FOOTNOTES:[1]Robert Stewart, second Marquis of Londonderry, was known by courtesy until the death of his father in 1821, as Lord Castlereagh. He held at this time the position in the British ministry, then in power, of First Secretary for Foreign Affairs.[2]The retreat from Moscow had been ordered and begun just six days before this letter was written.[3]The United States had formally declared war with Great Britain on the eighteenth of June preceding the writing of this letter.[4]The Presidential election of 1812, occurring in the midst of the war with England, was closely contested. James Madison was a candidate for reëlection, representing the so-called Republican party. De Witt Clinton of New York was the candidate of the Federalist party. A change of twenty electoral votes would have turned the scale. The Federalists in Massachusetts had a majority of 24,000, and the Peace party swept the Congressional districts throughout New England and New York. Madison, however, received 128 votes in the Electoral College, out of a total of 217.[5]The name “Isaac” was underlined and emphasized in this letter by Mr. Adams to distinguish the commander of theConstitution, in its flight with theGuerrière, from the uncle of that commander, General William Hull, who had surrendered Detroit to the British commander on the sixteenth of August—three days before the naval battle. General William Hull was subsequently [January, 1814] tried before a court-martial, and convicted. His sentence—that of death—was modified in execution, however. His name was ordered to be struck from the army roll.[6]Stephen Decatur had been in command of the frigateUnited Stateswhen it captured the British frigateMacedonian, in the engagement referred to.[7]The reference is here to the recent Presidential election. Massachusetts had then by a very large majority thrown its vote in favor of De Witt Clinton, the Federalist, or Peace party, candidate against Madison, who was a candidate for reëlection.[8]A circular to British naval officers was at this time issued by the Secretary of the Admiralty. It read as follows: “My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty having received intelligence that several of the American ships of war are now at sea, I have their Lordships’ commands to acquaint you therewith, and that they do not conceive that any of his Majesty’s frigates should attempt to engage, single-handed, the larger class of American ships, which, though they may be called frigates, are of a size, complement and weight of metal much beyond that class and more resembling line-of-battle ships.“In the event of one of his Majesty’s frigates under your orders falling in with one of these ships, his captain should endeavor in the first instance to secure the retreat of his Majesty’s ship; but if he finds that he has an advantage in sailing he should endeavor to manœuvre, and keep company with her, without coming to action, in the hope of falling in with some other of his Majesty’s ships, with whose assistance the enemy might be attacked with a reasonable hope of success.“It is their Lordships’ further directions that you make this known as soon as possible to the several captains commanding his Majesty’s ships.” (TheCroker Papers, I, 44.)In a paper recently prepared by him on the American Navy, Rear-Admiral French Ensor Chadwick pronounces this “the finest tribute ever paid any navy.” (Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society for November, 1912, Vol. 46, pp. 207–208.)[9]This incident resulted from what was known as the affair of theLittle Belt. It occurred May 16, 1811, off Cape Charles, Virginia. The United States frigatePresident, of forty-four guns, and the British corvette, of twenty guns, were concerned in it. The affair was accidental, and theLittle Beltescaped being sunk, but, at the time, asserted that after a sharp engagement it had driven off the American frigate of greatly superior force. It was alleged that the commander of thePresidenthad mistaken theLittle Beltfor theGuerrière; and consequently the captain of theGuerrière, it was said, subsequently had the name of the ship painted as indicated by Mr. Adams, in order that in future there should be no possibility of mistake.[10]Reference is here made to the engagements between the frigatesConstitutionandGuerrière, August 19, between the frigatesUnited StatesandMacedonian, October 25, and between theWaspand theFrolic, both eighteen-gun sloops of war, October 17—all in 1812. TheWaspwas commanded by Captain Jacob Jones of Delaware. The action lasted forty-three minutes, was desperately fought, and resulted in the capture of theFrolic.[11]This statement illustrates the slowness with which news then traveled in Russia, or the degree to which information was suppressed during the campaign of 1812. St. Petersburg is about four hundred and fifty miles from the river Niemen, which constituted the boundary between East Prussia and Russia. Mr. Adams occupied an official position at St. Petersburg. What remained of Napoleon’s army had succeeded in effecting its escape by the crossing of the Beresina during the closing days of November. On the fifth of December Napoleon had left his army at Smorgoni, a town in the Russian province of Vilna, and about one hundred and twenty-five miles east of the river Niemen.At the time this letter was written he had been thirteen days in Paris, having reached that place on the evening of December 18. Thus tidings of what had occurred on the fifth of December, in Russia, less than four hundred and fifty miles from St. Petersburg, had not reached St. Petersburg and become generally known on the thirty-first of that month.[12]Fought May 2, 1813, near Leipsic, Saxony, between the French under Napoleon and the allies, Prussian and Russian. The French greatly predominated in numbers, and claimed the victory, which, however, proved fruitless.[13]Bautzen, fought May 21, 1814, between the allies and the French, at a point some thirty miles east of Dresden, and about one hundred and fifty miles from Lützen. It was another nominal French victory. In these two engagements the loss of Napoleon’s army is computed as having been between forty and fifty thousand men.[14]Of the 600,000 men Napoleon is believed to have, first and last, led into Russia, only about 12,000, in a wholly disorganized condition, reached the Niemen. The French army was virtually destroyed. Napoleon got to Paris December 18, 1812, and again took the field at the head of a fresh army of about 700,000 men, the following April, fighting the battle of Lützen May 2.[15]The battle of Leipsic, resulting in the total defeat of the French army under Napoleon, with a loss in killed, wounded, and prisoners of about 70,000 men, occurred October 16–19, 1813. Wellington, as the result of his Peninsular campaign, entered French territory on the seventh of the same month.[16]Henry IV, Part I, Act V, Sc. 4.[17]The Fontainebleau abdication of the emperor had taken place on the eleventh of April. Napoleon had reached Elba, after his abdication, on the fourth of May, eight days before the date of this letter.[18]William Shaw Cathcart, created Earl Cathcart July 16, 1814. He had served in the American Revolutionary War 1777–1780. He was Ambassador from the Court of St. James’s to that of Russia in 1812–1814.[19]Anne Louise Germaine Necker, Baronne de Staël-Holstein, better known as Madame de Staël, was born at Paris, April 22, 1766, and died there July 14, 1817. Exiled from France in 1812 by order of Napoleon, she visited Austria, Russia, Sweden, and England. She was then forty-six years of age, and at the height of her great reputation. The following letter was written by John Quincy Adams to his brother, Thomas Boylston Adams, in the latter part of November, 1812, but the interviews described and the conversations related had taken place on the sixth and the eighth of the previous September.[20]The battle of Salamanca, between the British army, under the Duke of Wellington, and the French army, under Marshal Marmont, was fought July 22, 1812. The bombardment of Copenhagen under the command of Lord Cathcart had occurred in September, 1807.[21]“The Mihavansa,” Wiiesinha’s translation.[22]Reprinted from “Scribner’s Monthly” (now THECENTURY) for April, 1874, and included in “Old Creole Days,” by George W. Cable. (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons.)[23]“Wanted: Straight Thinking about Militant Suffragists.” See also previous editorial articles of the same tenor: “Grace before Lawlessness” (March, 1912) and “Teaching Violence to Women” (May, 1912).
FOOTNOTES:[1]Robert Stewart, second Marquis of Londonderry, was known by courtesy until the death of his father in 1821, as Lord Castlereagh. He held at this time the position in the British ministry, then in power, of First Secretary for Foreign Affairs.[2]The retreat from Moscow had been ordered and begun just six days before this letter was written.[3]The United States had formally declared war with Great Britain on the eighteenth of June preceding the writing of this letter.[4]The Presidential election of 1812, occurring in the midst of the war with England, was closely contested. James Madison was a candidate for reëlection, representing the so-called Republican party. De Witt Clinton of New York was the candidate of the Federalist party. A change of twenty electoral votes would have turned the scale. The Federalists in Massachusetts had a majority of 24,000, and the Peace party swept the Congressional districts throughout New England and New York. Madison, however, received 128 votes in the Electoral College, out of a total of 217.[5]The name “Isaac” was underlined and emphasized in this letter by Mr. Adams to distinguish the commander of theConstitution, in its flight with theGuerrière, from the uncle of that commander, General William Hull, who had surrendered Detroit to the British commander on the sixteenth of August—three days before the naval battle. General William Hull was subsequently [January, 1814] tried before a court-martial, and convicted. His sentence—that of death—was modified in execution, however. His name was ordered to be struck from the army roll.[6]Stephen Decatur had been in command of the frigateUnited Stateswhen it captured the British frigateMacedonian, in the engagement referred to.[7]The reference is here to the recent Presidential election. Massachusetts had then by a very large majority thrown its vote in favor of De Witt Clinton, the Federalist, or Peace party, candidate against Madison, who was a candidate for reëlection.[8]A circular to British naval officers was at this time issued by the Secretary of the Admiralty. It read as follows: “My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty having received intelligence that several of the American ships of war are now at sea, I have their Lordships’ commands to acquaint you therewith, and that they do not conceive that any of his Majesty’s frigates should attempt to engage, single-handed, the larger class of American ships, which, though they may be called frigates, are of a size, complement and weight of metal much beyond that class and more resembling line-of-battle ships.“In the event of one of his Majesty’s frigates under your orders falling in with one of these ships, his captain should endeavor in the first instance to secure the retreat of his Majesty’s ship; but if he finds that he has an advantage in sailing he should endeavor to manœuvre, and keep company with her, without coming to action, in the hope of falling in with some other of his Majesty’s ships, with whose assistance the enemy might be attacked with a reasonable hope of success.“It is their Lordships’ further directions that you make this known as soon as possible to the several captains commanding his Majesty’s ships.” (TheCroker Papers, I, 44.)In a paper recently prepared by him on the American Navy, Rear-Admiral French Ensor Chadwick pronounces this “the finest tribute ever paid any navy.” (Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society for November, 1912, Vol. 46, pp. 207–208.)[9]This incident resulted from what was known as the affair of theLittle Belt. It occurred May 16, 1811, off Cape Charles, Virginia. The United States frigatePresident, of forty-four guns, and the British corvette, of twenty guns, were concerned in it. The affair was accidental, and theLittle Beltescaped being sunk, but, at the time, asserted that after a sharp engagement it had driven off the American frigate of greatly superior force. It was alleged that the commander of thePresidenthad mistaken theLittle Beltfor theGuerrière; and consequently the captain of theGuerrière, it was said, subsequently had the name of the ship painted as indicated by Mr. Adams, in order that in future there should be no possibility of mistake.[10]Reference is here made to the engagements between the frigatesConstitutionandGuerrière, August 19, between the frigatesUnited StatesandMacedonian, October 25, and between theWaspand theFrolic, both eighteen-gun sloops of war, October 17—all in 1812. TheWaspwas commanded by Captain Jacob Jones of Delaware. The action lasted forty-three minutes, was desperately fought, and resulted in the capture of theFrolic.[11]This statement illustrates the slowness with which news then traveled in Russia, or the degree to which information was suppressed during the campaign of 1812. St. Petersburg is about four hundred and fifty miles from the river Niemen, which constituted the boundary between East Prussia and Russia. Mr. Adams occupied an official position at St. Petersburg. What remained of Napoleon’s army had succeeded in effecting its escape by the crossing of the Beresina during the closing days of November. On the fifth of December Napoleon had left his army at Smorgoni, a town in the Russian province of Vilna, and about one hundred and twenty-five miles east of the river Niemen.At the time this letter was written he had been thirteen days in Paris, having reached that place on the evening of December 18. Thus tidings of what had occurred on the fifth of December, in Russia, less than four hundred and fifty miles from St. Petersburg, had not reached St. Petersburg and become generally known on the thirty-first of that month.[12]Fought May 2, 1813, near Leipsic, Saxony, between the French under Napoleon and the allies, Prussian and Russian. The French greatly predominated in numbers, and claimed the victory, which, however, proved fruitless.[13]Bautzen, fought May 21, 1814, between the allies and the French, at a point some thirty miles east of Dresden, and about one hundred and fifty miles from Lützen. It was another nominal French victory. In these two engagements the loss of Napoleon’s army is computed as having been between forty and fifty thousand men.[14]Of the 600,000 men Napoleon is believed to have, first and last, led into Russia, only about 12,000, in a wholly disorganized condition, reached the Niemen. The French army was virtually destroyed. Napoleon got to Paris December 18, 1812, and again took the field at the head of a fresh army of about 700,000 men, the following April, fighting the battle of Lützen May 2.[15]The battle of Leipsic, resulting in the total defeat of the French army under Napoleon, with a loss in killed, wounded, and prisoners of about 70,000 men, occurred October 16–19, 1813. Wellington, as the result of his Peninsular campaign, entered French territory on the seventh of the same month.[16]Henry IV, Part I, Act V, Sc. 4.[17]The Fontainebleau abdication of the emperor had taken place on the eleventh of April. Napoleon had reached Elba, after his abdication, on the fourth of May, eight days before the date of this letter.[18]William Shaw Cathcart, created Earl Cathcart July 16, 1814. He had served in the American Revolutionary War 1777–1780. He was Ambassador from the Court of St. James’s to that of Russia in 1812–1814.[19]Anne Louise Germaine Necker, Baronne de Staël-Holstein, better known as Madame de Staël, was born at Paris, April 22, 1766, and died there July 14, 1817. Exiled from France in 1812 by order of Napoleon, she visited Austria, Russia, Sweden, and England. She was then forty-six years of age, and at the height of her great reputation. The following letter was written by John Quincy Adams to his brother, Thomas Boylston Adams, in the latter part of November, 1812, but the interviews described and the conversations related had taken place on the sixth and the eighth of the previous September.[20]The battle of Salamanca, between the British army, under the Duke of Wellington, and the French army, under Marshal Marmont, was fought July 22, 1812. The bombardment of Copenhagen under the command of Lord Cathcart had occurred in September, 1807.[21]“The Mihavansa,” Wiiesinha’s translation.[22]Reprinted from “Scribner’s Monthly” (now THECENTURY) for April, 1874, and included in “Old Creole Days,” by George W. Cable. (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons.)[23]“Wanted: Straight Thinking about Militant Suffragists.” See also previous editorial articles of the same tenor: “Grace before Lawlessness” (March, 1912) and “Teaching Violence to Women” (May, 1912).
FOOTNOTES:
[1]Robert Stewart, second Marquis of Londonderry, was known by courtesy until the death of his father in 1821, as Lord Castlereagh. He held at this time the position in the British ministry, then in power, of First Secretary for Foreign Affairs.
[1]Robert Stewart, second Marquis of Londonderry, was known by courtesy until the death of his father in 1821, as Lord Castlereagh. He held at this time the position in the British ministry, then in power, of First Secretary for Foreign Affairs.
[2]The retreat from Moscow had been ordered and begun just six days before this letter was written.
[2]The retreat from Moscow had been ordered and begun just six days before this letter was written.
[3]The United States had formally declared war with Great Britain on the eighteenth of June preceding the writing of this letter.
[3]The United States had formally declared war with Great Britain on the eighteenth of June preceding the writing of this letter.
[4]The Presidential election of 1812, occurring in the midst of the war with England, was closely contested. James Madison was a candidate for reëlection, representing the so-called Republican party. De Witt Clinton of New York was the candidate of the Federalist party. A change of twenty electoral votes would have turned the scale. The Federalists in Massachusetts had a majority of 24,000, and the Peace party swept the Congressional districts throughout New England and New York. Madison, however, received 128 votes in the Electoral College, out of a total of 217.
[4]The Presidential election of 1812, occurring in the midst of the war with England, was closely contested. James Madison was a candidate for reëlection, representing the so-called Republican party. De Witt Clinton of New York was the candidate of the Federalist party. A change of twenty electoral votes would have turned the scale. The Federalists in Massachusetts had a majority of 24,000, and the Peace party swept the Congressional districts throughout New England and New York. Madison, however, received 128 votes in the Electoral College, out of a total of 217.
[5]The name “Isaac” was underlined and emphasized in this letter by Mr. Adams to distinguish the commander of theConstitution, in its flight with theGuerrière, from the uncle of that commander, General William Hull, who had surrendered Detroit to the British commander on the sixteenth of August—three days before the naval battle. General William Hull was subsequently [January, 1814] tried before a court-martial, and convicted. His sentence—that of death—was modified in execution, however. His name was ordered to be struck from the army roll.
[5]The name “Isaac” was underlined and emphasized in this letter by Mr. Adams to distinguish the commander of theConstitution, in its flight with theGuerrière, from the uncle of that commander, General William Hull, who had surrendered Detroit to the British commander on the sixteenth of August—three days before the naval battle. General William Hull was subsequently [January, 1814] tried before a court-martial, and convicted. His sentence—that of death—was modified in execution, however. His name was ordered to be struck from the army roll.
[6]Stephen Decatur had been in command of the frigateUnited Stateswhen it captured the British frigateMacedonian, in the engagement referred to.
[6]Stephen Decatur had been in command of the frigateUnited Stateswhen it captured the British frigateMacedonian, in the engagement referred to.
[7]The reference is here to the recent Presidential election. Massachusetts had then by a very large majority thrown its vote in favor of De Witt Clinton, the Federalist, or Peace party, candidate against Madison, who was a candidate for reëlection.
[7]The reference is here to the recent Presidential election. Massachusetts had then by a very large majority thrown its vote in favor of De Witt Clinton, the Federalist, or Peace party, candidate against Madison, who was a candidate for reëlection.
[8]A circular to British naval officers was at this time issued by the Secretary of the Admiralty. It read as follows: “My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty having received intelligence that several of the American ships of war are now at sea, I have their Lordships’ commands to acquaint you therewith, and that they do not conceive that any of his Majesty’s frigates should attempt to engage, single-handed, the larger class of American ships, which, though they may be called frigates, are of a size, complement and weight of metal much beyond that class and more resembling line-of-battle ships.“In the event of one of his Majesty’s frigates under your orders falling in with one of these ships, his captain should endeavor in the first instance to secure the retreat of his Majesty’s ship; but if he finds that he has an advantage in sailing he should endeavor to manœuvre, and keep company with her, without coming to action, in the hope of falling in with some other of his Majesty’s ships, with whose assistance the enemy might be attacked with a reasonable hope of success.“It is their Lordships’ further directions that you make this known as soon as possible to the several captains commanding his Majesty’s ships.” (TheCroker Papers, I, 44.)In a paper recently prepared by him on the American Navy, Rear-Admiral French Ensor Chadwick pronounces this “the finest tribute ever paid any navy.” (Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society for November, 1912, Vol. 46, pp. 207–208.)
[8]A circular to British naval officers was at this time issued by the Secretary of the Admiralty. It read as follows: “My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty having received intelligence that several of the American ships of war are now at sea, I have their Lordships’ commands to acquaint you therewith, and that they do not conceive that any of his Majesty’s frigates should attempt to engage, single-handed, the larger class of American ships, which, though they may be called frigates, are of a size, complement and weight of metal much beyond that class and more resembling line-of-battle ships.
“In the event of one of his Majesty’s frigates under your orders falling in with one of these ships, his captain should endeavor in the first instance to secure the retreat of his Majesty’s ship; but if he finds that he has an advantage in sailing he should endeavor to manœuvre, and keep company with her, without coming to action, in the hope of falling in with some other of his Majesty’s ships, with whose assistance the enemy might be attacked with a reasonable hope of success.
“It is their Lordships’ further directions that you make this known as soon as possible to the several captains commanding his Majesty’s ships.” (TheCroker Papers, I, 44.)
In a paper recently prepared by him on the American Navy, Rear-Admiral French Ensor Chadwick pronounces this “the finest tribute ever paid any navy.” (Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society for November, 1912, Vol. 46, pp. 207–208.)
[9]This incident resulted from what was known as the affair of theLittle Belt. It occurred May 16, 1811, off Cape Charles, Virginia. The United States frigatePresident, of forty-four guns, and the British corvette, of twenty guns, were concerned in it. The affair was accidental, and theLittle Beltescaped being sunk, but, at the time, asserted that after a sharp engagement it had driven off the American frigate of greatly superior force. It was alleged that the commander of thePresidenthad mistaken theLittle Beltfor theGuerrière; and consequently the captain of theGuerrière, it was said, subsequently had the name of the ship painted as indicated by Mr. Adams, in order that in future there should be no possibility of mistake.
[9]This incident resulted from what was known as the affair of theLittle Belt. It occurred May 16, 1811, off Cape Charles, Virginia. The United States frigatePresident, of forty-four guns, and the British corvette, of twenty guns, were concerned in it. The affair was accidental, and theLittle Beltescaped being sunk, but, at the time, asserted that after a sharp engagement it had driven off the American frigate of greatly superior force. It was alleged that the commander of thePresidenthad mistaken theLittle Beltfor theGuerrière; and consequently the captain of theGuerrière, it was said, subsequently had the name of the ship painted as indicated by Mr. Adams, in order that in future there should be no possibility of mistake.
[10]Reference is here made to the engagements between the frigatesConstitutionandGuerrière, August 19, between the frigatesUnited StatesandMacedonian, October 25, and between theWaspand theFrolic, both eighteen-gun sloops of war, October 17—all in 1812. TheWaspwas commanded by Captain Jacob Jones of Delaware. The action lasted forty-three minutes, was desperately fought, and resulted in the capture of theFrolic.
[10]Reference is here made to the engagements between the frigatesConstitutionandGuerrière, August 19, between the frigatesUnited StatesandMacedonian, October 25, and between theWaspand theFrolic, both eighteen-gun sloops of war, October 17—all in 1812. TheWaspwas commanded by Captain Jacob Jones of Delaware. The action lasted forty-three minutes, was desperately fought, and resulted in the capture of theFrolic.
[11]This statement illustrates the slowness with which news then traveled in Russia, or the degree to which information was suppressed during the campaign of 1812. St. Petersburg is about four hundred and fifty miles from the river Niemen, which constituted the boundary between East Prussia and Russia. Mr. Adams occupied an official position at St. Petersburg. What remained of Napoleon’s army had succeeded in effecting its escape by the crossing of the Beresina during the closing days of November. On the fifth of December Napoleon had left his army at Smorgoni, a town in the Russian province of Vilna, and about one hundred and twenty-five miles east of the river Niemen.At the time this letter was written he had been thirteen days in Paris, having reached that place on the evening of December 18. Thus tidings of what had occurred on the fifth of December, in Russia, less than four hundred and fifty miles from St. Petersburg, had not reached St. Petersburg and become generally known on the thirty-first of that month.
[11]This statement illustrates the slowness with which news then traveled in Russia, or the degree to which information was suppressed during the campaign of 1812. St. Petersburg is about four hundred and fifty miles from the river Niemen, which constituted the boundary between East Prussia and Russia. Mr. Adams occupied an official position at St. Petersburg. What remained of Napoleon’s army had succeeded in effecting its escape by the crossing of the Beresina during the closing days of November. On the fifth of December Napoleon had left his army at Smorgoni, a town in the Russian province of Vilna, and about one hundred and twenty-five miles east of the river Niemen.
At the time this letter was written he had been thirteen days in Paris, having reached that place on the evening of December 18. Thus tidings of what had occurred on the fifth of December, in Russia, less than four hundred and fifty miles from St. Petersburg, had not reached St. Petersburg and become generally known on the thirty-first of that month.
[12]Fought May 2, 1813, near Leipsic, Saxony, between the French under Napoleon and the allies, Prussian and Russian. The French greatly predominated in numbers, and claimed the victory, which, however, proved fruitless.
[12]Fought May 2, 1813, near Leipsic, Saxony, between the French under Napoleon and the allies, Prussian and Russian. The French greatly predominated in numbers, and claimed the victory, which, however, proved fruitless.
[13]Bautzen, fought May 21, 1814, between the allies and the French, at a point some thirty miles east of Dresden, and about one hundred and fifty miles from Lützen. It was another nominal French victory. In these two engagements the loss of Napoleon’s army is computed as having been between forty and fifty thousand men.
[13]Bautzen, fought May 21, 1814, between the allies and the French, at a point some thirty miles east of Dresden, and about one hundred and fifty miles from Lützen. It was another nominal French victory. In these two engagements the loss of Napoleon’s army is computed as having been between forty and fifty thousand men.
[14]Of the 600,000 men Napoleon is believed to have, first and last, led into Russia, only about 12,000, in a wholly disorganized condition, reached the Niemen. The French army was virtually destroyed. Napoleon got to Paris December 18, 1812, and again took the field at the head of a fresh army of about 700,000 men, the following April, fighting the battle of Lützen May 2.
[14]Of the 600,000 men Napoleon is believed to have, first and last, led into Russia, only about 12,000, in a wholly disorganized condition, reached the Niemen. The French army was virtually destroyed. Napoleon got to Paris December 18, 1812, and again took the field at the head of a fresh army of about 700,000 men, the following April, fighting the battle of Lützen May 2.
[15]The battle of Leipsic, resulting in the total defeat of the French army under Napoleon, with a loss in killed, wounded, and prisoners of about 70,000 men, occurred October 16–19, 1813. Wellington, as the result of his Peninsular campaign, entered French territory on the seventh of the same month.
[15]The battle of Leipsic, resulting in the total defeat of the French army under Napoleon, with a loss in killed, wounded, and prisoners of about 70,000 men, occurred October 16–19, 1813. Wellington, as the result of his Peninsular campaign, entered French territory on the seventh of the same month.
[16]Henry IV, Part I, Act V, Sc. 4.
[16]Henry IV, Part I, Act V, Sc. 4.
[17]The Fontainebleau abdication of the emperor had taken place on the eleventh of April. Napoleon had reached Elba, after his abdication, on the fourth of May, eight days before the date of this letter.
[17]The Fontainebleau abdication of the emperor had taken place on the eleventh of April. Napoleon had reached Elba, after his abdication, on the fourth of May, eight days before the date of this letter.
[18]William Shaw Cathcart, created Earl Cathcart July 16, 1814. He had served in the American Revolutionary War 1777–1780. He was Ambassador from the Court of St. James’s to that of Russia in 1812–1814.
[18]William Shaw Cathcart, created Earl Cathcart July 16, 1814. He had served in the American Revolutionary War 1777–1780. He was Ambassador from the Court of St. James’s to that of Russia in 1812–1814.
[19]Anne Louise Germaine Necker, Baronne de Staël-Holstein, better known as Madame de Staël, was born at Paris, April 22, 1766, and died there July 14, 1817. Exiled from France in 1812 by order of Napoleon, she visited Austria, Russia, Sweden, and England. She was then forty-six years of age, and at the height of her great reputation. The following letter was written by John Quincy Adams to his brother, Thomas Boylston Adams, in the latter part of November, 1812, but the interviews described and the conversations related had taken place on the sixth and the eighth of the previous September.
[19]Anne Louise Germaine Necker, Baronne de Staël-Holstein, better known as Madame de Staël, was born at Paris, April 22, 1766, and died there July 14, 1817. Exiled from France in 1812 by order of Napoleon, she visited Austria, Russia, Sweden, and England. She was then forty-six years of age, and at the height of her great reputation. The following letter was written by John Quincy Adams to his brother, Thomas Boylston Adams, in the latter part of November, 1812, but the interviews described and the conversations related had taken place on the sixth and the eighth of the previous September.
[20]The battle of Salamanca, between the British army, under the Duke of Wellington, and the French army, under Marshal Marmont, was fought July 22, 1812. The bombardment of Copenhagen under the command of Lord Cathcart had occurred in September, 1807.
[20]The battle of Salamanca, between the British army, under the Duke of Wellington, and the French army, under Marshal Marmont, was fought July 22, 1812. The bombardment of Copenhagen under the command of Lord Cathcart had occurred in September, 1807.
[21]“The Mihavansa,” Wiiesinha’s translation.
[21]“The Mihavansa,” Wiiesinha’s translation.
[22]Reprinted from “Scribner’s Monthly” (now THECENTURY) for April, 1874, and included in “Old Creole Days,” by George W. Cable. (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons.)
[22]Reprinted from “Scribner’s Monthly” (now THECENTURY) for April, 1874, and included in “Old Creole Days,” by George W. Cable. (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons.)
[23]“Wanted: Straight Thinking about Militant Suffragists.” See also previous editorial articles of the same tenor: “Grace before Lawlessness” (March, 1912) and “Teaching Violence to Women” (May, 1912).
[23]“Wanted: Straight Thinking about Militant Suffragists.” See also previous editorial articles of the same tenor: “Grace before Lawlessness” (March, 1912) and “Teaching Violence to Women” (May, 1912).