RUSSIA IN 1833. 423 



the Volga, upon the shores of the Black Sea and the Caspian, as well 

 as upon those of the Frozen Ocean,, in the very heart of Siberia, and 

 on the table land of Tartary ; in fact, despotic though it be, there is 

 no government in the world that does more to advance the education 

 of its people than that of Kussia. 



But what more especially deserves our profound attention, is the 

 spirit of the Russian government, considered in relation to the 

 great art of assimilating with the empire the populations of the con- 

 quered provinces. Since Rome, whose laws appeared to have been 

 framed for the conquest of the world, no country has been constituted 

 like Russia for extending, and more especially for preserving her 

 conquests. Russia, like ancient Rome, seeing herself destined to 

 compose her empire of a host of nations opposed to each other in re- 

 ligion, manners, and language, has imposed upon herself the rule of 

 leaving to each people all those prejudices which are dearer to them 

 than political existence. Thus every form of worship is equally 

 tolerated, nay more, is equally protected. In Petersburg, for ex- 

 ample, in the same street we behold temples of the Greek, the Jew, 

 the Roman Catholic, and of every variety of Calvinist. In the 

 southern provinces Islamism is* openly professed, and even in the 

 east the idolatry of the Nomadic tribes is unpersecuted ; the go- 

 vernment feeling that in time, and with the progress of intelli- 

 gence, these people will raise themselves to a more enlightened 

 belief, will adopt forms of worship more suitable to our nature, and 

 less unworthy of the majesty of the Eternal. Neither does Russia seek 

 by violent means to extinguish the remembrance among her con- 

 quered nations of the language of their forefathers, that intellectual 

 inheritance associated with so many pleasing recollections and here- 

 ditary virtues. The government, trusting to the slow but sure ope- 

 ration of all those motives of hope and ambition that sooner or later 

 induce a conquered people to employ the language of its masters, 

 permits every nation to preserve its manners and customs. Russia 

 allows the Tartars to fight in the same manner as they did in the time 

 of the Scythians and the Parthians, contenting herself with forming 

 " corps d'elite" of this irregular cavalry, which she places in the 

 ranks of the Imperial Guard, to offer them as models of emulation to 

 the barbarian pulks. 



In enumerating the labours of the Russian government for the 

 civilization of its people, we must not omit to mention the military 

 colonies. The objects had in view in their formation were, 1st, the 

 increase of the native population in particular districts. 2dly, The ex- 

 tension of knowledge and civilization. 3dly. The saving of the great- 

 est part of the pay of the regular army. 4thly, The organization of an 

 immense army to be employed in agriculture in time of peace, and 

 to form nearly the whole land force of the Empire in time of war. 



But this gigantic conception, which it was the boast of Count 

 Ozeirouski would in ten years have given the Empire an army of six 

 millions of men, was only partially executed, from the conviction pro- 

 bably of its unpopularity with every class of the people, and that 

 it carried within itself the seeds of its own destruction. This insti- 

 tution, which at the time excited the alarm of all Europe, was not 



