by the king of Naples, on the 8th of the following month. By this treaty, the Neapolitan court engaged to remain neutral in the war between France and the allied powers, and to repel by force every encroachment on her neutrality. But scarcely had six weeks elapsed after the ratification of this treaty, when a squadron of English and Russian vessels appeared in the bay of Naples, and were permitted, without opposition, to land a body of forces in that city and its vicinity. This gross violation of the stipulations of the treaty of Portici, was considered by the French emperor as an act of perfidy deserving the severest punishment; and on the morning after the signature of the treaty of Presburg, Bonaparte issued a proclamation from his head-quarters at Vienna, in which he declared," that the Neapolitan dynasty had ceased to reign.” That no time might be lost in carrying this threat into execution, the French army under Joseph Bonaparte marched, in three divisions, against the kingdom of Naples; the right, commanded by General Regnier, proceeding against Gaeta, and the centre, under Marshal Massena, through Capua, while the left advanced through Istria, under General Lacy. On the 12th of February, Capua was invested by the French troops, and on the 13th, a deputation from the city waited on Prince Joseph, and signed a capitulation, by which Capua, Gaeta, Peschieri, Naples, and the other fortresses of that kingdom, were surrendered into the hands of the enemy. But, notwithstanding this capitulation, it afterwards appeared, that Gaeta was far from being conquered; and the Prince of Hesse Philipsthal, having been summoned by General Regnier to surrender, answered with heroic firmness, that it was his in

mitigate. The brave Calabrians, maddened by the infliction of such horrors on men whose crime consisted only in the defence of their country, resolved, if possible, to outdo them in retaliation. The disposition to an exterminating contest seemed mutual. The excess of resentment seemed to destroy every feeling of humanity, and in the weaker party all regard to the chances against their success. Impulse superseded calculation; passion imparted energy to weakness; and the want of discipline often seemed supplied by the frenzy of revenge.

After the evacuation of Naples by the Russian and British troops, Sir James Craig had retired to Sicily with the English army, accompanied by the royal family of Naples, and had established his headquarters at Messina. At this place he remained till the month of April, when bad health compelled him to resign his command to Sir John Stuart, who was soon afterwards intrusted by his Sicilian ma

tention to justify the confidence reposed in him by his sovereign. The zeal and activity of the governor in defending the fortress committed to his charge, was most distinguished. With slight intervals of rest and refreshment, he was occupied night and day in the fortifications, and by his exhortations and example, he stimulated his troops to sustain the pressure of their situation with constancy, and to repel all attacks upon the garrison with heroism. The valour with which this place was defended, and the advantages obtained by the garrison over the besieging army, excited the attention and admiration of all Europe; and the spirit which animated the governor and the troops at Gaeta, began to diffuse themselves over the whole kingdom. Even within the city of Naples, the apathy which had in the first instance paralyzed the exertions of the inhabitants, and induced them to open their gates without resistance to the legions of the conquerors, gave place to more patriotic feelings; and the population of Cala-jesty with the defence of the eastern coast bria became at length actuated by so from Melazzo to Cape Passaro. The army decided a spirit of hostility towards their continued at Messina till the end of June, invaders, that large unorganized masses without attempting any offensive operation of peasantry were led to oppose the disci- against the enemy; at which period, the plined forces of the conquerors of Europe. English general, at the urgent solicitations The ardour of patriotism was mingled of the court of Palermo, consented to land with the thirst of vengeance; the first in- with a part of his army in Calabria, and to stances of opposition from the insurgents make trial of the loyalty and affection of had been punished with inexorable seve- the people to their former sovereign. The rity; these violent inflictions animated troops destined to this expedition, amounted the spirit of opposition in the Calabrians, to about four thousand eight hundred effec- / and increased the deadliness of their ha- tive men; with this small force, Sir John tred. Mutual exasperation gradually led Stuart landed, without any material opposi to the establishment, by the French, of mili- tion, on the morning of the 1st of July, in tary commission at Naples, and through the gulf of St. Eufemia, near the northern out the country; the constitution of which frontier of Lower Calabria. The French was intrusted to Massena, a man whose general, Regnier, having been apprized of feelings never warred against his interests, the debarkation of the English army, made and whose long acquaintance with the trade a rapid march from Reggio, uniting his deof war had steeled his heart against the tached corps as he advanced, and anticipatvoice of humanity. The triumphant en- ing, with his characteristic confidence, the trance of Joseph Bonaparte into his capi- defeat of the British troops. On the morntal, to take upon himself the sovereignty ing of the 3d, he advanced into the neighof his kingdom, to which he had been ap- bourhood of Maida, about ten miles distant pointed by his brother, to the exclusion of from the English army, and took up his the recent dynasty, was attended by those position on a ridge of heights. His force acclamations and addresses which can at that moment consisted of about four always be procured by power. But these thousand infantry, and three hundred caexternal demonstrations of joy, could not valry, together with four pieces of artillery, conceal the real situation of his newly ac- and he was in daily expectation of being quired conquest. The invader and the joined by three thousand more troops, who patriot were still in determined and active were marching after him in a second divihostility; and the feelings of the contend- sion, and who joined the French army on ing parties had attained the utmost parox- the night of the 3d. Perceiving that no ysm of rage. Military tyranny, morti- time was to be lost, Sir John Stuart deterfied and incensed at the resistance of an mined to advance before the position of the enemy which it despised, gave free scope enemy, and having left four companies of to its fury, in all those excesses which it Watteville's regiment, under Major Fisher, has been the pride of modern warfare toto protect the stores, and occupy the works

tance of about one hundred yards, fired reciprocally a few rounds, when, as if by mutual agreement, the firing was suspended, and, in close compact order and awful silence, they advanced towards each other, till their bayonets began to cross. At this momentous crisis, the enemy became appalled. Their ranks were broken, and they endeavoured to fly, but it was too late, they were overtaken, and the most dreadful slaughter ensued. Brigadier-general Auckland, whose brigade was immediately on the left of the light infantry, availed himself of this favourable moment to press instantly forward upon the corps in front; the brave 78th regiment, commanded by Lieutenantcolonel Macleod, and the 81st regiment, under Major Plenderleath, both distin guished themselves on this occasion. Advancing with shouts of victory, the enemy fled before them with dismay and disorder. General Regnier, finding his army thus discomfited on the left, began to make a new effort with the right, in hopes of retrieving the disasters of the day. This

that had been thrown up at the place of landing, at three o'clock the next morning, the body of the British army commenced its march along the borders of the sea, across the plain of Eufemia.* Sir Sidney Smith at this time took up a position with a small squadron placed under his command, to act as circumstances might occur; but from the situation of the two armies, no co-operation from the navy could be effected, much to the regret of the gallant knight. A vast plain, extending from four to six miles in breadth, and flanked by chains of mountains, which ran nearly parallel from sea to sea, and which form the interior boundaries of the two Calabrias, seemed to favour the maneuvres of both armies, and afforded a fair opportunity for trying the skill and gallantry of the contending nations. Had General Regnier thought proper to remain upon this elevated ground, flanked as he was by a thick impervious underwood, no impression could have been made upon him; but quitting this advantage, and crossing the river Amato with his entire force, he descended from the emi-operation was resisted most gallantly by nence, and met the British army upon the the brigade under Brigadier-general Cole. open plain. After some close firing of the Nothing could shake the undaunted firmflankers, to cover the deployments of the ness of the grenadiers under Lieutenanttwo armies, by nine o'clock in the morning colonel O'Callaghan, and of the 27th regiof the 4th of July, the opposing fronts ment under Lieutenant-colonel Smith. The were warmly engaged, when the prowess French cavalry, successively repelled from of the rival nations seemed fairly at issue before the front of these regiments, made before the world. The corps which formed an effort to turn their left; but at that the right of the advanced line of the Bri- moment, Lieutenant-colonel Ross, who tish, was the battalion of light infantry, had the same morning landed from Messicommanded by Colonel Kempt, consisting na, with the 20th regiment, and had come of the light companies of the 20th, 27th, up to the army during the action, threw his 35th, 61st, 81st, and Watteville's, toge-regiment opportunely into a small cover ther with one hundred and fifty chosen battalion men, of the 35th regiment, under Major Robinson; directly opposite to whom was the favourite French regiment, the 1st Legere. The antagonist bodies, at the dis

Advanced corps.

First brigade.

over the enemy's flank, and by a heavy and well-concerted fire, rendered this attempt abortive. This was the last feeble struggle of the enemy, who, astonished and dismayed by the intrepidity with which they were assailed, began precipitately to retire, leaving the field covered with their dead.(58)

*The following is the detail of the British force. Lieutenant-colonel Kempt, with 2 four pounders. Light infanThe same officer who was killed at North try battalion. Detached royal Corsican rangers. Detach-Point on the 12th of Sept. 1814.-W.G. ment of the royal Sicilian volunteers. Brigadier-general Cole, with 3 four pounders. Grenadier battalion, 27th regiment. Brigadier-general Auckland, with 3 four pounders. 78th regiment, 81st regiment. Colonel Oswald, with 2 fourpounders. 58th regiment. Watteville's regiment, five companies. 20th regiment. Lieutenant-colonel Ross, landed during the action. Reserve of artillery, Major Lemoine, four sixpounders, and two howitzers. Total-rank and file, including the royal artillery, 4,795.

Second brigade.

Third brigade.

(58) The French official account of this engagement, which is here represented to have terminated so favourably for the British arms, has never, we believe, reached the United States. Compared with the battles of Austerlitz and Jena, the skir mishes of a few thousand men in Calabria were not perhaps considered of sufficient moment to be made the subject of a bulletin. The English seem therefore to have been left to boast of this victory without interruption, while their opponents contented themselves with the conquest of the peninsula, to prevent which the English had landed. If we may give credit, however, to the statements of an anonymous French writer, we shall be led to doubt the accuracy of the English narrative altogether, or at all events to reduce considerably the merit of the victory. The force which the

but its garrison, originally small, was diminished by the fire of the enemy, and borne down by incessant exertions; its heroic commander was severely wounded; the works of the besiegers were completed; two practicable breaches were made in the walls; and a signal was every moment` expected for the assault. Under these circumstances, the commandant truly and wisely concluded that he had done enough for glory, and signed a capitulation, by which Gaeta was surrendered into the hands of the French general.

About seven hundred Frenchmen were buried upon the ground; the wounded and prisoners amounted to above a thousand men; and about the same number were left in Monteleone, and the different posts between Maida and Reggio, who signified their readiness to surrender, whenever a British force could be sent to receive their submission, and to protect them from the fury of the inhabitants. Never was the pride of the enemy more severely humbled than in the events of this memorable day. The total loss of the French, occasioned by this conflict, amounted to at least four thou- The conduct of Prussia, towards the sand men, while the loss of the English close of the year 1805, had disappointed did not exceed three hundred and twenty- the hopes of all who wished to see a check six, of which number two hundred and imposed on the ambition and usurpations eighty-two were wounded, and forty-four of France. The rivalship between Austria slain. This splendid victory was attend- |and Prussia, in ordinary circumstances, ed with no permanent advantage, with re- might be allowed to preclude cordial cospect to the immediate object of the expe- operation between the two powers; but a dition; but the impression which it was participation of danger seemed calculated calculated to make in favour of the disci- to banish mutual jealousies, and to produce pline and bravery of the British soldiers, a union sufficiently firm to unite the two was of incalculable importance. The pride rival states in a combined resistance against of the enemy was mortified at seeing the a common enemy. Such, it was hoped, very troops which had been most distin- might have been the case with regard to guished for high exploits, retiring before the two great powers, Austria and Prussia, English bayonets; and, with all their ex-but the progress of the French arms extinperience and reputation in arms, yielding an easy victory to greatly inferior numbers. The laurels gathered at Lodi, Marengo, and Austerlitz, drooped on the plain of Maida, from whence sprung another, and perhaps a more brilliant wreath, to adorn the brows of British valour, in addition to those which had so recently been acquired on the shores washed by the waters of the Nile.

guished the expectations, while the versatility and equivocation, the odious rivalry and selfish rapacity of Prussian policy, became the theme of universal invective. On the 27th of January, a proclamation was published by the king of Prussia, addressed to the inhabitants of Hanover, in which it was observed, that after the events which terminated in the peace of Presburg, the only means of preserving the country The complete subjugation of the Neapo- from the flames of war, consisted in formlitan territory by the arms of France, fol-ing a convention with the French emperor, lowed not long after this illustrious victory, which might somewhat delay, but could not prevent its accomplishment. The support of the British arms being withdrawn, the enthusiasm of the Calabrians abated, and they finally yielded to a fate which they had nobly resisted, without the least hope of success attending their gallant and persevering endeavours. Gaeta had firmly withstood the effects of all that force and skill on the part of the enemy could effect;

English landed at St. Eufemia is represented to have amounted to six thousand men, who were

soon afterwards joined by four thousand of the Neapolitan regular troops, and four thousand insurgents, making a total of 14,000 combatants. With this formidable army, they advanced into the interior, and at a short distance from Cozenga were, it is said, met by General Verdien, and totally defeated, with the loss of 1800 prisoners-Relafion des Ballailes, fc. vol. 3, p. 344.

* General Sir John Stuart's Despatches, dated from the plains of Maida, July 6, 1806. VOL. I. 4D

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in virtue of which the states of his Britannic majesty in Germany were to be wholly occupied and governed by Prussia till the return of peace; and all the authorities of that country were called upon to conform to the dispositions made for that purpose, under the civil and military administration of Gen. Kecknert, and the commissioners chosen by him. The conduct of Prussia, in assuming to herself the civil and military administration of the electorate of Hanover, called forth an official note from Mr. Fox, under date of the 17th of March, addressed to Baron Jacobi, the Prussian minister in London, wherein he expressed "the great anxiety felt by his majesty at the manner in which possession had been taken of the electorate of Hanover," and desired him explicitly to inform his court, that no convenience or political arrangement, much less any offer of equivalent or indemnity, would ever induce his majesty so far to forget what was due to his legitimate

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