178 
three days. a-week, The soldicry too 
are quartered on the housekeepers, and 
often divide their property and take a 
. daughter to wife under superior autho- 
rity. The number of persons in chams 
under charges, often unknown, and ‘un- 
tried, amounts to 150,000, while the 
system of cerfs is every where on the 
increase. Ih regard to manufactures, 
they are managed by Generals for the 
government, and their produets are twice 
or thrice the price of the same articles 
smuggled from foreign countries. Mo- 
ney bears an interest of 20 and 25 per 
cent, and private speculation and -indus- 
try of course are overwhelmed for want 
of capital. Inaword, Russia is through- 
out a military government, and its en- 
tire policy is become military, to which 
every other social interest is rendered 
subservient. . We regret such a result, 
because, after the death of Paul, im- 
provements and ameliorations were 
spoken of, and were hailed by ourselves 
and others aslikely to raise Russia io 
some rank among civilized nations; 
but we think it our duty to mention 
these changes for tho guide of public 
6pinion in reasoning upon ‘Turkey and 
Grecce, for it is too evident that the as- 
ecndancy of the Turks in Greece could 
not be more pernicious than that of 
Russia. The facts serve too as texts on 
which the free and civilized nations of all 
Europe ought to reason in speculating 
on its future destinies. 
PRUSSIA. 
The policy of Russia is that of Prussia. 
it is ‘entirely military, but still more 
jealous, the passport and espionage 
system being exercised in the same per- 
fection as in France itself. A silent 
war is thus carried on against the march 
of public intelligence, and constitutes a 
very remarkable feature of the age in 
which we liye. 
GERMANY. 
The litile which remains of freedom 
in Germany, owing to the clashing of 
local interests in the multitude of inde- 
pendent governments, is in a state of 
rapid deterioration. Russia, Austria, 
and Prussia, expect certain regulations 
. to be adopted in each state restrictive of 
the press and personal liberty; and none 
dare resist so powerful a combination of 
despotism. The liberal king of Wirtem- 
berg is obliged to accommodate his policy 
to the views of these superiors ; and even 
the Swiss Cantons are no longer able to 
direct their own internal policy, The 
press, long so free in Helvetia, where 
: Politiegl Affairs in, August. 
[Sept. J, 
Rousseau and Voltaire lived and wrote 
in sceurity, is now placed under.ai arbi. 
trary regime. Such are the-fruits of 
the Holy Allianee.. Brn 
SPAIN. 
A country covered with civilslaughter, 
with one part of its population arrayed 
against the other part, and with legions 
of Monks allied to foreign banditti, is 
another of the results of the same Al- 
liance, Let us hear no more -of. the 
French convention and the guillotine ; 
they slew their thousands to save France, 
but the infernal policy pursaed in Spain, 
slays its tens of thousands to ruin that 
fine country. 
In our fast, we calculated on. the 
speedy retreat and extermitiation of the 
foreign banditti, but we did not stspect 
the extent of the treachery ofthe unprin- 
cipled Spanish commanders. “Che army 
under Ballasteros, of above 20,000 men, 
was regarded as the bulwark of Spanish 
liberty ; and, although his continued re- 
treat before the corps of Molitor was 
mysterious and ominous, yet it was little 
suspected thatit would end in open com- 
promise, His unfortunate. troops were 
ensnared and betrayed in the mountains 
north of Grenada, of course easily beaten 
and scattered, when Ballasteros threw 
off the disguise, and basely united him- 
self to the invaders of his country. 14 
is believed that his army deserted him, 
but in so doing it has become in great 
measure ineflicient. ‘Thus the Cortes 
have been successively betrayed ; in the 
centre by Abisbal, on the left by Morillo, 
and on the right by Ballastcros! Can we 
wonder that ihe Committee of Public 
Safety in France found it necessary to 
displace Dumourier, and decapitate 
Custine and Houchard?) Are notall the 
events in Spain a commentary and justi- 
fication of the much abused government 
_of revolutionary France? 
Of all. the Spanish generals, Mina in 
Catalonia is the only commander in the 
field who has performed the duties of a 
patriot hero. Witha handful of troops 
he has kept at bay an experienced 
marshal of France, repeatedly baffled 
him in the field, and rendered his forces 
nugatory. A vain attempt has .been 
made to blockade or besiege Barcelona, 
but attended with as many ruinous skir- 
mishes as are equal to the loss of a pitch 
battle. Mina still keeps the field, and 
seems rather to blockade the enemy in 
Spain, than permit any operation of 
theirs. But even the example of this 
bero has not prevented one of his sub- 
commanders, 
i 
