HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



189 



uniformly successful, and were 

 rapidly advancing to the gates of 

 Ta«ris. These disputes, which ori- 

 ginated as well ill a misunderstand- 

 ing between these nations respect- 

 ing commercial regulations, as in 

 disputed territory, were however 

 amicably terminated, and, at the be- 

 ginning of the year, the emperor 

 Alexander, high in paint of charac- 

 ter, with vast means, and totally dis- 

 embarrassed from other wars, was 

 well calculated to take the lead in 

 the confederacy between those 

 powers of Europe, who deemed it 

 absolutely necessary to interfere 

 with France, and put a stop to her 

 daily encroachments upon the liber- 

 ties of Europe and the rights of her 

 sovereigns. 



We have already detailed the 

 different grounds of discontent which 

 existed in the raindof the emperor,ori- 

 ginating in the conduct of Bonaparte, 

 and the efforts which he made by his 

 ministers at the courtoftheThuilleries 

 to obtain from him some satisfactory 

 assurance of aline of conduct, which 

 would ensure repose to Europe, and 

 free it from apprehensions of future 

 encroachments on the part of France: 

 it is already known to our readers 

 with how little effect. As (lie inter- 

 vention of the Russian emperor, in 

 the cause of the degraded and insult- 

 ed lesser states of Europe, originated 

 in the purest and most disinterested 

 ouncils, so his subsequent conduct, 

 during the war, which the arrogant 

 and unjust conduct of Bonaparte 

 rendered inevitable, was distinguish- 

 ed by every quality, which could 

 attach upon the character of the 

 father of his people, and the friend 

 of mankind. Having superintend- 

 ed the arrangements and preparations 

 necessary for sending three great 

 armies into the field, dcsfincd to act 

 2 



in aid of Austria, and which were to 

 enter Germany successively, he, at 

 a moment when the French having 

 violated the Prussian territory, his 

 presence might have been of the 

 greatest consequence, suddenly ap- 

 peared at Berlin, which city he 

 reached on the 26th day of October. 

 Here he gained all hearts, by his 

 affable and engaging manners, and 

 seemed for amoment to have in fused 

 some portion of his spirit into the 

 Prussian councils. But the ruin of 

 the Austrian army at Ulm, and the 

 retreat of the first Russian army 

 from the Inn, changed the aspect 

 of affairs, and compelled the Em- 

 peror to return, with equal rapidity, 

 and place himself at the head of his 

 troops. On the fatal day of the 

 battle of " the three emperors" on 

 the plains of Moravia, he evinced the 

 greatest personal courage and mag- 

 nanimity : when the fortune of the 

 day turned to the side of the 

 French, the efforts of Alexander 

 were most conspicuous- It is s^i^ 

 that he thrice, at the head of his 

 guards, charged the enemy, and by 

 his gallantry not only secured the 

 rctre.it of the remainder of the allied 

 army, which would have otherwise 

 been cut to pieces, but actually saved 

 the greater part of the Russian 

 artillery, which he rescued and car- 

 ried off with him, after it had been 

 taken possession of by the victorious 

 French. Nor do we find that his no- 

 bleness of mind, or magnaminity of 

 conduct,deserted him when the fatal 

 issue of that day decided the result 

 of tlic war. He made no proposi- 

 tions for peace, or olfers of submis- 

 sion, to the conqueror, but retreat- 

 ed, with his armies still unbroken, 

 towards Russia, preserving too for- 

 midable a front for pursuit or mo- 

 lestation. Nor 



