PORTUGAL. -ECCLESIASTICAL STATE.- -GERMANY. ΤΟΙ PORTUGAL. THE queen of Portugal, at this time, concluded a commercial treaty with 1788 Russia. But this does not appear to have influenced her majesty's councils with regard to foreign policy. Following the example of her more powerful neighbour, she consulted the essential interests of her crown by the maintenance of peace. ECCLESIASTICAL STATE. THE uneasiness which had been occasioned to his holiness and the court of Rome by the late proceedings relative to religion and religious houses in France was increased by others which affected the revenue of the church. In the course of the deliberations on the ways and means for retrenching the vast expenditure of the state, the payments made to the see of Rome came under discussion; and the grounds of them were investigated with a freedom that excited fears of their abolition. 1788 GERMANY. NEGOTIATIONS for a pacification between the imperial courts and Turkey had been carried on, during the winter, but without effect.-Catharine, whose towering ambition was tempered with judgment and good policy, perceiving the force with which the sultan was ready to take the field, and fearing that the courts of London and Berlin, which had been so successful in stimulating the king of Sweden to confederate with the Turks against her 1788 a Annual Register. 59. 1788 her and the Poles to oppose her ascendency, would adopt more active measures for curbing her power, and promoting their respective views of policy, would willingly have rested on her arms till a more favourable opportunity for prosecuting her designs should present itself: but the emperor's impatience to signalize himself and to accomplish his ambitious purposes, the success of the English and Prussian ministers at the Porte in keeping the sultan steady to his present warlike councils, and the encouragement given him by the Swedish monarch, who was jealous of the empress's power in the Baltic and thirsted for military glory, concurred to bring on war. We are here to attend to the emperor's conduct, and the measures adopted by him. That monarch had hitherto shewn himself, chiefly, in the characters of a statesman and a legislator. In these we have seen him first acquiring the esteem of his people by acts of beneficence and public utility; and afterwards sacrificing it by a vain attempt to alter the constitutions of his states, and, inattentive to the different genius of his subjects and the impressions of education, to establish throughout his dominions a more perfect system of absolute power. He is now to appear in the character of a general. After making an apology for his conduct in the late affair at Belgrade which only served to expose his duplicity, he published his hostile manifesto, resting his justification on the assistance which he was engaged by treaty to afford his ally, the empress of Russia; though it was a notorious fact that his own indiscreet ardour had been the occasion of precipitating hostilities. On such weak grounds is the peace of the world too often disturbed. With so little foresight had the emperor embarked in this war, that he had not even secured pecuniary supplies for the first campaign: and when he applied for a loan from his Flemish subjects, he had the mortification to experience their resentment of his violation of their rights in an universal refusal to subscribe. Nor was he more successful in his applications to the Italian powers. The most tempting offers could not induce the Venetian republic to involve itself in hostilities with a power from which it had much to fear, and which, at this time, discovered a disposition to live on terms of amity with them. They refused the confederates even the use of their ports; and + February 10. and the king of Sardinia, who, was jealous of the house of Austria, which had 1788 already destroyed the independency of the Italian states, refused him permission to recruit in his dominions. So inauspiciously did Joseph enter upon. this fatal war! b When we consider the catalogue of warlike apparatus destined for the prosecution of it-above 7000 baggage waggons-20,000 draft horses12,000 oxen-to convey provision and ammunition for one of the most numerous armies that any European power had sent into the field, together with 2000 pieces of artillery, ambition itself, thirsting for extent of dominion, one would suppose would be affrighted at the contemplation, and blush at the idea of sacrificing so much treasure, so many lives that might be employed in labour conducive to the happiness of mankind, in the gratification of its insatiate rage.-The Austrian forces took the field in four armies. The grand army, under generals Lascy and Wartenslaben, attended by the emperor, was stationed near the Danube in two divisions, one of which guarded the Bannat of Temeswaer.-The second, commanded by prince Lichtenstein, was stationed in Croatia, to act in concert with the former, by his operations on the eastern frontier, towards Dalmatia. A third under general Fabris was posted in Transylvania, on the north of the grand army. And a fourth commanded by the Prince of Saxe Cobourg was destined to co-operate with general Soltikof in the reduction of Moldavia; the possession of which would give the empress access to the Danube, and facilitate the prosecution of the designs formed by the imperial courts against the Turkish empire. Το oppose the movements of these armies, 200,000 Turks were assembled: at Silistria, on the Danube; a position well calculated for watching and counteracting their enemies. Moreover, the character of the grand vizier, in which genius was united with military skill, inspired the Turkish forces with an unusual degree of animation and confidence, and enabled him to direct, with the greatest advantage, the furious animosity which they felt towards the Austrians on account of the emperor's insidious and unprovoked attack on Belgrade.—The effects of these combined circumstances will be seen in the conduct of the campaign; in which the Turkish soldiers exceeded their characteristic valour in their onsets; and the vizier displayed the judgment 1788 judgment and coolness of a veteran commander in availing himself of his adversary's errors. In the month of April, marshal Lascy's division, under the emperor's direction in person, began its operations with the reduction of Schabatz, a small fortress on the Danube. But this success was balanced by the repulse of prince Lichtenstein before Dubicza on the Drave; where he was routed with considerable loss. -A long period of inaction then ensued, owing to the slowness of the Russians in the movements by which they were to co-operate with the Austrians, as well as the usual embarrassments of such vast armies; during which it was already seen that, among the obstructions and difficulties that would impede the war, was the disapprobation of it by the emperor's subjects, and the disaffection of his troops to the service, especially on account of their aversion to the Russians. Nor was the advantage which this afforded their enemy neglected by the vizier. To encourage a revolt among the Hungarians, who were disgusted with their sovereign's arbitrary measures respecting matters. of government, that sagacious general published a manifesto, inviting them, as a free people, "renowned for " valour, to shake off the Austrian yoke,” and offering them the full enjoyment of the rights and privileges, both civil and religious, of which they had been deprived. All things being at last provided for the siege of Belgrade, the grand object of the campaign, the emperor crossed the Save with a vast train of artillery, and prepared to invest the fortress.+-The grand vizier, in the mean-time, observing the emperor's movements, advanced with 60,000 men to its defence; and chose his position with so much judgment as effectually to defeat his design, without exposing himself to an attack, except with an unwarrantable risk on the part of the assailants.-When the two armies had remained in their confronting camps without any memorable action till the surrounding country was desolated, the vizier, seeing the Austrian army mouldering away through disease and desertion, ventured on active operations. The Bannat of Temeswaer, on the north of Belgrade, is one of the most fertile provinces in Hungary. By sending a strong detachment into it, he both distressed the emperor by their ravages in it, and reduced him to the April 25. Ann. Regist. 42. 54. April 25. + End of June. the alternative of suffering its entire conquest or of abandoning his strong camp before Belgrade for its protection. The latter, though attended with extreme disappointment, was preferred. But before the emperor was arrived, general Papilla was defeated with great loss near Orsova. And general Wartenslaben was obliged to yield a victory to the serasquier of Georgia, after a brave defence of the defile of Bursa.||-These disastrous events induced the emperor to proceed northward and join Wartenslaben's army at Karansebes, for the protection of Transylvania; where general Fabris was maintaining his ground with great address against a superior force, sent to invade that province.-It is painful and uninteresting to relate engagements distinguished only by carnage. Let it suffice, therefore, to say, that the movements of the grand vizier and the serasquier, who acted as his lieutenant, were taken with so much judgment, and that the Turks, especially their cavalry, displayed such irresistible valour in every action, that the emperor found it expedient to retire from the strong post of Karansebes towards Lugos; and was so harassed by the enemy on his march that he lost 5000 men without any signal engagement.-The vizier, after this, returned to the defence of Belgrade: † and the emperor brought the remains of his diseased and dispirited forces back to his strong camp at Semlin near that city." Nothing memorable had occurred in Croatia since the repulse of prince Lichtenstein at. Dubicza. That general's health disabling him for further service, marshal Laudohn was, with much difficulty, prevailed on to take the command of his army. And such was the confidence with which the presence of that veteran inspired his troops, that he soon made himself master of Dubicza; § and, proceeding to the siege of Novi, he reduced that strong fortress, after a bold attempt by the bashâ of Travenick to oblige him to raise the siege. + с Of all the Austrian armies, that of the prince of Saxe Cobourg was most successful. He had, early in the campaign, adopted such steps as he deemed essential to the accomplishment of his chief object, the reduction of Choczim, by cutting off its supplies; and he had maintained his ground, though August 7. 8. || August 20. + October 20. August, 26. + September 21. 1788 |