-1803.J 
yoked aggreffii on by any means improbable, 
When che French armics were commanded 
to hal: and provofe terms of peace in the 
carcer of vistory, the refpeét and admira- 
tion of mankind naturally followed fuch 
unu‘ual but enlightened policy. But, on 
the otver hand the u: provoked invafion of 
Malta, of Exyp’, and of Switzerland, muft 
impair the favh of France, and render it 
at leaft doubtful whether mafqued policy 
or real moderation were the motives of 
forbearance in other inftances. Such is 
the chara*ter of the Firft Confaul as to ren- 
de: hin a caufe of terror to all other 
pow.rs. Active, penetrating, and referved, 
the xenr of his views ts not to be efti- 
mated, and his defigis are probably un- 
known to ihofe in whom he feems to place 
the mo.t confidence. As a man who is 
defiruus of aicending a lofty mountain 
mikes one s1ige only a ftep to another, fo 
does the wily Corfican trample under foot 
a 
Ove nation, in-order to ftep more conve- 
niently on that which adjoins it. 
PORTUGAL. 
Le Por‘uguefe government has been 
under the greareft alarm in confequence of 
fone Ike demands of Frances The moft 
vigorous meafures have been employed to 
recruit thei army and navy, but the latter 
is (aid to have lately received the principal 
avention. Hence it has been imagined 
thot the roy+l family have it in contem- 
piation to remove the feat of government 
to their American pofleffions, and relin- 
gui‘th for ever a fituation which fubje&ts 
them to the infoience of Frenchmen and 
the dangerous meannefs of the Spanith 
court. Portugal feems, unfortunately, 
“to be at the mercy of France, and the con- 
fequence wiil probably be that Bonaparte 
will pick the Spamiards and °Portuguefe 
feparately, rather than fell Portugal to 
Spain, which might eventually render the 
fatter jefs manageable. At prefent it 
feems likely, that he will turn to good ac- 
count the national hatred fubfiting be- 
tween thefe unfortunate countries; and, 
While he can maintain divifion, can {carcely 
fail to rule. Should French troops be 
marched into Portugal, it is not improba- 
ble that the navy of that country may be 
prffed into the fervice of invafion. 
HOLLAND. 
The Dutch fill continue to receive the 
embraces of French fraternity; and fo 
cloiely are they hugged, and to cordially 
fhaken by the hand, that their blood, or 
that which they value as much, flows co- 
pioufly out at their fingers’ ends. 
State of Public Affairs an September, 1803. O75 
RUSSIA.. 
We fiill continue ied@rant as to the 
part which the comm inding and confe- 
quently the leffer Northern Powers will 
take in the prefent conte, or whether they 
will remain neuter, as during the greater 
part of the laft war. It is thought that 
Ratha is deGrous of peace between Evg- 
land and France, and that the has propofed 
a plan of mediation, the leading circum- 
fiance of which is that Malta fhall be retain- 
ed by Roflia for ten years. “It is probable 
that fuch a facrifice would not be rezret~ 
ted by our Minitters if it feemed likely to 
anfwer tive pur: pole of a lating accommo- 
dation. The armaments, however, pre- 
paring in the Baltic, for whatever purpole 
they may be defigned, will probably be an 
additional inducement with our Govern- 
ment to retain poffeffion of Malta, A 
rupture with Ruffia is probably not at 
hand, and we are inclined to pay all re- 
fprét to the received charaSler of the pre- 
fent Emperor. It is not unlikely that he 
may entertain a jealouly of the uarivalied 
power of England at fea, but on the other 
hand it cannot be fuppofed that he can 
regard without appreienfion the clofe ap- 
proach of a French army to Denmark. 
Confidering all circumftances, Ruffia itfelf 
is probably expoled to greater danger of 
conquelt than England. Our navy is not 
Only our’ own protecior, but that of the 
world in general: it is the moft effectual 
check on tchemes of univerfalempire, fa- 
bricated by French ambition, and foftered 
by military fuccefles, which efface former 
flandards of computation. Let the Em- 
peror of Ruffia, however great may be his 
poffeffions and his power, and however {e- 
cure he may déem himfelf from the grafp » 
of French politics and French armies, be 
careful of raifing ftill higher a weight 
hich may eventually fall on his own heade 
WEST INDIES. © 
The firft efforts of Britifh valour in 
this quarter have been attended with fuc- 
cefs. Scarcely more than fuficient time 
for fending orders and receiving an anfwer 
had elaptkd, before the capture of Morne 
Fortuné. and ‘ot the whole of the ifland of 
St. Lucia were announced. ‘eneral 
Grinfield received at Barbadoes the order 
for commencing hoftilities on the r7th of 
June, and on the night of the zoth, the 
tort, defended by fix hundred men, was 
carried by aflault. By the co-operation 
and aétivity of Commodore Hood, the 
ifland of "Tobago was alfo captured on the 
3oth of the fame month, 
RS, n2 The 
