Virginia Argus

FOREIGN.

THE ARMISTICE

FROM THE LONDON COURIER.

Remarks on the Armistice between the French and Allies.

From the intelligence communicated, the public had been naturally led to expect that an armistice would immediately take place in Germany. Hostilities between the contending armies ceased on the 1st, and the armistice was signed and ratified on the 4th.

By the terms of it the line of demarkation, for both armies, takes departure from the frontiers of Bohemia—the allies passing thro' Landshut to the Bohr, and following that river to Ruderstadt, turn short off towards Bolkenhaum, proceed to Striegau, and pursuing the course of the Striegauwasser to Cauth, turns to the right, and gets to the Oder through Olfaschin and Althoff.

The line for the French army, as soon as it quits the Bohemian frontiers, proceeds to Alt-Ramnitz, and from thence to the Bohr, which it occupies as far as the town of Lahn—from thence it traverses the territory between the Bohr & the Katzbach, whose course it follows to the Oder. Of course Breslau is between the two armies, and is to be neutral: it is not to be occupied by any troops, not even by the landsturm. This is the line of demarkation between the two main armies. But it is continued from the mouth of the Katzbach along the Oder, to the frontiers of Saxony and Prussia, and joins the Elbe, whose course it follows to its mouth. However the French army, is, of course to occupy Hamburg; one of the articles stating that it is to remain in possession of the isles in the Elbe, and every thing which it occupied in the 22d military division on the 5th of June, at midnight. The besieged and blockaded fortresses are to be revictualled every five days. By the 10th article it is stipulated, that on the 12th inst. all the corps or parts of the combined army beyond the Elbe, or in Saxony, are to return into Prussia—of course Bulow's corps will retire out of Saxony, and Tottenborn and the Russians that were beyond the Elbe, will proceed into the Prussian territories—Hence Bonaparte is left undisputed master of the mouths of the Elbe and the Weser.

No mention is made of the Swedish troops, but as hostilities are to cease upon all points, and officers of the French and combined armies are to be sent to notify the armistice, and cause such general cessation of hostilities, we take it for granted that the armistice extends to the Swedes. The duration of it is to the 10th July, inclusive. Six days notice to be given of the resumption of hostilities.

Having nothing yet before us but the bare fact of an armistice having been concluded, we are totally unable to account for the motives that led to it. It does not state in its preamble that it is for the purpose of entering into negotiation for a general or partial peace—it does not declare that it is to be followed by a congress, though that is to be presumed.

Some of our contemporaries have remarked with a little surprise, that Austria, who is known to have made proposals to each of the belligerents, is not mentioned in the armistice. But how could she be? The armistice was for the purpose of suspending hostilities between the armies then actually in the field and opposed to each other. Austria had no such army, and had not been engaged in any hostilities.

We can easily see why an armistice was desirable to Bonaparte. It is evident that he was not without apprehensions relative to Austria: for if he had not been, he would not have put an end to hostilities at a time when the allies giving up the line of the Oder, and falling back upon the Bohemian frontier, were throwing themselves into a cul de sac.—By the armistice he may hope to gain time to intrigue with Austria, and gain her over by tempting offers; or, if these should fail, he will have had time to bring up more means of enabling him to contend with her, should she take a decisive part against him. If he had any suspicion that she intended to bring her army immediately into the field, the policy of his pressing an armistice, which would relieve him from that instant danger, is obvious.

But all the arguments to prove that an armistice was so desirable to him, are so many arguments, it may be said, to shew that it was not desirable to the allies, particularly if Austria were pledged to afford them her support. But before we suppose this, let us suppose that Austria had adopted this line of policy—that she insisted with them that a general congress should first be tried as a preliminary to which an armistice should be agreed upon—that that congress should proceed upon certain bases, which should re-establish a balance in Europe (to this we have reason to believe she has pledged herself) for instance, that the German empire should be restored nearly to its ancient form, and some bulwark established against France on the side of Italy.

If she insisted in this manner with the allies, pledging herself not to depart from certain points, and to join them if those points were not conceded by France, then we can satisfactorily account for the policy which led the allies to accede to an armistice.

But without wandering further in the wide field of speculation and conjecture, we suppose the course that will now be followed, will be this—Russia and Prussia will make a formal communication to us and will invite us to accede to the proposal of holding a general congress.

London, June 9.

Tuesday in the Court of Common Pleas, a cause was tried, KEENE against the celebrated Mary Ann Clarke, for furniture to the amount of 130l. The plea of marriage was set up as a defence. The only witness to prove the marriage, and that the husband, Clarke, was still alive, was Mary Favour, who said that she had seen Clarke within the last six weeks. On her cross examination, she said, she herself had always gone by the name of Favour; she owned she had been married, but could not for a long time remember at what Church. At last, she said it was at Woolwich, and she was married by the name of Farquhar. The examination stood thus, when one of the jury said, that if he were not a juror, he could speak to the fact. He had himself seen Clarke, the husband, within the last ten days: he employed him as a stone mason. On this singular interference a verdict was given for the defendant.