capture of that city-Operations of Wellington in the south of France- Battle of Orthes, and Fall of Bordeaux-Termination of the War in Cata- lonia-Battle of Toulouse, and sally at Bayonne-Last operations around the German Fortresses-Battles at Arcis-sur-Aube-March of the Allies to Paris-Battle of Fere-Champenoise-Approach of the Allies to Paris- Storming of the Heights in front of it-Fall of Paris, and Dethronement of Napoleon-Treaty of Fontainbleau, and Restoration of the Bourbons-Visit of the Allied Sovereigns to London-Reflections on the Conclusion of the AMERICA-THE NEUTRAL QUESTION-AND WAR WITH THAT POWER. Physical description of the American continent-The United States, Mexico, and Canada-Moral character and political institutions of the in- habitants--Government of America-Its moral and political effects-Com- merce, Manufactures, and Military establishment of the country-Manners and Ideas of the different classes-Situation of Canada-Origin of the War with Great Britain-The Neutral Question-Origin of the maritime contest -First invasion of Canada, and its defeat-Capture of the English fleet by the Americans-Their repeated defeats at land-Campaign of 1813, and bloody battles in Upper Canada-Naval Actions-Failure of the expeditions against Plattsburg and New Orleans-Conclusion of peace between the two Transports in England at the conclusion of the War-The Norwegian Question, and Conquest of that Country by Sweden-The English Corn Laws, and arguments on both sides upon them in Parliament-Difficulties of Louis XVIII-The Charter-its excellences and defects-Errors of the Royalist Government-Commencement of the Congress of Vienna-Divi- sion among the Powers there-Questions of Poland and Saxony-Forma- tion of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and Compromise between the parties at the Congress-Intelligence received of Napoleon's landing in France-Vigorous and unanimous measures of the Congress against him— His landing in France, and triumphant march to Paris-Military treaties and preparations of the Allies-Financial efforts of Great Britain-Great preparations of Napoleon in France-The Champ de Mai at Paris- Battles of Ligny, Quatre-bras, and Waterloo-Second Abdication of Napo- leon, and Restoration of Louis-Napoleon's banishment to St Helena- Importance of Historical Review to mankind-Expectations of the world on the breaking-out of the French Revolution-Their entire failure- Causes of this to be found in the corruption of mankind—Advantages of the Aristocratic and Democratic forms of government-Causes of the superiority of the former form-Evils of Democracy, but its vast Influence on human Affairs-Principles of Renovation and Decay among mankind-Beneficial Effects of War upon mankind-Consistency of the Divine Administration with the Freedom of Human Actions-Influence of the French Revolution in the Extension of Christianity-Vast Effects of the Colonial Empire of HISTORY OF EUROPE. CHAPTER LXXIII. EUROPE IN ARMS AGAINST FRANCE.-NOV. 1813, JAN. 1814. ARGUMENT. Prodigious results of the Campaign of 1813-Approaching trial of the Revolutionary Forces by Misfortune-Return of Napoleon to Paris, and his First Measures there-General and intense Discontent which was now accumulating in France-Deplorable state of the Armies on the RhineTerrible Epidemic which broke out among them-Great levies of Conscripts in the Autumn of 1813 in France-Napoleon's speech in the Council of State-Decree ordering a Levy of 300,000 Men-Napoleon resolves to abandon the line of the Rhine-Alarming fermentation and discontent in the interior of France-Opening of the British Parliament, and pacific declarations of the Prince Regent-Naval and Military preparations of Great Britain-Enormous expenses of the Year-Prodigious sums provided for its Service Causes of this extraordinary Financial Wealth of Great Britain— The heroic Spirit of the Nation-Combination of other causes which produced this result-Propositions of the Allied Sovereigns from Frankfort as to a General Peace-Noble declaration of the Allies from that townNapoleon's devices to elude accepting these terms-Opening of the session in the Legislative Body-Eloquent speech of Napoleon on this occasionUnexpected and violent opposition which breaks out in the Chamber of Deputies-Lainé's report in the Chamber-Remarkable statements which it contained-Napoleon resolves to dissolve the Chamber, and his speech to the Council of State on doing so-His decree dissolving the ChamberHis violent invective against the Deputies at the Tuileries-Measures of Napoleon for the defence of France-Treaty of Valençay, by which Ferdinand is restored to the Spanish Crown-Its terms-But it is not ratified by the Regency and Cortes-Napoleon consents to liberate the Pope, but does not in fact release him-Negotiations of Murat with Napoleon and the Allies-He joins the latter, and invades the Roman Territories-Incipient defection of Eugene Beauharnais-Treaty between Denmark and the Allied VOL. X. A results of the cam 1813. Powers-Important Military Confederacy of Germany-Accession of the Princes of the Confederation of the Rhine to the new league-Treaties at Frankfort for regulating this Confederacy-Negotiations with Switzerland -The Allies enter the Swiss Territory-Completion of the Grand Alliance against France-Immense forces accumulated by the Allied Powers-Grand army of Prince Schwartzenberg-Strength and composition of the Army of Silesia-Army of the Crown Prince of Sweden-Napoleon's forces to oppose the Invasion-Their distribution-Hesitation of the Allied Generals at the idea of invading France-Plan of invasion proposed by Alexander, and agreed to by the other Sovereigns-Line of invasion from Schwartzenberg's Army-Plan of Blucher's invasion-Operations assigned to the Crown Prince of Sweden-Feeling of the Allied Armies at this period-Incipient divisions among the Allied Chiefs-Noble proclamation of the Emperor of Russia to his Troops on crossing the Rhine-Reflections on the moral character of the War. THE astonishing results of the campaign of 1813 CHAP. appeared more fully when the crash of arms was LXXIII. over, and the alternations of hope and fear no longer 1813. distracted the mind from the contemplation of the Prodigious revolution which it had effected. When the campaign had terminated-when the remains of the paign of grand army, mournful and defeated, had wended their way across the Rhine, and the once triumphant Peninsular armies, refluent through the passes of the Pyrenees, had finally abandoned the fields of Spain— the magnitude of the change was such, that it seemed beyond the power of any earthly forces, how great soever, to have effected. Little more than three months had elapsed, since four hundred thousand French, flushed with recent victory, were grouped round the fortresses of the Elbe; while two hundred thousand, proud of their expulsion of the British from the plains of Castile, were prepared to maintain on the Tormes or the Ebro the dominion of the Peninsula. Of this immense host, not more than eighty thousand had regained the left bank of the Rhine, and hardly as many remained to arrest the invader on the Adour and the Pyrenees; the remainder had sunk under the sword of the enemy, |