May 20. 1854.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



463 



LONDON, SATURDAY, MAY 20, 1854. 



A LEADER FROM A FOREIGN NEWSPAPER : THE 

 NEW RUSSIAN MANIFESTO. 



Mention was recently made, in Vol. ix., p. 218., 

 of the valuable character of many of the leading 

 articles in the continental journals, and a wish 

 expressed that translations of them were more 

 frequently communicated in our own papers to 

 English readers. The great newspapers of this 

 country are too rich in varied talent and world- 

 wide resources of their own, to make it worth 

 their while in ordinary times to pay much atten- 

 tion to information and disquisition from foreign 

 politicians, on subjects of the day ; but the in- 

 finite importance to England, and to the world, of 

 the present warlike struggle, renders it a matter 

 of corresponding weight to know how far the 

 foreign press, in the great centres of movement 

 and intelligence, stand affected to Great Britain. 

 Perhaps, therefore, as a specimen of this kind of 

 writing, you will for once admit, among your 

 varied contents, the following article from the 

 Kolnische Zeitung of May 4 : 



" While in England, as a preparation for war, a day 

 of humiliation and prayer is held, on which the Clergy 

 exhort the people to look into their own breasts, and 

 to discover and forsake those sins which might provoke 

 God's punishments ; while the most powerful nation 

 of the world commences war by humbling itself before 

 God, on the part of Russia a new manifesto appears, 

 the arrogance of which can scarcely be exceeded by any- 

 thing human. The Czar speaks as if he were the 

 representative of God upon earth. His affair is God's 

 affair. He carries on war for God, and for His only 

 begotten Son, Jesus Christ, our Saviour. God is for 

 him, who can be against him ! 



" Such a document has not proceeded from the 

 cabinet of any European power since the Middle Ages. 

 It exceeds all which even Russian diplomacy has ac- 

 complished, in its zeal for Christianity, during the 

 last century. For it is worthy of notice that nowhere 

 is religion so much publicly talked about, as in the 

 place where least of it remains, among the higher 

 classes in St. Petersburgh. Religion there is inter 

 instrumenta regni. When Catherine II. permitted her 

 husband Peter III. to be imprisoned, in order to rob 

 him of his throne and life, the cause of this was com- 

 municated to the Russian people on July 9, 1762, as 

 follows: — ' First of all, the foundation of your orthodox 

 Greek religion has been shaken, and its principles are 

 drawing near to a total overthrow ; so that we ought 

 to dread exceedingly lest we should see a change in 

 the true ruling faith transmitted from antiquity in 

 Russia, and a foreign religion introduced.' So wrote 

 Catherine II., 'the greatest of the queens, and of 

 the ,' the friend of Voltaire, the greatest lady- 

 freethinker of her age. But she wrote still farther : — 

 « Secondly, the honour of Russia as a state, which has 



been brought to the highest pinnacle of her victorious 

 arms with the loss of so much blood, is actually trodden 

 under foot through the newly-concluded peace with her 

 bitterest enemy.' And who is this bitterest enemy of 

 the orthodox Russia? The King of Prussia, Fre- 

 derick II. ! Yes, the King of Prussia was once de- 

 clared to be the bitterest enemy of orthodox Russia ; 

 and nothing stands in the way but at some future time 

 he may again be declared to be so, just as at the de- 

 cree of the incorporation of the provinces of Preutzen 

 and Posen. The politicians of St. Petersburgh know 

 that the Russian people, living on in animal dulness, are 

 susceptible of no other intellectual impression except 

 a religious one ; and so, without reflection, the cross is 

 torn from the high altar, and used as a military signal. 

 Religion was employed as a pretext, in order to lead 

 the unhappy Poles step by step into ruin ; and Russia 

 was just so employed in Turkey, when the * heathen' 

 undertook to disturb her in her Christian work. Rise 

 up, therefore, orthodox nation, and fight for the true 

 Christian faith ! 



" We know not whether such a manifesto is suffi- 

 cient to lead the Russians willingly, like a devoutly 

 believing flock, in the name of Jesus Christ, to the 

 battle-field ; and to perish in a war projected for a 

 worldly purpose, to obtain the inheritance of the 'sick 

 man.' But we do know that the manifesto will make 

 no one believe throughout civilised Europe in Russia's 

 holy views. Nations which have learned to think, 

 cannot help immediately perceiving the contradiction 

 which prevails in this manifesto. First of all the 

 struggle is represented as religious, and immediately 

 after as political. ' England and France,' it says, 

 ' make war on Russia, in order to deprive her of a 

 part of her territory.' The only logical connexion 

 between the two modes of statement consists in the 

 words — 'their object is to cause our fatherland to de- 

 scend from the powerful position to which the hand of 

 the Almighty has raised it.' And thereupon is men- 

 tioned ' the holy purpose which has been assigned to 

 Russia by divine providence.' And this holy purpose 

 has been no secret for a long time. ' According to the 

 design of providence,' wrote Peter the Great, ' the 

 Russian people are called to universal dominion over 

 Europe for the future.' 



" Such a future cannot longer be averted from 

 Europe, except by common efforts. Prussia has come 

 to an understanding, as to the object in view, with the 

 other powers ; and when an object or purpose is sought 

 to be attained, the means must also be provided. To 

 make an impression by words and peaceful means, is 

 quite out of the question, after this imperial pastoral 

 letter, which proclaims war in the name of God and of 

 Jesus Christ. Force can only be repelled by force. 

 It was not our wish to compel our government pre- 

 maturely. With reference to Prussia's position, the 

 warlike interference of our troops was not desired until 

 England and France had concluded a firm alliance be- 

 tween themselves, and with Turkey ; and had com- 

 menced the war in earnest. Now, when all this has 

 taken place, and the thunder of cannon is roaring over 

 sea and land ; now, when Austria, which conceals within 

 herself so many more dangers, prepares, with manly 

 determination, to advance ; what excuse can Prussia 



