292 
by no means likely that the French 
will ever be able to repossess them~- 
selves of it in the event of peace. 
And it is certain that should they 
even be able entirely to subdue and 
exterminate the black army that de- 
fends it, the island will be so com- 
pletely ruined in the struggle, that 
France cannot hope for ages to 
place it once more on the footing 
of a productive possession. 
Previously to the war, Bonaparte 
appeared determined to establish a 
colonial power in St. Domingo and 
Louisiana, which would bid fair not 
enly to out-rival the British empire 
in the West Indies, but also to 
check the rising greatness of the 
united states of America. These ob- 
jects were entirely deranged and de- 
feated by therupture with England-- 
his plan of possessing himself of 
Egypt and the Levant, has been also 
ctushed by the constant superiority 
of the British fleet in the Mediter- 
yanean.- ‘The views of the first con- 
sul have therefore necessarily taken 
a different direction, and he now 
seeks to establish his power on other 
grounds. He has made himself the 
absolute master of Italy, and shewn 
the kings of Naples, Etruria, and the 
pope, that notreaties can bind him to 
respect their neutrality, or will pre- 
yent him from entering and occupy- 
ing their territories whensoeyer he 
shall please ; and of levying contri- 
butions upon them the measure of 
which must be determined by a 
eompromise between their ability 
and his extortive rapacity. Spain 
and Portugal have been reduced to 
the state of provinces on which he 
ean at pleasure levy what sums of 
money he may deem necessary, and 
atthe same time enjoy all the ad- 
vantages of their great possessions in 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1803. 
southern America, withoutincurring 
the risk or expence of governing 
them. 
Already master of France, Switzer- 
land, Italy, Spain, Portugal, & South 
America, Bonaparte appears not far 
removed from that universal empire 
whichalone cansatisly his ambition. 
All the smaller states of Germany 
havesunk under the power of France.’ 
Although Hanover was seized under 
the pretence of its appertaining to 
the king of Great Britain, yet Ham- 
burgh and Bremen have been plun- 
dered without the slightest excuse, 
save the necessities of the French ar- 
my. We have seen that when Bo- 
naparte was allowed to conquer Han- 
over, the smaller states of the north 
of Germany were abandoned to 
France, who was already, by con- 
quest or intrigue, mistress of the les- 
ser powers of the south. The 
French official journals had not he- 
sitated to state, that if war should 
fake place between Austria and 
France, Bavaria and Suabia would 
certainly be compelled. to join the 
latter, Itis evident therefore that the 
German nation can no longer consi- 
der the Rhine asits boundary. The 
power of the first consul is nearly 
as well established on the right bank 
of that river as on the left, and so 
long as the king of Prussia is content’ 
to bevhis instrument, it is the latter 
and net Francis who will really be the 
emperor of Germany. 
The grand results therefore of 
the first year of the war, are 
that on the continent of Europe, 
France has exercised a more 
extended and despotic power than 
even she had manifested during the 
peace, and that she has reduced Eu- 
rope so low, that it is become ex- 
twemely problematical whether it be 
possible , 
