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duces a shuddering sensation almost indescribable. The scandalous domestick scenes that occurred soon after his arrival, while they reflected disgrace on a government which could employ such agents, shewed how reckless it was of all the feelings of decorum and morality. The exile of an obnoxious individual, was the purpose answered; and if he was only arrogant and violent, all his duties were fulfilled. There are many passages in this work which prove how deficient he was in skill, of which one may be cited as an example. He talks loudly of English injustice and violations of the laws of nations, and the atrocious outrages they committed in the cases of the Chesapeak frigate and Copenhagen. These are bad enough, we all know; yet, were not the last things that a skilful agent of Napoleon would have mentioned, the laws of nations, or the faith of treaties? if these things should have been mentioned to him, would he not have coughed, talked about the weather, or any other subject that could have diverted the conversation? General Turreau uses the most opprobrious terms in speaking of the administration, he talks of their imbecility, their perfidy, &c. and from the manner in which he speaks of the trade of St. Domingo and the expedition of Miranda, it is obvious what kind of style he must have used in his communica tions. Indeed, there is nothing that has raised a deeper blush of national feeling, than the endurance of this Ambassador by our government; and this too, when the unskil ful insolence of a contemporary foreign Envoy was promptly resented. We trust that the time has passed when any considerations of policy, which must be erroneous ones, will ever tolerate any want of respect in the conduct of diplomatick agents at Washington.

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We shall take one more extract which forms the conclusion of the book.

"Americans, nature has been so liberal towards you, that you may renounce advantages which can only be precarious, since they do not enter into her views, and that they lead you from your real destination. Be agriculturists. If you become manufacturers let it be only for your wants: stop there. Above all no foreign commerce, except in your ports. Open them to all trading people; and never leave them. Employ neither ambassadors nor resident ministers in the courts of Europe; and do not suffer any among your Vol. III. No. 7.

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selves. Receive only consular agents, and accord them the jurisdiction and privileges that they possess elsewhere.

"Amend your constitution; do not grant naturalization so easily; your population will grow less rapidly, but it will be more healthy: reform and simplify your jurisprudence.

"Renounce conquests even in opinion; you are already too extensive. Prepare yourselves for an inevitable separation, that it may take place without commotion. Be in fine, what you ought to be, an insulated people, enjoying the benefits of nature under a liberal constitution, you will be happy and history will not speak of you."

If it had not have been for the pretty pastoral termination of this passage, the whole of it might have been comprised in one sentence; be Chinese. To attain this blessing of pure democracy, we are to wave all the advantages of our situation; we are to abandon all the resources which are derived from the accumulation of wealth, for the diffusion of learning, of civilization and refinement; we are to renounce the ocean, all communication with the rest of the world, and all desire of fame," that history may not speak of us;" we are to eat black broth, pass our time in naked gymnastick exercises, in oppressing, and from time, murdering Helots; in one word, we are to give up all the benefits which in the progress of the last three centuries, have accrued to the world, and to move in a retrograde step as fast as possible, to a state of society such as it was, when it first emerged from barbarism-Enough of this; the destiny of the United States is and must be different; our motto is, Forward.

A narrative of the events which have taken place in France from the landing of Napoleon Buonaparte, on the first of March, 1815, till the restoration of Louis XVIII. with an account of the present state of Society and publick opinion. By Helen Maria Williams, 12mo. p. p. 247. Philadelphia. M. Thomas.

The world is almost as much tired of hearing of Buonaparte, as that Athenian was of Aristides, who wanted to vote for his ostracism, though not precisely for the same

reason. It would be too great a libel on mankind to suppose, that the general opinion respecting him could be doubtful; though we are occasionally startled at hearing a sullen murmur of regret at his fall, emanating from some obscure corner, which puts us on our guard for a moment, till we have passed by safely. We have had books and anecdotes of him innumerable, and yet these involve so many contradictions and inconsistencies, that it is impossible to form a satisfactory idea of his whole character. One fact is certain, that, having it in his power to add more to the happiness of men, he has accumulated more calamities upon them, than any individual of modern times.

Among the publications on this subject, the work of Miss Williams, as might be supposed from her talent of writing, and advantage of long residence in Paris, is not the least interesting. It is in the form of letters addressed to a friend, and the first one contains an apology for her previous admiration of her hero. Perhaps she would have been more discreet in avoiding all allusion to herself; since however she has not, we shall extract one paragraph from her jus tification for the amusement of our readers. They will recollect that Miss Williams is out of her teens, that she has, from no very recent period, been entitled to what the French call un brevet de dame; and yet she gravely gives as a reason for liking Napoleon, that he was fond of Ossian!

"Allow me to observe also, en passant, that I had been assured he was an enthusiastick admirer of Ossian; and when I found that he united to a noble simplicity of character, and a generous disdain of applause, a veneration for Ossian, this circumstance filled up the measure of my admiration. I did not then know that Buonaparte valued Ossian only for his descriptions of battles, like the surgeon who praised Homer only for his skill in anatomy.

We shall commence our extracts from this work, with the author's account of the Duchess of Angoulême. This Princess is the soul of the ultra royalists, the party that is now paramount in France. It is to be feared that her notions of both government and religion are neither of them suited to the intelligence and habits of the present day, and that the violence of this party may prepare a fatal reaction, whenever the foreign forces are withdrawn. She seems, however, at Bordeaux to have conducted with promptitude and energy

worthy of her rank, and worthy of her relation, the great Maria Teresa.

"The Duchess of Angoulême had not been spared by the Buonapartists, amidst the censures heaped upon her family. One of the heaviest charges brought against her, was the habitual melancholy of her disposition; she was found guilty of having no French gayety in her character. The Parisians remembered not that this princess, at an age when the heart is already susceptible of deep, and lasting impressions, had seen her whole family perish, and had herself been led from the gloomy tower of her prison, into an exile which had lasted twenty years; that on returning to the palace of her fathers, it was natural that some melancholy reflections should darken for her the triumphal pomp, and mingle themselves with the exultation of her joy. But sadness was not the sole offence of the Duchess of Angoulême; her extreme piety was declared to be fitter for a monastery than a court; and in the caricatures of the royal family which filled the print-shops after their departure, she was always placed on her knees before a prie-dieu, as if incapable of all other occupations. But no less was the confusion of her adversaries, than the triumph of her adherents, when it was announced in Paris, that this princess, with that energy which, in a superiour mind, is called forth by extraordinary situations, had risen from her knees, and invoking in her heart the aid of heaven, had mounted on horseback, rid every day through the ranks, and displayed a courage worthy of heroick times. When Buonaparte sent a considerable detachment to march against her, she ordered a general to conduct her to the Chateau de la Trompette. The general hesitated, assuring her that she would be in danger. I do not ask you, sir,' said she, if there would be danger, I only order you to conduct me.' She rode up to a circle of officers on the esplanade, whom she harangued, exhorting them to fidelity, and the renewal of their oaths of allegiance in presence of the enemy. Observing their coldness, and hesitation, she exclaimed, 'I see your fears, you are cowards; I absolve you from your oaths already taken!' and turning her horse, she left them, and immediately embarked on board an English frigate. The inhabitants of Bordeaux followed her to the sea shore, with fond enthusiasm, with lamentations, and tears. Every one wished to possess something that had

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belonged to her, something for thoughts and remembrances; something that might be guarded with the same devotion as the votive offering of a saint, or the relick of a martyr. She gave her shawl, her gloves, the feathers of her hat, which were cut into shreds, and distributed among her followers.

The very name of Cossack was a source of terrour to the people of France; the troops under this general name were as various in their character, as distinct in their tribes. Some of them were as regular and well disciplined as any other cavalry; others were extremely lawless and irregular, and, like the elephants employed in the armies of the East, were sometimes equally mischievous to friends and foes. Many enormities were charged to the account of the Cossacks, of which they were innocent. The author narrates an instance of this kind, which is followed by an anecdote of Kosciusko, one of the most interesting that can be found among all the events of that period. This illustrious Pole will rank in history as one of the finest characters of this eventful age; and it is impossible, not to feel a strong sympathy for him, though we can feel but little for the wretched government, which it was his object to restore. His patriotism was pure, but the situation of Poland was hopeless and irretrievable. He was deficient in political sagacity either in regard to men or measures; but he united to a modesty which may be called excessive, a taste for and some proficiency in the fine arts, a love of liberty almost romantick, great military talents, heroick courage, incorruptible integrity, and striking simplicity of manners.

"The Corps Francs were organised bands of volunteers, hired by some chief, commissioned by the police. They had been instituted in the last campaign to protect the rural communes of the departments round Paris from pillage by the scattered Russian Cossacks. The daily papers were filled with doleful accounts of depredation and violence committed by these northern barbarians. All the horrours of war were poured on the inhabitants, and files of municipal certificates were published, with the intention of rousing the citizens of Paris to resistance, lest such also should be their fate.

"This part of the business was ill-managed, for it was proved that no Russian Cossacks had entered these depart

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