England in protesting. He was not sorry to have an opportunity for resenting the delay and want of cordiality on the part of the Czar in acknowledging his imperial title. With his usual sagacity he saw in the

wanted for gaining a real entrance into the magic circle of European Sovereignty, and for earning in the eyes of the world a character for dignity, good faith, pacific intentions, and generous and far-seeing policy; and he has improved it with admirable skill. He at once assured our government of his determination to act with them throughout the whole affair with cordiality and honour, and indeed to be guided almost entirely by their advice; with every temptation to precipitate a war which would have been very popular in France (for France has never

Austria for one moment have permitted it. with a breach of faith, and to demand fresh The two Empires are in too close contact on concessions and guarantees. It was a piece their eastern frontier not to be mutually of petty and mischievous ambition on the jealous and vigilant over any movement part of Louis Napoleon, which has led to which can bring aggrandisement to either. much evil and embarrassment. Since that, The Principalities which the Czar has seized however, his conduct has been irreproachare overlapped by the Transylvanian pro-able. The moment the independence of vinces of Austria, and are bounded by, and Turkey was seriously threatened, he joined command the navigation of her magnificent river, almost her only outlet. Their permanent possession would be almost as great a menace to Austria as a wrong to Turkey. But Austria, by her proceedings in 1849, had deprived herself of the power of resist-'position' the precise occasion which he ance, and almost of protest. Not content with being the constitutional sovereign of a free, faithful, and warlike nation, the Emperor resolved to be its Despot and Oppressor; he broke his oaths, he violated his engagements, he trod down the liberties of Hungary; and, meeting with the resolute resistance which might have been anticipated, he was beaten, baffled, and disgraced. In order to consummate his perfidious and cruel crime, it was necessary to call in the aid of his powerful neighbour; he crouched to Nicholas that he might trample on Kossuth, and, that he might enslave his sub-forgotten the disaster of 1812, nor the occujects, became himself a slave to his ally. pation of 1814 and 1815), and would have He has paid dearly for the perilous and brought glory and therefore stability to his insidious assistance; he is now shackled to throne, he has patiently exhausted all the Russia by the double tie of vassal and ac- resources of negociation before preparing complice; he cannot protest against trans- for ulterior measures; he has manifested gressions which are as nothing in comparison the greatest prudence, firmness, and forbearwith his own atrocities; he cannot thwart ance; and though we do not suppose that a will to which he is indebted for his in his heart he cares one fig for Turkey, or empire; and the army, which might and regards the affair in any other view than as would have been employed in protecting Turkey, finds ample occupation in watching and repressing Hungarian discontent. It is possible that now at last Austria may have resolved to join the Western Powers, as a course involving less peril than any other; but Nicholas could not anticipate such a line of conduct-nor do we believe in it; he counted, and he had a right to count, on the connivance if not the aid of the poten-back, and as in all free countries must be tate whom he had rescued from humiliation and ruin; and without this calculation it is scarcely credible that he would have thought the opportunity was ripe for the audacious demands which Prince Menzchikoff was instructed to prefer.

The share of France is confined to the circumstance that it was she who gave the pretext for the commencement of the entire imbroglio by endeavouring to steal a march on Russia, and procuring from the Porte a firman declaring her Protector of the Holy Places. This step she subsequently withdrew, but unhappily Russia had already taken advantage of it to charge the Sultan

it may be made subservient to his own moral rehabilitation,' yet if his motives had been the highest and most unselfish in the world, it is difficult to see how his proceedings could have been worthier or more unblameable.

England, we grieve to say, has been far more guilty in this matter. Her share dates like that of Austria from some time

divided between the government and the people. Her first great mistake-so great as to be nearly a crime, certainly a deplorable dereliction of duty-was in permitting Russian interference to crush Hungary in 1849. If she had then-as we have always contended that she ought-said firmly and resolutely to the Czar: "Leave Austria to fight her own battle and perpetrate her own sin; your sympathies are with her-ours are with her victim; both are natural-let us both suppress them; but if you interpose on the one side, we will give all the aid we safely and conveniently can to the other; we will not see a brave and independent

nation, with a guaranteed and long-descend- I did not believe that we were ready to ed constitution like our own, trampled down enfore our remonstrances by ulterior meaby the coalition of two despotic empires in sures. She believed, and she had but too spite of treaties and in defiance of decency much reason to believe, that war was an and right:"-if England had held this lan- eventuality which we were not prepared to guage, who can doubt that Russia must have encounter-that we in common with the held her hand, and that Hungary would rest of the Powers of Europe, preferred have now been either independent, or again peace to justice and to character. united to Austria under material guaran- Not only our government, but our press, tees which would have placed her liberties and a certain energetic section of our politibeyond future danger? In either case Tur- cians, are to blame for this. It is a common key would have been safe, and England remark, that if Lord Palmerston had been would now have been spared the imminent at the Foreign Office, the Russian aggression prospect of a war. In the former case Hun- would not have been attempted. We begary-naturally sympathetic with Turkey-lieve this,-not that we imagine Lord Palwould have constituted a powerful and war- merston's successors are in reality one whit like ally, whose forces, in addition to those less anxious or less resolute for the honour of the Porte, the Czar would have hesitated and the influence of Great Britain than himto encounter. In the latter, Austria would self, but that they are less experienced, less have been powerful enough and free enough mistrustful of Russia, less vigilant to mark peremptorily to have forbidden the medi- beginnings, less prompt and susceptible to tated wrong. Our second error-though protest and to repel tentative advances, than here we speak with more diffidence, as not he would have been ;-and that Russia yet being possessed of all the facts necessary knew this and counted upon it. And we for forming a decided judgment-seems to cannot forget that for some years back twohave consisted in not assuming from the thirds of the daily press at least, have been first opening of this dispute a higher tone, a perpetually assailing Lord Palmerston with more indignant language, and a prompter every weapon of malice and misrepresentaaction. We do not appear to have succeed- tion-some, as the betrayer of continental ed in at once impressing Russia with the liberties-some, as the secret tool of Russia conviction that, come what might, we would some, as the impertinent intermeddler not permit her encroachments to proceed. with what did not concern us-all, as the We remonstrated, we negotiated, we moved man to whom England owed her almost our fleet-but we have been in the habit of universal unpopularity. We know no pubdoing all these things, and doing nothing lic man who has been the object of such conmore; and the Czar evidently supposed tinuous, virulent, contradictory, and, we bethat all he needed was to be bold and lieve, generally undeserved abuse. It is no insolent enough, and that we should then wonder that such a pelting storm should— counsel our ally to yield or at least to com- not have driven him from office, he was too promise the quarrel on unfavourable terms. valuable and important a statesman for that, Our proceedings at Vienna gave too much but-have made his colleagues feel that the countenance to this surmise. Our repre- direction of foreign affairs had better be sentatives there, by some most unaccounta- committed to some less decried and hated ble incapacity or oversight, did certainly individual. The press, therefore, which drove recommend Turkey to consent to terms Lord Palmerston from the Foreign Office, which would have been to her as fatal and must be held, in a great measure, respondishonouring as Russia could have desired. sible for the war in the East. Our uncertain action and timid and hesitating language evidently satisfied Russia that she had nothing ultimately to fear from us, and thus unintentionally drew her on to a position from which retreat seems nearly impossible. Had we plainly and boldly assured her in the first instance that we would advise Turkey to no substantial concession, and that we would if needful support her by men and money in an armed resistance, no one who is acquainted with the mingled daring and pliability of Russian policy can doubt for a moment that she would have retracted and retired. She may have believed we were in carnest; but she

The press of England, too, has incurred. this grave responsibility by another fault.*

*The most powerful journal in this or any country, has yet a further sin to answer for. We along given to Russian designs by its pervading tone cannot and ought not to forget the support it has all and its open language-often vascillating and contradictory, but invariably immoral. At the commencement of the affair, it encouraged Russia by writing falling to pieces, that it was hopeless to save, and abof the Ottoman empire as one that was inevitably surd to attempt to prevent from being absorbed by its greedy neighbours-in fact, that the sooner it was partitioned among them the better. Later on, it abused the Turks in unmeasured terms for daring to

stand upon their independence, to think and act for themselves, and to strike a blow in their own de

It is notorious that the consideration which, Neva to the Bosphorus. Unhappily, too, beyond all other, encouraged Nicholas to these writers and haranguers had done much precipitate his bold aggression, was the con- in persuading not only Nicholas but our viction that, while Louis Napoleon was own government, of this inordinate deterEmperor, an alliance, or even a cordial un-mination of the people to remain at peace derstanding, between Great Britain and under all circumstances and at any price. France was impossible. What gave rise For years back, and often at the most criand certainty to this conviction? The lan-tical periods, the foreign action of our minisguage of English journals. With scarcely ters has been hampered, their language an exception, they opened out against him rendered timid and hesitating, and their as a monster of perfidy and crime whom it remonstrances emasculated and made inefwould be insanity to trust, and dishonour to fective to a degree which it is impossible to act with; who could not retain his throne estimate, by the conviction thus forced upon for more than a few months at the outside; them, that if they spoke out too loudly who was the tyrant and jailor, and not the against flagrant wrong, or menaced too elected, of the people on whom he trampled; boldly against insolent aggression, or proand to whom, as he kept down the nation tested too vehemently against stupid cruelty, by the army only, a foreign war would be the nation would not back their language or impossible and suicidal. Day after day make good their threats. However sacred they poured forth diatribes against him or just their cause, however sad the case of which Nicholas might well imagine would the victim on whose behalf they interposed, exasperate him beyond the limits of en- they were compelled to measure their landurance, and render all reconciliation, friend- guage and proceedings, not only by their ship, and alliance hopeless. own feelings or wishes, but by what the

Lastly, not only the press, but the politi- country would enable them to justify and cians of the peace and ultra-commercial carry out. And how could a foreign mischool, have much of the present embarrass-nister speak with decision and effect, if he ment and the coming war to answer for. and those whom his words were to hold in In the first place, they have led the Czar to check both know or believe that the nation believe that this nation was so enamoured which he governs will not allow him to go of repose, so passionate for peace, so bent one step beyond the poor artillery of notes upon adding to its wealth and consolidating and protocols? We cannot say, but there and extending its prosperity, that no affront, is One who knows, in how great measure no injury, or menace-nothing, in fact, short the ruin of Hungary and the suppression of of actual invasion-would arouse it to meet Italian liberties must be laid at the door of our the fatigue, to encounter the hazards, or to ultra-liberal press and our radical politicians. endure the cost of war;—that no questions of foreign policy, at all events, would be re- So much for the eauses of the war in the garded as worth so much trouble or so much East; we will now say a few words as to expenditure. The unworthy ravings of Mr. its prospects. By the time this Number is Cobden and his more pardonable associates, in the hands of our readers, they will proabout universal peace; their constant at-bably know more than we do at this moment tacks on the estimates for national defence; as to the issue of the first campaign. their declamations about economy and re- first success was on the side of justice. ForAt duction,--were sweet but most delusive mu- tune went against the Russians everywhere. sic in the ears of the ambitious potentate of The Turkish troops crossed the Danube in the North. Mr. Cobden's language in par-several places; they defeated their antagoticular must have been delightful to him, nists three successive days at Oltenitza, apwhen exaggerating the worthlessness of the parently with ease, certainly with little Ottoman power, and the folly of Great Bri. comparative loss; they then recrossed the tain in imagining that she had any interest whatever in preventing Nicholas from transferring his seat of government from the

river at their leisure, and without molesta tion; and they have entrenched and still maintain themselves at Kalefat on the Walfence. It treated their resistance as a crime, and still more signal and important. They took lachian side. In Asia, their victories were hinted plainly enough that, since they refused to ac- the most important fortress on the Russian cept the oppressive proposal which emanated from Vienna, and had been hailed with triumph by Russia, frontier (St. Nicholas) and retained it in we ought either to leave them to their fate, or to join spite of several attempts on the part of the in compelling them to submission. Of course Times" is neither in the pay nor in the interests of smaller strongholds; and, though they have "The foe to regain it; they have stormed several Russia; but if it had been, it could not have aided her iniquitous designs more effectually or unscru- since encountered several reverses, it is obpulously than it has done. vious that on all occasions they have fought

well-both as to skill, courage, and pertina- | sword;— -so that it is most difficult at the city. To set against these successes an present day to decide whether Russia is a overwhelming Russian squadron of line-of-giant or only a bully,-whether she is really battle ships has destroyed a Turkish squadron enlightened, or only astutely barbarous. of frigates and transports, but has suffered We incline strongly to the latter opinion;very severely in the conflict. The balance probably only a protracted war can shew is considerably on the Ottoman side as to whether we are right or no. There can be material advantage, and still more so as to no question as to her being a colossal power; moral gain. Still we do not venture to pro- her territory is enormous, and a great pronounce from this-the mere opening of the portion of it singularly fertile; her rivers struggle what will be the probable result are about the longest and most navigable in of a prolonged war. We will not hazard Europe, and give (or would give, at a slight any positive predictions. So far, no doubt expense for canals,) access from nearly every the Turks have displayed unwonted vigour, part of her dominions to the Baltic, the and the Russians unexpected feebleness. Euxine, and the Caspian. She might if she But we must bear in mind that Nicholas, pleased, be a highway for much of the prothough the aggressor, was not prepared for duce of Europe. She has fine ports; she war; he had expected to gain everything has valuable mines; she has every variety by bullying, had no idea of being called of climate. Her natural resources, therefore, upon to fight. He made a great display of are immense-but they are deplorably unforce, by way of terrifying his antagonist developed. Her despotic government, her into submission, but was taken by surprise narrow and jealous policy, her feudal organwhen compelled to back his haughty words ization, sap her energies and are fatal to her by actual deeds. Therefore what has hap- progress. The climate is genial throughout pened now is no sure augury of what will most of the south, the soil eminently rich happen when he really girds on his armour and productive; and it might be made to for a serious contest.-But let us give a few yield nearly every agricultural product in the moments' attention to the relative strength, greatest abundance and of the finest quali resources, and position of the two empires ty;-yet the wool is coarse, the wine is -as far as our limited means of information poor, and the corn even is now surpassed by and our contradictory informants will allow that of Turkey. Russian agriculture is of us to discover them. We shall gain much the very worst description-a mere scratchaid from Mr. Oliphant's valuable and inter- ing of the surface; the implements of tillage esting work, and some also from "the are rude and scanty, and the means of transFrontier Lands," and from Dr. Michelson's port wretchedly tedious and inadequate. Statistics-checked and assisted by what we have been able to learn from residents in both countries, and from our own slight acquaintance with one of them.

And no wonder: the curse of feudalism broods over every estate. The peasant is not only brutally ignorant, but is a hopeless serf; he cultivates his lord's land ill, beFew things are more difficult than to ob- cause he cultivates it without knowledge, tain any trustworthy and certain view as to without zeal, and without remuneration; he the real power and resources of Russia. It cultivates his own land ill, because he can is a country, the interior of which is little only cultivate it when his lord does not deknown, and rarely visited by European mand his services; he cannot carry his latravellers; residence there by such is not bour from districts where it is a drug, to disencouraged either by the climate or the go-tricts where it is paid in gold, because he is vernment; the language is a great impedi- not free, and because government formaliment; and we are therefore apt uncon- ties throw every conceivable obstacle in the sciously to take our impressions from the way of his locomotion. The roads are few statements which Russian writers and emis- and bad; canals are scarcely heard of; one saries have been so diligent in disseminating railroad only is in existence; the traffic on through the rest of Europe, and which, as the great rivers are carried on by tow-boats might be anticipated, are especially unrelia- instead of steam-tugs, and the mouths of ble. It is of course the interest, and has these great highways are allowed to become long been the practice of the Russian go- blocked up by mud and ballast; while the vernment, to spare no pains to represent it-custom-house and all other officials act as if self as eminently enlightened and overwhelm ingly powerful, to make the semblance do the work of the reality, to substitute diplomacy and intrigue for armies and campaigns, and to use the tongue and pen as cheaper and more effective weapons than the

their orders were (there is a reason to believe they are) to put every possible impediment in the way of European commerce and free intercourse with foreigners.

"All these ports (says Mr. Oliphant) suffer

alike from the absence of any means of inland ways directed her attention to political rather communication. The wheat exported from than commercial supremacy, and has sought Taganrog arrives for the most part in carts rather extension and aggrandisement with drawn by oxen, the rate of travelling not ex

the sea-coast.

ceeding fifteen miles a day-the roads being out than the development of internal prosquite impassable, excepting during a few sum-perity, and the question, therefore, which it mer months. Thus it is apparent that the for- is important to solve at present, regards eign market does not depend for the supply of rather her military power than her progress grain so much upon the state of the crops in the or her wealth. We might reply that the interior of Russia, as upon the state of roads to former can scarcely be either great or dura ble without the latter,-but let us look the "Altogether, though the ports on this coast manifest the most determined disposition to matter in the face. There can be no doubt prosper in spite of everything, I doubt whether that the armies of Russia are unparalleled the combination of natural and political disad-in numerical force, and might, if occasion vantages with which they are beset will not ulti-required, be still further increased. It is mately prove insurmountable; for besides the true that the Imperial Guards and the troops want of water and the want of roads, they have which come directly under the Emperor's just experienced a new deficiency in the want of labour. This seems rather an odd complaint for eye in the North of Russia are fine men, ada country containing fifty millions of inhabit mirably disciplined, well found, and wellants, a considerable proportion of whom are in manoeuvred. It is certain, that in the Nagreat poverty; but it is absolutely the case, poleonic wars, the Russians fought with that those of the scanty population inhabiting great obstinacy and valour, and till the Enthe steppes near these ports, who will give glish appeared upon the stage, were the most themselves the trouble to work, have occasional- formidable antagonists the Emperor of ly earned as much as one silver rouble a day France had to encounter. But troops on

each.

person

has

"The thousands half-starving in many parts paper are not always troops in the field; it of the country, who are not altogether bound is not the Household Brigade that fight upon down as serfs to a particular locality, are una- the frontiers, and the soldiers of the outlyble to migrate to this land of plenty, on ac- ing provinces which the Emperor never sees count of the system which obliges them to in- are a very different class, and in a very dif vest their all in a passport to bring them here, ferent condition from those which he and when they have made a little money, to spend their savings in bribes to governmentally reviews and examines; and the armies officials, for more passports to take them back that fought in Hungary and in the Caucasus again to their own district, from which they are very unlike those which after long trainmay not be absent above a limited time; while ing, and under the leading of Alexander the journey there and back would most proba- himself, traversed Germany and pitched bly occupy a considerable period, if it were not their tents round Paris. What the real chaaltogether impracticable for persons in their racter of the fighting portion of the Russian condition. But in addition to these political hindrances, the besotted and apathetic disposi- troops-those at a distance from Moscow tion of the Russian peasant, at any rate, perand St. Petersburg-is now, we may learn mits him to rest content with what is barely from the fact that army after army sufficient to keep body and soul together; while been swallowed up in the Circassian war, in the numerous fastdays which his religion im- and yet made scarcely any impression on poses, he finds abundant excuse for gratifying those hardy mountaineers; that in every war his indolent nature. Thus do the Government thousands upon thousands of them are always advancement of the country; and instead of fos- in the hospital before a single shot has been tering those vast resources with which nature has fired; that in the last Turkish war those blessed the land, they seem intent only upon who fell by disease outnumbered five to one adding to the obstacles which she has opposed those who fell by the sword; that even now to its prosperity. What reasonable motive can in the Principalities, 20,000 are prostrated we assign for those enormous guild-dues to by want and fever; that the Russian Com which merchants are subjected, and which seem imposed expressly to discourage the exist-missariat is, and has long been, a bye-word ence of such useful members of society? or of infamy; that Russian magazines are gen those immoderate duties upon all foreign goods, erally empty and Russian hospitals always which are tantamount to a prohibition of civili full; and, in fine, that, by universal admission, zation, while they raise the price of freight to (about this there is no dispute) the Russian other parts, since stones are the most profitable soldier, brave and hardy as he is, is the cargo which a ship can bring to a Russian worst fed, the worst lodged, the worst coast or those quarantine regulations and po- clothed, and, in all respects, the worst cared lice dues which must be designed to prevent vessels from coming at all, even loaded thus ?" for in Europe. Putting aside the regiments --(Oliphant. Shores of the Black Sea, p. 178.) immediately in contact with the Emperor

and the Church of Russia combine to retard the

and raised from his own serfs-who are enBut, it will be observed, Russia has al-thusiastically attached to him—the Russian