The Enquirer

The Enquirer.
RICHMOND, 27th MAY.

FURTHER DEVELOPEMENT OF BONAPARTE'S DESIGNS.

Every day lifts still higher the curtain which conceals the projects of Bonaparte. Every new remove displays them in still greater magnificence and terror. Let this man exist but five years longer, and who will dare to define the revolutions, that will issue from his prolific and heated imagination? Superior to Lord Chatham in power if not in genius, he will strike many a blow, that will resound throughout the universe!!

The most distinguishable object of Bonaparte evidently is, to fritter down the great empires of Europe into second-rate powers. He is to divide Italy itself into several independent states. He has already annihilated the dignity of the house of Austria, by robbing her of her territories, and erecting the petty potentates of the Germanic empire into independent and haughty principalities. That large and complicated mass of States, Electorates, Dukedoms, Imperial Towns, had long before been too loosely connected together; but Bonaparte has still more completely breathed into it the spirit of dissolution and weakness. He has increased the power and importance of the smaller states, without increasing the vigour of the federal head. He has made kings of the electors of Bavaria and Wirtemberg, and a Vice-roy of the emperor of Austria. He is erecting a new kingdom in the North of Germany, to be commanded by his illustrious brother-in-law, Murat. England too is to be reduced to the rank of a second-rate power. In one word, Bonaparte is cutting up Europe into small principalities, who can neither endanger his security nor rival his greatness. All the stars of the first magnitude are gradually fading into those of the second or third. France alone preserves and augments her splendour.

But it is not alone by dissecting and cutting up the great empires actually established, that Bonaparte aspires to augment the relative strength and security of his crown. A more subtle policy has marked the new system, that now regulates his measures. Is it possible not to observe that one of his grand objects is to increase the power of France by attaching the neighbouring countries most strongly to his own interests? One of his plans for the accomplishment of this object was, to augment the power of his petty allies at the expense of his more powerful rivals, and bind them more strongly to his throne by the triple tie of gratitude for the past, hopes of the future, & family alliance. Another plan was to hammer out the small half-provincial, half-independent countries on his borders, into contemptible viceroyalties, and then hammer out some miserable scion of the Napoleon family into a contemptible viceroy. Let the reader examine, for instance, the following list, which has been given of new kings and princes created, or to be created, by Bonaparte, and he will at one glance perceive how many of the recent revolutions of Europe are to be attributed to one of these projects, and how many to the other:

Himself—emperor of France & king of Italy.
Elector of Bavaria—king of Bavaria.
Elector of Wirtemberg—king of Wirtemberg.
Elector of Hesse—king of the Catti.
Elector of Baden—king of Baden.
Joseph Bonaparte—king of Naples.
Louis Bonaparte—king of Batavia.
Lucien Bonaparte (upon repentance and submission)—king of Switzerland.
Eugene Beauharnais—king of Italy.
Murat—duke of Cleves and Berg.
Madame Le Clerc (now princess Borghese)—princess of Piombino.
All the other Beauharnais to be provided with principalities and dukedoms—the females to be matched with German princes and to receive portions of the German empire as dowries.

Is it too extravagant to suppose that these designs of Bonaparte have not yet reached their acme? How many more brothers and sisters, and cousins, and adoptive daughters, has this illustrious patriot yet to provide for? Judging from the past, we may conclude, that there are just as many, as he has kingdoms to provide for them. Give him crowns and principalities to dispose of; and though he has not heirs of his own person, though the blood of his family has run out, he will not long want the means to replenish it. It is easy to supply by adoption what nature has denied him. It will not therefore exceed our expectations, should we see some female scion of the Napoleon blood, or some adoptive daughter, married into the family of the king of Spain,* and into the royal family of Portugal. But let no man be romantic enough to suppose, that it is from family affection: from that humble, though common failing of humanity, an anxiety to provide well for his own family; that actuates the illustrious emperor in the distribution of his imperial household. No: the emperor of France, like the immortal Brutus, has sunk all these fatherly and brotherly affections, in his over-ruling love for his country. He is above these little "domestic charities of life?" It is to him a matter of very little consequence what becomes of his brothers, provided he can make them his viceroys; or what becomes of the ties of kindred, so that he may gratify his inordinate ambition. No: Bonaparte has given his brother-in-law Murat a dukedom; Eugene and Joseph kingdoms, the princess Stephanie a royal dowry in the palace of Baden, not because blood attaches him to them, but because he believes that blood attaches them to him. He wanted new ties to connect his allies to his cause, or viceroys to superintend his provinces, and he selected them out of his own household. Perhaps, too, the idea did not altogether escape him, that it was best to provide as well as possible for the dreadful revolutions of his destiny. Might not the time come, when the same caprice of fortune which raised him to a throne, should cast him down?. When he who now inhabited the palace of the Bourbons, might like them be driven out to wander over the face of Europe? Was it not prudent then to provide allies who might hereafter furnish resources to assist him to the recovery of his throne, or at least an asylum to protect him from the attacks of fortune?

Our eye has just glanced at a New-York paper which states, that letters received in that City from Paris declare, JEROME Bonaparte was to espouse a SPANISH Princess. This conjecture is in evident unison with the principle we have supported.

Who can say, if Bonaparte had married a woman that he sincerely loved, & had been blessed with children, whether much of the gall which now disturbs the world would not have been changed into the milk of human kindness? Who can now say, how much his ambition abroad has been chased by the cheerlessness of his home? But it is perhaps fortunate for France, that nature has denied to him the enjoyments of a father.