HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



189 



CHAP. XII. 



Situation of the greater Part of Europe at the Opening of the Year. — Great 

 Power of France. — Magnanimity of Russia. — Disputes in the Empire of 

 Germany on the Subject of the Equestrian Order. — Bavaria and Austria — ■ 

 terminated.— Efects produced by the Murder of the Duke D'Enghien on 

 the Powers of Europe — on Russia. — Character of the Emperor Alexander 

 — remonstrates against the Conduct of France, at the Diet — ill seconded, 

 and xuhy — Votes of Hanover and Pomerania — Baden and Brandenburgh. — 

 Great Opposition of Character between the Emperor Alexander and Bona- 

 parte—ill Understanding between them. — State of the great Powers of 

 Europe at the Close vf the Year. — Conduct of Sxoeden. — Austria assumes 

 the hereditary Dignity of Emperor — Efects^ thereof — Disputes between 

 America and Spain, on the Subject of Louisiana — terminated. — Affairs of 

 St. Domingo — Murder of the remaining white Inhabitants — Dessalines, 

 a Negro, chosen Emperor — his Conduct — marches against St. Jago — 

 Ja7naica. 



THE course of the present year 

 is so barren in events of any 

 importance, save those in which 

 England and France were imme- 

 diately or indireftly coHcerned, that 

 having, in the preceding chapters, 

 bestowed much attention on the af- 

 fairs of those countries, (under the 

 head of the latter, those of Sweden 

 and Russia are necessarily inclu- 

 ded) little remains to be narrated 

 with respect to the remaining 

 powers of Europe. Indeed tlie 

 politics of the continent seem 

 to have undergone a complete 

 alteration since the revolutionary 

 war, which has given so great a 

 preponderance to France, that the 

 only doubt is, how much or how 

 little moderation she might tliink 

 proper to use in the farther exten- 

 sion of her already enormous do- 

 minions. By th« treaties of Lune- 



Tille and Amiens, Switzerland, 

 Lombardy, Holland, and Tuscany, 

 were left in that state of dependent 

 alliance with the French nation, 

 that scarcely the appearance of 

 right remained to Austria or Russia 

 to question his conduct, should 

 Bonaparte choose to annex them to 

 his empire, separately, or altoge- 

 ther. With respect to Spain, and 

 even Portugal, his power over those 

 unfortunate countries seemed every 

 day to be more confirmed and abso- 

 lute. These states appeared to 

 have been abandoned to his discre- 

 tion by the treaty of Amiens ; and 

 if he did not take immediate posses- 

 sion of them, it was because he 

 knew, that he could at any 

 time effect this objec't, and that it 

 would create less alarm, among thu 

 other powers of Europe, to subju- 

 gate them gradually, by the vari- 

 ous 



